Help! I Need New Hardware for Windows 7!

The posts about Windows 7 have generated some interesting questions on purchasing new hardware: Which manufacturer? How much memory and hard drive? What about eBay? etc. I’ll try to address those questions here.

If you read the “Short Rant on Hardware Manufacturers” (http://bit.ly/1RSmoo ), you know I’m not particularly fond of any of them. Very little differentiates one computer from another. So, get the best price you can that meets your requirements.

When determining which desktop, laptop or server to purchase, ask:

1)      How long do I expect to keep the hardware before upgrading again?

2)      How long has it been since my last hardware upgrade?

3)      How much hard drive am I using now compared to when I first bought the device?

These are the questions I ask as I develop migration plans for my clients and friends.

The goal of every small business owner is to extend the useful life of hardware as much as possible. I have one client who has hardware that was purchased with Windows ME and then upgraded to XP. The hardware is around 9 years old. They have extended the useful life of their computers and server as far as possible.

Since my clients tend to not upgrade often, my advice is to purchase hardware that will allow you to add RAM (memory) over time. How much memory? I am advising clients to purchase 4GB (gigabytes) initially. Why? Windows 7 requires a minimum of 1GB…that’s just for Windows 7. By the time you add the other software you have been using, you probably need 2GB. The cost difference between 2GB and 4GB is less than $100 in most cases…cheaper than a service call to order more memory and install it.

I am also advising them to consider hardware that has a maximum expansion capacity greater than 4 gigabytes. Why? Once again, to extend the useful life of the computer. If they purchase 4GB initially and that is the maximum a unit can support, they have to replace the unit once the memory is exhausted. The difference between a desktop model that has a maximum capacity of 4GB and one that can expand to 8GB or 16GB is often less than $400. That cost is substantially less than buying a new unit.

All of the major computer manufacturers will provide the hardware specifications online at their sites. They will also allow you to compare the features of their device models such as maximum memory and hard drive supported.

What about eBay? The same principles apply. You will need to do a little more homework to discover how much memory the desktop or laptop will support. If the seller can’t tell you, go to the manufacturer’s website and search for the device model.

If you have any questions ask your favorite IT service provider or feel free to DM @ITMinefield on Twitter.

Wishing you safe passage through the IT Minefield!

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Purchasing hardware is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies.  She applies her experience in Corporate America (saving them millions) to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 1:16 am and is filed under Business, IT, Information Technology, Upgrade, Windows, small business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.