Should I buy a new computer now?

(March 2017)

Short answer: Maybe

Today a growing number of computer functions are fulfilled by even the lowest cost PC or even more simple devices. If you are planning to do email and browse websites, with some occasional simple spreadsheet and word processing work, you do not need a full Windows PC. We would recommend a Chromebook, Chromebox or iPad if you prefer Apple products over Google products. Simplified versions of your favorite Microsoft Office applications are available for Chrome and iOS. But be warned if you need the power of Microsoft VBA to perform complex operations in Excel spreadsheets or you want to harness the database power of Microsoft Access you will need a full Windows PC.

In fact, due to the susceptibility of Windows PC’s to viruses, malware and ransomware we can no longer recommend PC for basic tasks. If you are worried about these risks yet need a Windows PC talk to us or your local computer consultant to find out how to mitigate the risks.

We see no reason to fear Windows 10 and recommend it to our clients. We use it on almost all our office and home computers.

Be careful when shopping for a new PC. We strongly recommend getting one that comes with an SSD (solid state drive) as the primary storage. Especially if the PC will be used in an office where files are stored on a central server or in the cloud. An SSD is the component that delivers the biggest gain in performance on a modern Windows PC. A 256GB SSD constitutes less than $80 out of the total price of a PC. However big box stores, mail order PC vendors are still pushing slower spinning disk technology as it has a large capacity. You typically don’t need large capacity unless you are editing video or dealing with massive amounts of data. Even 200,000 one page letters in Microsoft Word format is not a “massive” amount of data by today’s standards.

If you need help planning/designing a sophisticated, server, PC work station or the acquisition of hundreds of PC’s WSI can help. Contact us today, to find out our current hourly rate for providing consultation in this area.

Click here to see the answer in 2009

About Us

WSI is a small business and a leading provider of custom programming and database solutions for government entities, Fortune 1000 companies, and emerging businesses. We are your custom development experts.