Hardware > Buying & Owning Hardware

Where to Buy a PC

By Lasa Information Systems Team

There are a number of different ways of buying a PC, all with different risks and benefits.

There are at least three ways to buy IT.

1. You can buy direct over the phone, or via the internet, going direct to the manufacturer or mail order company. Place your order, give your credit card number and wait for delivery.
2. Or you can go to a dealer. You'll be looking for a complete package of equipment, installation and subsequent support. It may cost more, but help with installation and the higher level of support will be well worth it, especially if you have limited technical resources.
3. Or you can go to a high street store and choose a computer from those on display alongside TVs, mobile phones and other electrical goods. This approach brings the advantage of try before you buy, but prices are higher than mail order and these retailers generally have a poor reputation for after sales service. 

So how do you choose?

Buying Direct

Buying direct is a popular option because it is quick and cheaper, but you need to be clear about the level of help that will be available. Many mail order suppliers are just that. They will take your order and dispatch the goods, but don't expect much of a discussion about your particular needs. The mail order option works best if you are already fairly clear about what you want.

Mail Order

Mail order after sales support is usually available via a telephone help-line, and some suppliers have a good reputation for the quality of their telephone help. But this is the limit of their support. If you can't sort the problem out over the phone you will be left with a bit of a gap. In these circumstances you may want to make separate arrangements for support with consultants or other IT support services.

If you aren't very dependent on your IT system (unlikely theses days!) you may be able to get by with limited support arrangements although you will be living dangerously. But as your IT set up gets more complicated, if you install a network for example, or an important application like a database or email system, then you will have to make solid arrangements for support. In this situation a supplier offering a full package of installation and support is likely to be the best bet.

For more on support see the knowledgebase article Why You Need IT Support.

For many agencies, installing a network may force a decision to move away from mail order towards a package of supply, installation and support. The network brings greater complexity, and you're going to become very dependent on it.

If a network is well looked after it should give years of trouble free service. But if it is badly installed and not expertly maintained it could turn into a disaster. For more on networks see the Networks section of the knowledgebase.

Few organisations have appropriate technical knowledge to set up a network in-house: the necessary skills are specialised and needed only periodically, so it makes more sense to contract them in on a regular basis. It's worth noting the contrast between buying a single PC for use at home, and making purchasing decisions for an organisation:

Many people, when buying a single machine for use at home, will spend ages locating the cheapest deal even if it means going to a distant supplier. The machine may contain some unusual components or other quirks but this is no problem if it does the job.

But what happens if this same approach is used to buy a computer for an organisation? It's not unknown for a management committee member, fresh from his own successful home purchase, offering to help an organisation choose a computer.The result will be a new purchase that may have little in common with existing machines. Software won't be installed in a standard way, and the set-up may be poorly done. The result could be a machine that is more likely to cause trouble and be harder to support. The consistency and convenience that can come from buying from a company with responsibility for the whole system will be lost.

In truth, the choice of supplier is likely to be more important than the specification or price of the PC. PCs are much the same, but there are big differences in levels of service from different companies. It's not what you buy but who you buy it from that counts.