Unless you have a clear and compelling reason, it is usually wasteful to buy the most current hardware. If your purposes are modest, you should be looking for older hardware, even used hardware.
All of the functions set out in part 1′s sample list can be effectively executed on technology as old as five years — which is available pretty much for hauling it away. However, before you opt for used hardware, it is important to either feel technically competent to support yourself or to have access to someone who can provide support should things not go well with the purchase. Prices on new low-end systems have come down so far that it may not make sense to consider used equipment at all.
You can buy new low-end hardware for under $1,000 and have the security of a warranty. Even buying new, it is wise to buy a machine that is a generation old rather than the most current crop of CPUs and gee-whiz graphics cards.
If at all possible, go with Windows XP rather than Vista. XP is stable (relatively) and does not demand as much hardware power as Vista. Just be aware that Microsoft has announced that it will no longer “support” XP. What this means is that they will no longer issue bug fixes and security patches but if you follow safe computing practices, this is not a serious concern.
Many systems even at the low end, come with Vista pre-installed which is a significant disadvantage. It imposes unnecessary demands on the hardware and the way Microsoft has segmented its operating systems means systems targeted to the home or low-features market have constraints that you will not face with a copy of XP pro.
With many others moving to Vista, you should be able to buy a full copy of XP Pro very inexpensively. Install it as dual-boot to retain the included Vista while getting XP for actual daily use.
If you are comfortable or have staff that is comfortable with computers, strongly consider using Linux, the free open source operating system. There are a number of variants with one the most popular being Ubuntu. The kick with Linux is that it will run and run fast on very old hardware. The draw back to Linux is the scarcity of software applications often needed in a business environment. If your needs are for normal office applications, there are great free options available for Linux, as you will shortly read.
Because this example includes using the web and databases, some concern for speed is warranted. The most important factors for a comfortable internet experience and responsive database processing are the amount of RAM and the size and quality of your hard drive. Today you can buy a brand new machine that fits most of these features for well under $1,000/machine.
For example on the day of writing (August 19, 2008) you can find a well equipped desktop computer for a low investment. This Acer Veriton Intel Desktop is going for$450 Canadian. For that money you get an Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 2.0GHz, 1GB DDR2, 160GB SATA II, DVDRW, Gigabit LAN, and (unfortunately)Windows Vista Business. Try to get them to ship it with Windows XP instead of Vista or have someone install XP for you after receiving it. Vista is a resource hog, almost entirely directed at eye candy and “user experience” which you do not need in business. If you feel you must stick with Vista, then you need to add memory.
The skinny is that you are not getting a heavy weight gaming machine, but if you do a thorough job of Part 1, you may discover that you do not need a heavy weight at least for many tasks. As noted, one gig of ram will simply not support Vista regardless the fact that many retailers offer it that way. You can upgrade with the 2GB PC2-5300 ECC Kit System X3105 4347 Series for about $80.
If you need to run heavy database tasks, then you’ll want that running not only in more ram but on a separate hard drive, possibly a completely separate computer. For organizations with three or more computers networked together, the cost of adding a standalone machine to act as the database server is trivial compared to the grief, slowdowns and lost data you invariably experience when the database is running from the same hard drive the rest of the staff are using for all their “stuff.” Check out ComeToShop for some really good deals on hard drives.
You’ll have to pick up a monitor, but here’s a case where saving too much can be penny-wise, pound foolish. Do not go a local consignment store to pick up an old CRT for $10. You will pay a lot more in electricity and it is predicable that you will experience trouble shortly after hooking it up. Prices for good quality LCDs have come significantly. For example, you can get this 19 Widescreen Active Matrix LCD 5ms response time with great viewing angles for about $180.
Keep in mind the points about Knowing all the costs.
The main point is to remember that hardware purchase is for business is not an exercise in ego. It is an effort to obtain functionality.
Recognize that almost everyone involved in the computer industry is driven to get you to spend as much as they can possibly get. That includes consultants who you might hire to advise on or conduct the actual purchase and installation of your systems.
The trade off for purchasing hardware that is not the most current, or sticking with an operating system that is not the newest, is that you may lose access to new features that are specifically built into the new stuff.
The point is you have done part one well and are confident that you do not need such features, right? How much eye candy does you business need? It is also likely that over time there will be less support for older technology.
But consider this: if you spend $1,000 on hardware now instead of $2,000, by the time your needs grow enough to demand some wonderful new trick you will easily be able to buy another system, probably for about $1,000 that does everything you want and then some. Let others pay the price of new tricks and only buy them when you need them and they have dropped dramatically in price.
It is also important to know that “most expensive” is not always the same as “best.” For example, Walking Dolphins is not a household brand for building and hosting web sites. But it is clearly in the top tier of service. But Walking Dolphins is also one of if not the least expensive. The smallest business can have an absolutely professional web site up and running within days (or even hours) without any technical consultants involved and at a price that literally shocks many of our clients.
3. Don’t pay for what is free — Use Open Source
4. E-mail
5. Collaboration
6. Do Real World Testing
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