e-skills UK Guide

Buying low cost IT equipment for your business

Low cost IT equipment

Naturally anyone in business will look for ways in which they can reduce costs, and so it is with the buying of computer hardware. Over the past few years the cost of IT equipment has fallen dramatically as the performance and functionality has risen due to improved production methods, technology and competition.

It is now possible to purchase a brand new laptop for around £100. Are these real bargains or are they too good to be true?  

This guide will help you save money by purchasing wisely.

Introducing the low cost computer

We have covered the purchase of computers in this guide which explains the basics of what to look for when specifying a PC for business. It contains a lot of sound advice and it is worth reading it in conjunction with this guide so that you understand some of the terms, features and functions of PCs.

Ultra low cost PCs are a fairly recent innovation and have come about due to aggressive cost cutting and outsourcing of the production cycle. By ultra low cost we mean prices often 50 – 75% less than a mainstream, branded computer. Recent innovations have seen not just desktop PCs being sold at low prices but new laptops at around £100, cheaper than many second hand branded laptops. One reason for this reduction in prices is an initiative by the computer industry to provide cheap laptop computers to people in developing countries. By definition these need to be built for a very low price but also provide acceptable performance and reliability.

The benefits of low cost computers

Naturally the price is a major benefit of a low cost computer. This low price enables those businesses that would not have considered laptop computers to now purchase them for staff - probably “road warriors” or sales teams who travel out and about and need a basic computer. By having access to a laptop, mobile workers can work when they are out and about rather than wait until they return to the office – a real advantage. In fact we cover the benefits of mobile working in this guide here.

It is also generally safer to purchase a new rather than second hand laptop. With new you would normally get a guarantee or warrantee so that if something goes wrong you are protected. Generally laptops have a tough time so a second hand one may have a relatively shortened life span. Fragile components such as the hard disk drive are always susceptible to damage. Second hand computers may also have data resident  on the hard drive from the previous owner, even if they believe they have removed or erased it. This can be annoying and distracting. Second hand computers can also be quite grubby, hardly the professional image you want to portray to customers.

The downside of low cost computers

Unfortunately there are some downsides to buying very low cost PCs. The most obvious would be found when you switch the computer on. Instead of a probably familiar Microsoft Windows operating system you will most likely see a version of Linux, an open source operating system. Although this may be made to look somewhat like Microsoft Windows it is still different and you will need to learn new commands and controls. For some people this can be a major barrier to purchasing a low cost computer.

Some low cost PCs can have Microsoft Windows XP installed, but this may have problems running to its full capabilities. Often in ultra cheap laptops the amount of memory available for the computer to use is limited. With an operating system such as Windows XP loaded you will get slow performance and become very frustrated very quickly. It would not be possible to do anything on the computer other than real basics – certainly no image editing or graphics programs.

You may find the keyboard too small, but this is often the case even on more expensive lightweight laptops. You will probably find the screen is much smaller than you would expect as some ultra low cost laptops may only have a 7-inch low resolution display. This means that you may not be able to see much detail on the screen.

In terms of business data the reliability of cheap laptops needs to be considered. You would expect the hard disk reliability of a branded PC to be significantly better than that of an ultra low cost laptop, so the chances of data loss could be higher if you buy cheaper. This can be managed if you adopt good data backup procedures. We cover this in more detail in this guide here.

Summary pros and cons of low cost laptops

Here is a summary of the pros and cons of purchasing a low cost laptop:

Pros

• Cheap

• Often more reliable than second hand

• Often more presentable than second hand

• Provides a good level of basic computer functionality

Cons

• Probably less reliable than a top named brand

• Small screen

• Uses non-Windows operating system

• Relatively poor performance

• No advanced functionality

• Business data may be at more risk

Suppliers

Suppliers of low cost computers include:

Elonex

One Laptop per Child - (NOTE: This US program enables you to purchase a low cost laptop at the same time as donating one to charity. Please check the website for latest availability. You will need to evaluate the laptop’s suitability for your business)