9 to 5 PCs
After conducting last month's budget PC system roundup, it became blatantly obvious to us that the old 'caveat emptor' (buyer beware) is still relevant today. With so many 'whitebox' manufacturers selling all-purpose systems, it's easy to pay more than you need to when you're shopping for a new machine. Given that, you can now easily pick up a quality home or small business system under $2,000. With this in mind, we set our sights on the small business sector and put seven SOHO/SMB PCs to the test.
Even though productivity software, like office suites and email, don't demand the latest in performance hardware, you should make sure you're getting enough processing power to last you as long as possible. Given you can expect these PCs to have to last at least four years, and ideally you want them to last as long as possible without an upgrade, you should start planning for things like Microsoft's upcoming Longhorn OS. This means you'll need CPU speed and RAM capacity to spare, as well as at least basic 3D functionality.
With this in mind, the PCs in this roundup come very ably equipped. Starting at a very healthy Celeron 2.6GHz and peaking at Pentium 4s in the 3.2GHz class, these systems provide you with a very solid base. Two of our systems even feature RADEON 9200 graphic cards, which are more commonly found in budget home machines rather than productivity workstations. Besides the aforementioned future-proofing, these can also be useful if you work with 3D applications, or even on the off chance you run a home office and want to slip in some gaming on the weekends - although we'd recommend a dedicated machine for that.
If you're a small to medium business or home office who has exhausted all upgrade avenues, and think it's time to roll out some new workstations for the troops, then look no further. Our guide covers all aspects of the arduous task of business machine comparison, including cost of ownership, warranty, manageability, build quality, and service response as well as long term potential upgradeability.
Hardware cost is one of the biggest contributing factors when purchasing new PC equipment, even more so for a business as it is expensive and a long term commitment. However, initial hardware outlay isn't the only cost to consider when looking at purchasing a new system, take into account software licensing, downtime for repairs, convenience of faulty hardware replacement and maintenance. Be sure to check out our boxout on warranties and TCO information (page 86) for a complete rundown on things to consider before handing over your money for that brand spanking new machine.