Computer Purchasing Quality Guidelines
When you buy a computer, it’s important to understand the total cost of ownership. For endpoint computers, this comes down to initial cost, dependability, warranty, support costs throughout the lifetime of the device, and disposition at the end of its life.
Deciding which computer to buy often brings up questions like “Why shouldn’t I buy a cheaper, consumer-grade computer to save the University money?” This question is a good starting point to learn more about the total cost of ownership and find a computer that fits your needs.
Purchasing and Longevity Considerations
Price
The up-front cost can seem like the most important element when making a purchase, however, many other elements factor into the total cost of ownership.
Enterprise-grade computers are often more expensive than consumer-grade computers. They are built with more robust materials and designed to work with enterprise network and management solutions in a heavy-use environment. Consumer computers are built with cheaper materials and designed to be used in a home environment. It’s similar to the difference between a home stove and one used at a restaurant.
Dependability
Downtime is costly. IT support can attempt to get broken computers up and running again but downtime and data loss can have serious effects on the user and their department's ability to deliver on their mission.
Because of the higher quality components and materials, enterprise-grade models last longer and are less likely to create downtime.. University technicians are also experts in these models so when there are problems they are able to resolve them faster.
Warranty
Enterprise-grade models from the Bookstore come with a three-year extended warranty with additional coverage for accidental damage and ability to keep the harddrive when repairs are needed. Consumer-grade models tend to include a one year warranty by default and do not include enterprise level coverage like next day onsite repair service. These differences in warranty can make a big difference to the time it takes to get you back up and running if you experience a hardware failure.
Support Costs
There are efficiencies gained when purchasing a designated standard model. The University’s current standard models are Apple MacBooks (Air and Pro), iMacs, iPads,Mac Minis, and Dell Latitude and Precision models. Non-standard models include, but are not limited to, Dell XPS, Dell Inspiron, and all other manufactures.
The standard models listed above are automatically configured during setup and our technicians are experts in supporting them when there is a problem. When a non-standard model is purchased, substantially more time is required setting it up and supporting it through its lifecycle which means more downtime for the users.
End-of-life Recycling
The University is more likely to be able to sell end-of-life enterprise-grade similar or identical computers to wholesale resellers after following University standards for sanitizing data. Computers that are not able to be sold are sent to the University’s e-waste vendor for responsible recycling. Reselling is preferred over recycling because it has a lower impact on the environment and decreases the overall cost of e-waste recycling to the University.