Where do
I buy a business PC?
If you’re working with an IT partner, like Lean On Me I.T.,
purchasing a new PC through them may have benefits over purchasing directly
from a manufacturer or retailer. Working with an IT partner ensures you
select the best equipment for your business needs and can potentially
streamline the setup and implementation. It may also be possible to save
money through your IT partner. At Lean On Me I.T., our partnerships with
global distributors and manufacturers, like Dell, enable us to get computers
and accessories at a lower cost than the average business can.
What’s
special about a business PC?
A lot of small business owners will just go to Best Buy or
Amazon to buy a PC. They may see it as convenient or may even find a
computer at a consumer retailer is cheaper than purchasing a business PC due to
a special/promotion. When you buy a computer from a retailer like Best
Buy, you are purchasing something designed for personal use which may not have
the same quality hardware, warranty term/coverage or version of Windows.
Even accessories like computer monitors differ from a personal model and a business
model, with the business models built to be used 8+ hours a day vs 2-3.
Hardware Quality
It can be difficult to see the physical differences between
personal and business PC’s, but business PCs are generally built with higher
quality hardware. A business PC is built to be used all day every day for
anywhere from two to seven years while a personal PC is built to be used 2-3
hours a day for one to two years.
Warranty Coverage
Most computers purchased from a consumer retailer will come
with a 1-year limited warranty, while some may only be 6 months or less.
All Windows computers purchased by Lean On Me I.T., on your behalf, will come
with a minimum of a 3-year warranty with the option to extend up to 5
years. There is also the option to add accidental coverage, which is a
great thing to consider for laptops.
Windows Home vs Pro
Most personal computers come with Windows Home, while
business computers will come with Windows Pro. There are several key
differences, but the most meaningful to most businesses has to do with user
management and maintaining company control of your devices. With Windows Home
the user will have to set up their own user tied to their personal email.
This can become a challenge if you need access to the machine when they are on
vacation or when they leave your company. If they leave, or are
terminated, and you don’t have their password, you can be locked out of your
own company computer. With Windows Pro, you’re able to link the computer
to an active directory server or to your business Microsoft 365 account with
Azure AD to manage users at a company level. This company level management
ensures you always have access to your company equipment.
Computer
specs, what do I need to know?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when considering the type of
computer and its specs. The first step is to decide whether you want a
desktop or a laptop, but even within those two categories there are a world of
options. The physical properties of a computer are going to depend
heavily on the role you need the machine for, but the performance specs are
something that are a little easier to generalize and walk through. When
evaluating specs for a computer there are four main categories to consider:
processor, RAM, video card and storage.
Processor Selection
When reviewing machines there are two processor manufacturers,
Intel & AMD. For business computers Intel is the majority leader by a
large margin. AMD processors are mainly geared towards personal devices
with gaming being where they shine the most. When looking at Intel
processors you’ll find four core types. I3, I5, I7 & I9. I
would encourage you to stay away from I3 processors completely due to their
lack of performance and it’s very uncommon for a business role to require the
power of an I9, leaving the I5 & I7 for us to dig into. Both the I5
& I7 will serve most business needs, so I generally look at them in terms
of lifespan. Although an I5 will do most business tasks sufficiently
today, you’ll likely need to upgrade within 2-3 years. An I7 will often
be more than you need today but will allow you to get 5-7 years out of a PC
before needing to upgrade. Often the cost difference between an I5 and an
I7 is ~$100 or less, so I encourage most clients to get an I7.
RAM selection
Discussing RAM can sound very similar to a discussion of an
I5 vs I7 processor. Most basic business roles can operate without issue
with 8GB of RAM, however upgrading to 16GB will ensure their PC doesn’t get
bogged down when they have a lot open at once and will allow for a longer
lifespan before needing to upgrade. Even roles that only operate in a web
browser can benefit from 16GB of RAM as browsers like Google Chrome can use a
lot of RAM. Furthermore, the price difference between a PC with 8GB and one
with 16GB is minimal. Some specialty roles, like those dealing with CAD,
graphic design or video editing may benefit from more RAM, in which case 32GB
and even 64GB become options.
Video Cards
Most business PCs don’t come with a dedicated video card nor
is there a need for the average business user. However, if the machine
will be used for CAD, video editing, or something similar you may want to look
for a PC with a dedicated video card. In these cases, your software
vendor will often tell you what their recommendations are, making it easier to
narrow down your search.
