The Cheap and The Good

Don't be fooled by the creative marketing of the major computer manufacturers such as Dell or HP. No computer applicable in the business environment costs $499. When you purchase a new computer for your business, you ideally want it to be a 3-5 year investment, especially if you are making an investment in a server. Some things to make sure you include in a build when purchasing a new computer:

I. Memory - 1 GB if you will be running Windows XP, 2 GB if you want to run Windows Vista or plan on upgrading to Vista. Memory makes the biggest noticeable impact on computer performance.

II. Video Card - I usually tell people to at least include a card with 128 MB of memory, although 256 MB is much better if you plan on running Vista.

III. Warranty - This is kind of a love or hate option. Most people consider this insurance - and no one really likes insurance. That said, I typically recommend at least a 3 year warranty with on site support. All it takes is one hardware failure and this will pay off itself.

IV. Office Suite - Purchasing an OEM version of MS Office will be the cheapest license of this product that you will probably find. Consider purchasing the new version of MS Office when you buy a new computer. Remember, OEM licenses live and die with the computer so if you plan on "transferring" Office from your old system to the new, chances are legally you cannot do this.

If you follow those guidelines you will be very happy with your new computer. Most of the other options are preferential but are not as essential. The trade off is you will be looking at a more expensive computer, however it will last much longer and your experience with it will be much more positive!