Why cheap PCs are a false economy

Categories: CNC News

Many British companies still make the mistake of buying non-business grade PCs and other devices just to save a few hundred pounds.

After hiring someone for perhaps £20,000 a year, businesses in the South East are still ill-equipping their employee by spending too little on an essential tool.

Inevitably, many cheaper computers don’t have the latest Intel processors, soon becoming too slow to start and work on because increasingly sophisticated anti-virus and anti-spam software and other applications are taking up more and more processing power.

What’s wrong with a cheap PC?

Gary Jowett of IT experts CNC in Brighton said: “Time and again we find that businesses will opt to source PCs themselves from retailers who are mainly selling to the home user market. While they may save a few hundred pounds in the short term, their cut-price decision will cost them dearly in the long run through lost productivity because employees won’t be able to work as efficiently as they would with a business-grade computer and operating system.”

Many IT consultants in the South of England are endeavouring to educate businesses that cheaper computers often have an insufficient spec and warranty for business use.

Unfortunately, many firms are still fooled into thinking that the computer they spot in an out-of-town retail park has an identical spec to the one their IT provider is offering.

Not true. A computer may, for example, have an i5 Intel processor but is it the latest version? If not, it will definitely be slower. Also, the components inside the PC will be lower grade and not intended for daily business use.

Why use Windows Professional?

Some businesses think that buying the Home and Student versions of the Microsoft operating system is sufficient and will save them a few hundred pounds per user. In fact, only a Professional version can be licensed for use by multiple business users and connected to your company’s domain.

And if you buy your cheap PC in a leading retail store, you’ll probably sign up to a warranty but it will be a warranty that removes the computer from your office when it needs a repair which is detrimental to a working business.

“A business-grade warranty from a bona fide IT consultant in the South East should get the repair seen to during an on-site visit the next working day,” said Gary. “The warranty cost per computer user is only around £50 to £60 which is a modest annual outlay to ensure people can carry on working efficiently.”

To put it another way… if you’re a construction or car repair business on the South coast, would you give your employees tools that wear out in a few months? The answer is no.

Why then, would you equip your sales or admin teams with substandard computers just to save a relatively small amount of money in the short term whilst giving yourself numerous headaches for the future?

A business-grade PC or laptop keeps your business running smoothly. It also speaks volumes to your employees about how much you value their services.