Storage
SSDs are commonplace these days, however not all SSD’s are
created equal. Any PC you select, whether desktop or laptop should come
with an M.2 SSD, if not you should move on. Furthermore, there are
different M.2 performance standards, but even the lowest end M.2 SSD is over 6
times faster than your older SSD’s and 25 times faster than your old-fashioned
spinning disk hard drive (HDD). Your higher performance business PC’s come with
M.2 SSD’s that are over 40 times faster than an old-fashioned HDD.
At Lean On Me I.T., we generally recommend saving money on
storage and purchasing a PC with as little as 512GB. This is more than
enough for Windows and any programs you need to install, but you should be
saving your files elsewhere. Depending on your business, you may want to
save your files in the cloud on OneDrive or SharePoint (which are included with
Microsoft 365) or on a file server in your office that is backed up. This
practice not only saves you money on PC purchases, but more importantly ensures
that if something does happen to your PC your data is not lost.
What
about Mac’s?
You may be asking, why is everything about selecting a
Windows PC? By no means am I telling you that Mac’s shouldn’t exist in
your business. The fact is some people are used to Mac’s in their
personal life and forcing them onto a PC could make them less efficient.
However, it’s important that Mac’s are implemented differently and that you
know that Mac’s will not integrate as seamlessly with your user management
method, file servers, and many applications.
The great things about a Mac
Before I get into telling you the downfalls of a Mac in
business, it’s worth highlighting the positive attributes. The first
thing that many people will notice about a Mac is the build quality is
exceptional. Whether it be a MacBook or one of the Mac desktop options,
they are built well and you can count on them lasting for years. Mac OS
also has strict guidelines for software developers, which helps to minimize
vulnerabilities through installed applications. The operating system is
also built to be intuitive, leading to higher efficiency &
productivity. All of these things make a Mac a great computer for
personal use, but there are some core reasons that it becomes more challenging
in business.
Threat protection challenges
Have you ever heard that Mac’s can’t get viruses? Well,
it’s not true! This initially came about partially as a joke and
partially due to the low percentage of the market that Apple has historically
made up. Since so few of the devices out there were Mac, threat actors
simply didn’t go after them as often. However, with Apple’s market share
rising, threats are beginning to target Mac’s more and more. Apple
did begin providing some threat protection natively, however in business your out
of the box anti-virus solution is never enough. Although all the industry
leaders in the threat protection space now support Mac’s to some degree, it
does come with limitations. As an example, some threats that can be
automatically removed on a PC may require manual human intervention on a
Mac. This process means that the threat is going to have access to the
machine and potentially your business network longer until someone can take care
of it, which puts other systems at risk.
User Management and Device Ownership
In the section above talking about Windows Home vs Pro, I
mentioned the ability to manage users at a business level to ensure
administrative access to your company devices and prevent the ability for an
employee to lock you out of your own computers. Unfortunately, since
Mac’s are designed primarily for personal use and Apple and Microsoft don’t
like playing together, Mac’s do not support integrating into these services natively.
This means that your employees will need to set up their own user and will have
control over the machine, which is a risk for you. There are some best
practices that can help mitigate this as well as some add-on subscriptions that
allow an organization to manage Mac devices more effectively, however this can
become overly complex or cost prohibitive for some small businesses.
Compatibility
Although most common software is fully compatible with Mac’s
these days, there are still many business applications that are not. If
you decide that you’d like to purchase a Mac for your team, it’s important to
review the software you use in your business to ensure your team won’t run into
any challenges. If you’ve got a file server for your office, it’s
important to verify that it’s fully up to date and supporting the latest SMB
standard (which you should do regardless for performance & security), but
also understand that Mac users will interact with your file server differently
and it may not be as efficient of a process for them.
Warranty, Repair & Upgrades
Apple’s standard warranty is 1 year, although they do offer
Apple Care plans to extend their coverage. This is an important thing to
consider since Mac’s will often already cost more than their PC
equivalent. If your Mac stops working and needs repair, no matter the
issue, it will have to go to an Apple repair location, which may require
shipping your device off. Upgrades will be limited or not an option at
all. On most Mac models, the RAM and storage are not replaceable or
upgradable. Apple markets their devices hoping that you’ll buy new
products each year as they release new models.
Are you ready to purchase a PC for your business and need
assistance? We’re here to help! Email us at info@leanonmeit.com
