Intro to Buying Desktop Computers for Small Business

Here's useful advice and handy rules of thumb for buying the right kinds of business desktop PC at a fair price.

Whether you're buying five machines for basic admin work, or a hundred systems massaging customer and inventory data, you have the same challenges: identifying well-made systems that you'll have to manage and maintain — with a minimum of problems, please, and at a fair price.

Even if you have an in-house PC buying expert who knows the current state of the market, it helps if you yourself have at least a broad idea of the current state of the market, and enough grasp of the technology to be able to talk to your tech people, your consultants, or the customer rep at the computer shop.

The good news is that the Web is filled with reviews and ratings of the vast number of PC models and brands, all at your fingertips.

The bad news is that most of these product reviews are focused on the consumer, not on the business buyer. So performance and features are evaluated for suitability to gamers, digital camera enthusiasts, and Web shoppers.