Computer hardware

[sirmartello]

I need to make a recommendation on computer specs for a small business, and this is one of the areas where I fail the computer geek stereotype, as hardware just isn't my thing. So, they're hoping for a computer that will last 5 years, and this will be a general office computer, running MS Office, etc. The most pressing technical need they have for

Comments

[cdk]

The only thing I know is that Lenovo's extended service plan offers pretty stellar service, at least for laptops. I forget exactly what it's called - it's the more expensive option, it generally runs about $400 for 4 years, I think, and I generally get a 3-5 business day turnaround at worst from when I first call in to when I have a repaired machine back. For laptops, that's really important because they're not so user-serviceable. It may not be so big a deal for a desktop. It's certainly an expensive option, but it's the only way I know to be absolutely certain what the total cost of ownership will be over 4 years.

[ferretlightning]

From what I've heard from others, Dell seems to be ok. We have a Dell laptop that's held up fine. I suspect our next round of desktops and laptops will be Dells.

For what you describe, I can't imagine needing anything super special. You usually don't need a fancy video card, processor, or anything else unless you are gaming. For them, maybe a hard drive big enough to hold a lot of videos, but even standard HDs these days come pretty big.

Just looked at Dell's site and...HOLY COW CHEAP! Man its been a long time since I've priced a plain ol', pre-made computer. Looking at those...yeah, I'd aim for one with plenty of memory (in case they are trying to run 50 programs at once) and a large enough HD. Otherwise...any of them could work for what they need (yeah, that's helpful, huh? *g*)