What type of computer should we buy for our charity?
The choice between a desktop PC and a laptop (commonly referred to as a notebook) is a common one. A laptop offers increased mobility and easier storage. If you are going to be working whilst travelling, or if you deliver presentations, then a laptop may be a practical solution for you. However, pound for pound, given a laptop and a desktop PC with similar specifications, the desktop will always out perform the laptop. This means that to get the same performance, you would need to get a higher spec laptop.
The other big difference between a laptop and a desktop is that a laptop uses specialised parts and is more delicate. A desktop PC is modular and uses standard parts, which makes it much easy to fix. Often times you can upgrade or fix your desktop yourself, whereas if your laptop breaks you will need to get it to an IT professional. Finally, a laptop is literally crammed with components, so you will not be able to upgrade your laptop. A desktop PC is relatively easy to add to, be it memory or a video card or whatever.
It is easy to become confused and adrift amid the technobabble in the specifications for PCs, so to make things easier, look at our "What to look for in a PC " article, which details the parts and characteristics of a computer, what each bit does and what it means when you read it on a specification.
Tips for successful PC purchase
- Buy a reputable brand, or at least buy from a reputable reseller, who will be able to support the machine should it break.
- Computers have become very cheap to buy, so it is worth looking at the support options available with the machine. E.g., do you require 24 hour on-site service from a technician? or is it sufficient to have new parts replaced and couriered to your door within a week?
- Always keep in mind the end product: what do you want to be able to do with it? Standard business applications are just that: standard. A standard PC should be able to run them effectively. It is only when you have special requirements, e.g. audio/video authoring that you require specialist hardware.
