e-skills UK Guide

Finding hardware products and suppliers

Finding a hardware supplier

Finding a supplier of computer hardware is much like finding any other supplier for a small business, but with the added complication that you may not understand some of the confusing technical language that is talked at you. The good news is that the technical aspects of buying computer hardware have been detailed the following projects -Buying a Computer, Buying a PC Server, Online Document Storage and Printing Documents.

This guide will consider some of the options available to you when looking for a supplier.

Main sources of hardware supply

There are generally 3 sources of supply for computer hardware, all with advantages and disadvantages:

• The manufacturer. Some manufacturer only sell direct. This can be a benefit since you can see all it has to offer on its web site and you can experiment with different configurations online until you find one at a price you are prepared to pay. However, you will not be able to see the products (other than photographs) unless you know someone that already has one.
• A distributor. In practice there might be a hierarchy of distributors and you will be dealing with the end of the chain. Again, some manufacturers – like Acer, for example – sell only through distributors. This can result in reduced costs as distributors trim their profit margins to compete with each other. However, for complex products like PCs and laptops you might find you can choose only from a limited set of configurations. You can find advertisements from distributors in business PC magazines. You might also use a support organisation that is also a distributor for specific brands of equipment.
• Retail outlets. This is probably the most expensive place to buy equipment, but you get to see and handle the equipment and if it’s in stock, you can buy the equipment straightaway. There are both large and small retailers. You may feel that you can get a better level of support from a small local independent store with whom you can build a longer term relationship.

Getting advice on suppliers

Like any major purchase you need to get advice and help. There are many very good suppliers out there but unfortunately there are some bad suppliers.

Consider the following sources when looking for a supplier;

• Friends and colleagues. Good for independent advice, but:
  • Can be heavily influenced by a single bad (or good) experience
  • Might want to justify their own decision
  • Will have personal factors that might quite different to your own
  • Might not have much technical understanding
  • Use only for low cost purchases.
• You might use a support organisation for your office network or your business system. It will have a broad experience and technical expertise. It might not be independent, however. Be cautious of advice that requires you to buy directly from the organisation since it might not consider equipment that it does not sell.
• You should certainly ask your support organisation(s) for help with any large-scale purchase or purchase that involves technical complexity (such as a server).
• Magazines. Particularly those aimed at business users. Some of the articles in these magazines can be heavy going, but side-by-side equipment reviews can be extremely useful. If you intend to make several purchases during the year, we suggest a subscription to at least one of the business PC magazines such as:

PCPRO 

PCPLUS 

PCMAG 

• The internet. This is most useful if you have identified one or two specific systems and you need help to decide between them. You can find side-by-side reviews from some magazines on the Internet, however these are usually summaries of the full article (and therefore omit some of the most useful information). However:
  • It can be difficult to find reviews since searches for a product reveal lists of sites that sell that product.
  • It can be hard to see whether a review is independent, or not.

We suggest you start by searching for reviews in the PC magazine web sites and only expand your search if you can’t find what you are looking for.

Second hand hardware

This can get you the biggest discount of all because second hand equipment has a very low resale price. Be aware that you are unlikely to get any warranty and you should expect the technology to be outdated. However, if you are a start-up, then buying a second hand PC might help to keep you going until you can afford something more sophisticated. Having said that, if you need to take the laptop to clients, consider what a very old piece of equipment has to say about your image.

Before buying second hand computers, check on the position regarding software licences for the operating software (like Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office). It is no good buying cheap equipment only to find you have to spend just as much again, or more, on operating software.

Expect to have to write off your investment in, say, six months unless you know the equipment is relatively new and in good condition.

Candidate hardware suppliers

There are many possible suppliers of PCs in the UK. You are likely to find a one-man business locally that will build PCs for you to order. The well-established suppliers of business PCs are listed below:

DELL

EVESHAM

HP

IBM

ACER
 
There are some other names that might be familiar to you from the high street. As a general rule, if you want to know whether a supplier provides PCs suitable for business use, look for a review in one of the business PC magazines three of which are listed in the ‘Getting Advice on Suppliers’ section.

PCPRO 

PCPLUS 

PCMAG

Further information

For further information on this topic, why not take a look at this video:

Getting the most from your suppliers

Commercial suppliers

We do not recommend specific products or suppliers; instead we provide you with a representative sample which covers the range of suppliers/products available. You may choose to look at these suppliers or products but this is entirely at your discretion.