 Laptops / Portability If your business involves you travelling frequently, then a portable laptop PC may be better than a large desktop PC. It will allow you to work on the move, and can still be used as a desktop when you are not travelling. Laptop PC’s are expensive compared to desktops, but are well worth the money if you need to work on the move. A basic model laptop can be picked up for slightly more than a basic desktop (Normally between £500-600); however the laptop will be considerably less powerful. If you are only using it for office work and basic accounts though, there is still no need to buy anything above a basic model.
Modem (Internet/e-mail)
The Internet is a highly useful facility if you need to spend time looking for information or interacting with customers and other businesses. Using the Internet will provide a wide range of information at the click of a button saving valuable time that you may have used to look elsewhere.
Being online will provide you with one of the most popular and efficient ways of sending/receiving information: e-mail. This not only increases the speed at which information can be sent or received, but also reduces the expense of delivery and the amount of paperwork involved.
Essentially all new computers are internet ready, allowing you to connect through the modem as soon as you have registered with a service provider (ISP). If you wish to use broadband, you will need a network port and a special broadband modem (costing up to £100) which is supplied when you order the service.
If you plan to use a mail shot in the future, e-mail is perfect to save expenses.
Monitors
There are two types of monitors, standard CRT monitors (similar to TV’s), and LCD monitors (Liquid Crystal Display). LCD monitors are now very commonplace; they are compact and light but considerably more expensive. CRT monitors are bulky and heavy, but are much cheaper.
LCD monitors (particularly cheaper models) can have poor colour and definition compared to CRT monitors; which may be a problem if you are looking to use the monitor for graphics and images. In these cases it is better to go for a good quality CRT monitor (unless you can afford a top of the range LCD model).
If your budget can stretch to a good LCD monitor and you do not need to use it for graphics, then it is probably the best option. They are much easier to move and adjust, and also have an image of big-business professionalism. However, make sure you test a model before buying it, as some cheaper models suffer from blurred images that will make working with them for long periods of time uncomfortable.
Mouse and Keyboard
If your office space is small, you may find that keyboard and mouse wires get in the way, making them harder to use. If this is the case then cordless equipment may be the solution. A base unit plugs into the PC, and the mouse and/or keyboard can be moved anywhere within the range of the base unit.
The cordless system requires batteries to run, but they tend to last for a long time. A cordless mouse and/or keyboard will cost a fair bit more than the corded models, and there is a risk that they can be stolen easily. However, they are much easier to use in a small or cluttered desk space.
PC Safety
It is vital to protect your PC and data against viruses and malicious intrusions. A recent wave of viruses has been estimated to cost billions of pounds in disruption and lost data for businesses around the world.
A virus killer scans your PC and emails for viruses, allowing you to fix or delete files that are infected. A firewall acts as a block against people trying to get into your computer over the internet, this is particularly important if you are on broadband, as the always on connection will make attacking your PC easier.
You can protect your business computers against damage by purchasing virus killer and firewall software. These are available from as little as £20-30 each, and there are even some basic free versions available.
It is also essential to make a backup copy of your important data on disk or writeable CD, and then if a virus damages your computer, you can at least get back most of your data.
Article Index 2. Laptops, Monitors and Accessories |
