We don’t even need to discuss the fact that PCs in an office have become as common place as staplers. Actually for me (and many others), they have become more commonplace than staplers. I use a stapler maybe once or twice day at most. I’m using a PC or several PCs continuously. In fact, I may look at finding a PC that comes with an integrated staple function. That way I’ll have one less thing on my desk.
So what are the critical things to know before making that PC purchase? These are the questions that typically run through my head:
- What is the purpose of this PC? I have a different memory/storage requirement if I’m buying a PC for a kiosk or a PC to calculate the 8 millionth digit of Ω.
- How long do I intend to keep this PC? If I plan to replace it in a 6 months or a year, I’ll purchase differently than if I can’t make another purchase for three years.
- Does it come (out of the box) with any of the software that I need? Your favorite office suite bundled in the buying cost is always a plus.
- What do my support options look like? Support is a good thing. Especially when you don’t want to do it yourself.
Alright, that’s enough bullets. So what’s the cheap solution to PC buying? Refurbished computers! We already buy people’s old cars, clothes and refrigerators . Computers are just the natural progression of old stuff that we’ll buy. The plus side is that many large companies replace their computers on a 3 year rotation. Imagine a nice machine that’s been sitting in an air conditioned office for three years. It gets removed, cleaned, tested and warehoused by a refurbishing company. If you have a need for a machine without a high price tag, and support isn’t a high priority, I recommend refurbished computers. Two vendors in this market I’ve dealt with are Dell and IntegraOutlet. I do encourage you to search for yourself.
If refurbished computers are not for you, always check and see if you have a discount with a particular vendor through work, your credit union, credit card, etc. If you are an affiliate of a national non-profit, definitely check with your national organization before making a purchase.
I hope this helps some.