Things to Consider Before Purchasing New Office Technology

What’s the best way to buy new office technology?

Do you spend the most? Do you hunt a budget system? Is an average computer today good enough for tomorrow?

All of these questions usually point to a specific price, and it can be hard to figure out how to best manage your tech budget. Here are a few tech purchasing points to consider before settling on any system.

What Does Obsolete Office Technology Really Mean?

One of the worst decisions that computer buyers make is spending big money in the hopes of staying relevant for a long time.

It’s not a bad thought to have. Why keep buying a new computer or new parts every few months when you could get the biggest, best thing and enjoy your system through 2, 3, or more generations?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

In many cases, a sudden discovery or different way of doing things will appear and create a new micro-class of technology.

A video card with the same general specifications, but a better way of handling shading or other specific tasks could open a whole new world of graphics.

A new processor architecture could give the same speed with far less power consumption or heat generation.

The motherboard you purchased has a design flaw that isn’t discovered for months.

These are mostly market-controlled events. While hard to predict precisely, it’s not like waiting for the discovery of a new planet or the next big industry to make big money; revisions, updates, and price cuts are a daily issue.

Unless your business is handling experimental techniques that need cutting-edge technology, never be an early adopter. Hunt office technology that has multiple reviews that can be traced back to actual people willing to respond to your questions.

Make sure that office technology professionals are familiar with the brand. Even better, a specific model number with a good reputation around the techs who service office equipment daily will serve you well.

There is a careful balance to strike between getting tried and true technology and getting an old piece of junk. Again, unless you have to chase the latest and greatest techniques in office tech for the rest of your business to be successful, avoid the newest gear. Give everything a year to get a few purchases, reviews, complaints, and even a revision on the market at a better price point.

Will The Investment Wear Itself Out Before Its Peak?

Equipment breaks down. Wear and tear is a part of life, and machines are faster and extremely frustrating proof of how nothing lasts forever.

The last section talked about spending too much money on something that may be obsolete because of rapid market changes. This time, think about what happens if your shiny new office computer burns into a crisp.

A bit dramatic, but that’s close to reality. Many powerful computers purchased to stay relevant are also energy-hogging, heat-generating furnaces of calculation.

That heat isn’t just a toasty feature to keep your feet warm in the winter. Systems slow down to avoid actually burning up due to high heat, meaning that unless you’re actively cleaning and maintaining the system in and out, you’re not getting your money’s worth.

The higher heat and operating conditions will cause certain parts of the system to deteriorate. Many high-performance devices lack an extremely low setting, and their idle settings are enough to wear away components.

If you bought the system for the future, your system might be too worn out to be useful by the time it’s needed. You’ll end up buying a new system or replacement parts, and that huge investment just proved itself useless.

Instead, consult an office technology consultant to find the right fit. A system can be above average and impressive without being a roaring beast of power that burns out quickly, and you can spend a fraction of what cutting-edge systems cost.

That saved money can be spent elsewhere in your business, or even on your equipment if you need custom fittings or a more affordable maintenance plan.

If you need help finding the right equipment for your current and future tech needs, contact us!