Purchasing Computer Equipment For Your Business

When purchasing computer equipment for your business, there are some decisions to make like desktop vs laptop or Mac vs Windows PC. However, when it comes to cost, you don’t want to buy the least expensive (aka cheapest) computer available nor do you necessarily need to buy the most expensive computer available.

Computer equipment purchases should align with what the equipment will be used for. It should be purpose-based. For instance, your Accounting Manager will not need a computer with the same power and specs that a Graphic Artist or Video Editor might need.

Be sure to consider the software applications that you will be running on those computers to determine the minimum and recommended system requirements needed to run those applications. Make sure the computer specifications meet or exceed the recommended requirements. Also, make sure the computer has the necessary ports that you will need for any peripherals. For instance, some computers may only have USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports. If you need USB-A, HDMI, VGA, etc. you’ll need to get an adapter, a port replicator, connect to a dock or go with a different computer model that has all the ports that you require.

As you intend to use the equipment for a period of time (minimum of three years ... typically the duration of extended warranty coverage), you’ll want to be sure the computer will be able to support the latest operating system, future hardware and peripherals as well as future software updates/upgrades. If the computer is not user upgradeable, consider investing in upgraded specs at the time of purchase so you can, to some degree, future proof the investment.