The Modern Office PC: Is Your Technology Keeping Up?

While modernization and advancements in technology have made giving every employee a computer to work from far more affordable than it was ten years ago, many small businesses are beginning to feel the financial hit on a more frequent basis. Some studies show that the average laptop computer lifespan is usually between 2 to 7 years. However, within this timeframe, a critical factor arises in the difference between a “2-year” laptop and a “7-year” laptop. It usually involves the financial investment placed in it.

In this week’s Tech Insight, we’ll look at a few key features of how you can future-proof your office equipment to not only last longer, but also offer better performance during its tenure.

The Matter of Cost

While laptops and desktops are available in more ready demand for better prices than what they were during the pandemic, going with the better bargain on price may wind up costing you more in the long run.

On average, the lifespan of your equipment will be reflected in the cost invested in the device.

Entry-level devices that cost under £700 may be looking at redundancy within two years due to their baseline specifications. On top of the shorter survivability, those entry-level specifications may be quickly outdated for most software needs on the rapidly changing horizon of software requirements.

As a rule of thumb, the more expensive the laptop, the longer it is usually expected to last. Laptops that cost at least £1000 are generally expected to carry a lifespan of 5 years if they are properly maintained, with more expensive ones usually lasting longer with a properly extended warranty.

In comparison, paying £600 for a laptop that may be less viable after 2 years isn’t as reasonable as paying £1200 for one that may last up to 5—particularly when considering the cost your company might pay in transferring the data and setting up the new device to align with company policy and standards.

Preparing for the Long Term in Tech – What is the Best Laptop for Work?

Technology is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, so while it may run everything your company needs now, the low specifications may not be suitable for your business needs in the near future.

Laptops with lower specifications in memory, graphics capabilities, and core processors will generally need to be replaced on a more regular basis than laptops purchased at a higher price point simply because of the evolving requirements for hardware in a rapidly advancing software environment. When supplying your office equipment, it’s often tempting to go with an affordable standard, but it can often be less-cost efficient in the long run.

But what is the best laptop for work? It really depends on what you’ll need it to do, and the key responsibilities of the person using it.

In the past, many companies have gone with the standard 8GB Ram, 256GB Hard Drive standard laptop that many brands offer as an entry point. While this served as an optimal device for light office work and remote tasks, they’re usually ill-equipped for more intensive tasks beyond checking and composing emails, light accountancy, or video conferencing.

As a standard, a device with at least 16GB memory and a 512GB hard drive should be considered for a modern office laptop operating basic functions like checking email and attending meetings. This does not include devices that will be used for graphic-intensive work like content creation, video rendering, engineering, or virtual reality capabilities, which all require hardware that goes well above basic specifications.

10-100 Consultancy is happy to assist our customers with finding the best PC to fit the needs of their business as one of the many services we offer under our comprehensive service level agreements. If you’re interested in taking a detailed look at your hardware needs, or you’re looking for a managed services provider that will take your hardware purchasing needs into consideration alongside technical support, please give our experts a call at 01908087000, or email our sales team at sales@10-100.comto schedule a meeting.