updated November, 2006 by Brian Place / bdp@bdpnetworks.com

Note: This is a very popular article with a lot of technical information in it.  For your convenience, it is divided into these sections:

• Overview
• Determining what type of computer you need
• Buying a computer for your business
• Basic recommended configurations
• What about Windows Vista?
• Executive summary

OVERVIEW

We are often asked some of the same questions by many different customers. Of these, one of the most important that we can answer is, "What kind of computer should I buy?"

There are thousands of different computer systems available for purchase, so this seemingly simple question can have a myriad of right answers. Unfortunately, much of the information about buying the right computer is murky, driven by relentless marketing techniques and distorted by companies more interested in making a quick buck than in producing a quality machine that’ll lead to a long-term relationship with their customer.

But luckily, through observing industry trends and tracking our customers buying patterns, we’ve been able to come up with some basic guidelines that we use to steer our customers in the right direction. Because we don’t resell hardware or software, you can feel confident in the knowledge that we really believe that these recommendations (and the specific systems we’ll discuss) will help give you a reliable computing platform.

DETERMINING WHAT TYPE OF COMPUTER YOU NEED

Not all computers are created equal. So you should ask yourself these questions before picking a system:

Does it need to be mobile?
Laptops are more expensive and more apt to be broken or stolen, but they will let you work from anywhere. This is a very important question. Review your needs carefully before proceeding with the other questions.

How much use will it get?
A light-duty computer would run web, e-mail, and word processing software for a few hours per day. A heavy-duty computer could crunch spreadsheets and perform database queries for ten hours per day without ever skipping a beat.

Will it be located in a hot or dusty or accident-prone environment?
Ruggedized specialty computers (like the Panasonic ToughBook) are available for these environments. They may cost considerably more but they’ll last considerably longer.

Does it need to have wireless capability?
Desktop computers should be hard-wired into a network whenever possible if they’re not going to move around. Wireless should only be used on a desktop computer when there are no other options available. But laptop computers should almost always be purchased with a wireless option nowadays, almost without exception.

Does it need specific software loaded on it?
The manufacturer will often offer significant discounts for specific software packages preloaded onto a new system, such as Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Office System 2003.

Do you need a tablet?
Tablet notebooks are special configurations with a reversible touch screen designed for professionals who need to take written notes "on the fly" – especially great for doctors annoting patient charts.

Is your computing task better handled by a server?
If you need to run an application that acts more as an "engine" – i.e. processing large batches of data with minimal user input, you may be better suited by server-grade hardware which is not covered here. 

BUYING A COMPUTER FOR YOUR BUSINESS

We find that many people don’t understand the difference between different grades of computers available from some of the largest manufacturers. This often leads to companies inadvertently purchasing substandard systems that underperform because the machines don’t mesh with the day-to-day business demands placed on them.

Business-grade computers
The little-known secret is that most computers available for purchase from consumer outlets are not designed for heavy-duty business use. Computers purchased directly from Best Buy, CostCo, CompUSA and other big-box stores are designed specifically for the home. These computers are often very inexpensive and come bundled with lots of extra software. Unfortunately, this extra software usually carries a lot of advertising with it (which helps subsidize the price of the computer) and often clogs the operating system up, slowing the computer down to the point of being ineffective for any real work.

A better solution for most companies is the business-grade desktop PC, available from most manufacturers. We’ve been happiest (and have the most experience) with business-grade computers from HP (Compaq) and DELL. These systems aren’t as flashy as consumer-grade desktop PCs, but they generally include less extra pre-loaded software and have better-quality components in them. They’re designed to run smoothly and efficiently for at least four solid years–about two years longer than the average consumer-grade desktop PC. They also include extra security features & management systems for better problem reporting and resolution. Finally, business-grade desktop PCs are built to a consistent standard: if you purchase ten business-grade desktop PCs, then purchase ten more a few months later, most of the components (and thus the software drivers) will be identical. This improves the ability for large IT organizations to use imaging in their desktop deployments.

Here’s a chart that shows how these different models stack up:

Make	Consumer Laptop	Consumer Desktop	Business Laptop	Business Desktop	High-end (Engineering/Video)
DELL	Inspiron	Dimension	Latitude	Optiplex	Precision Workstation
HP	Pavilion / Compaq Presario	Pavilion	Compaq nx / nc / nw series	2000 / 5000 / 7000 series	xw series
IBM (Lenovo)	3000 Family (Lenovo)	3000 Family (Lenovo)	ThinkPad (Lenovo)	ThinkCentre (Lenovo)	IntelliStation
Toshiba	Satellite / Qosimo		Tecra / Portege

Several companies focus solely on the consumer market and thus make systems that are not a good value for business use.  These include Sony, Gateway, Acer, Averatec, eMachines, Systemax and any local "white box" clone computer maker.  (I used to work for a "clone" PC maker many years ago and would never recommend them for anyone…)

Here’s another explanation of the differences between DELL Dimension & OptiPlex systems.

BASIC RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATIONS

Here are some recommended basic hardware configurations (as of November, 2006) for any desktop or laptop computer purchased for business use.  Your needs may be greater, but this is a good place to start:

	Desktop	Laptop
CPU	Intel Core Duo / Pentium 4 / Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 or greater	Intel Core Duo / Pentium M or AMD Turion or greater
Disk space	60GB minimum	60GB minimum
Memory	512MB minimum	512MB minimum (more memory on laptops improves performance dramatically)
Operating system	Windows XP Professional (We don’t recommend XP Home edition at all for many reasons)	Windows XP Professional (We don’t recommend XP Home edition at all for many reasons)
Video memory	128MB Video RAM	64MB Video RAM

WHAT ABOUT WINDOWS VISTA?

Windows Vista should ship near the beginning of 2007.  When it does, we recommend people wait a minimum of 6-9 months before purchasing it to upgrade their existing systems. 
We believe that while Vista will bring a number of interesting new features none of them will be deemed "essential" so it will pay to wait to upgrade.  Even so, many systems being sold now are marked "Vista Ready" but this term is thrown around loosely: Vista will require more memory and lots more video horsepower than most of the configurations currently being sold today.  If you really want to upgrade to Vista and experience its benefits, we recommend waiting until you can purchase a new PC with Vista preloaded.  As with any new software, you may pay a high price for being an early adopter–but more on this in another article.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Consumer-grade systems are widely available but unsuitable for business use.
• Don’t buy computers for your business from a retail store or a TV ad.
• Stick to computer resellers who have access to business-grade PCs available from major manufacturers, or order them directly from those manufacturers via their websites.
• Though business-grade computers may be slightly more expensive (maybe 10-20% more) than consumer-grade systems, they will last longer, run more smoothly and require less maintenance (and thus save on support costs) than consumer-grade systems over the lifespan of the unit.

Questions?  Call or e-mail us – we’re here to help!

[This article is continuously updated; please leave your feedback below.]

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