How to choose your office desktops, two lessons

Today, few choices are more important than the personal computers you select for the office. Whether you favor Apple or Dell or some other hardware vendor, whether your preference is for the Mac OS, Windows or Linux there are some common elements that run across any good system.

Cost is clearly the first thing that anyone will consider. We'd all like to have $10,000 to spend on every computer in the office. With that kind of money you could buy the absolute best around. But rarely is that justified for even a single personal machine, much less every computer in the office.

The specific amount is less the idea here, though, than the principle: get what you pay for, but pay for what you need. We're all tempted to cut corners. Saving money is critical in any business, especially when starting out. But trimming the computer budget too tightly will cost you productivity all day, every day for the useful life of the machine.

It is possible to spend too much on a machine even when you think you're getting something for that money. 'Too much', doesn't mean here not getting a good deal from a vendor. It means spending money for aspects that don't give you any value.

One current Intel processor that runs at 3.16 GHz clock speed, for example, sells for several hundred dollars more than the 3.0 GHz model. The other aspects of the two processors are almost identical. The higher number does not, in fact, mean the machine will be 5% faster. Even if the price were only 1% higher you would still be spending money unwisely. You will rarely notice the difference. There are many aspects to computer performance and this small extra speed will go unnoticed.

So, lesson one is that if you learn a little bit about what makes for good computer performance then you can avoid spending money to get essentially nothing in return. No need to be an expert yourself though it never hurts. But be sure to ask some probing questions or get someone to advise you.

Post-sales support can be equally important. No major hardware manufacturer today gives stellar post-sales support. They simply have too many customers to make it feasible to answer all the questions that come up. Most will send replacements parts or a repair person in a reasonable amount of time for machines that actually break down within the warranty period. But you should not expect much more.

That means it can be worthwhile (depending on your personal comfort level with computers and other circumstances) to purchase indirectly. Many resellers offer a great value by providing increased phone and email support, rapid on-site repair services and other value-adds if you purchase from them instead. They can do this because they have a smaller customer base, often are closer to the customer and are usually much better trained than the customer service staffs at major corporations.

Lesson two, then, is to consider how important for you is it to have rapid, reliable, knowledgeable help when something goes wrong. Hardware (and even, to a large extent, software) is very solid these days. If, when you need help you need it now and need it badly, it can easily be worth the extra 10-15% you might pay for a system.

The old saying 'penny wise and pound foolish' is an enduring truth, never more so than when it comes to choosing a desktop computer. For most offices today, it forms the core of a person's productivity. It's worthwhile to put a little extra thought into choosing one.