When you need to get a new computer for your business in a hurry, it can be tempting to grab a cheap deal from a local store or from the top of Google.  After all, many devices look alike – they have screens, keyboards, more or less features.  However, what you buy and how much you spend will dictate a great deal about the experience you get with that device months or years after the purchase.  Here we discuss what to look for in a business PC and how to avoid pain later.

This article assumes you are looking for a Windows-based PC for general, everyday use.  If you use specialist or particularly demanding software you should consult the vendor to ensure the specifications are appropriate.  We discuss Apple Macs below.  Call us for advice if you are uncertain.

How much should I spend?

The short answer is as much as you can or want to.  A more helpful question is “what is the minimum I should spend?” because this is where things go wrong.  There is a wealth of low-end PCs available.  Many of which look great from the outside, often the same or better-looking than their more expensive counterparts.  We’ll discuss this more below, but in the meantime, here is a rough guide based on 2018 laptops:

Minimum spend for a sensible business laptop: £500 - £700 + VAT

Recommended spend for a business laptop: > £800 - £1000 + VAT

Minimum spend for “luxury”, a convertible or more powerful laptop: > £1,500 ++