Upgrade or Replace?

In the course of providing small business computer support, I am faced with that question quite often. Is it worth it to repair or upgrade the computer or should I just get a new one. The answer is, it depends.

There really is no simple answer and it will be different for each small business, but you may want to consider the following:

-How much is the repair or upgrade going to cost? Surely that is one of the most, if not the most important question, if you are looking to get a repair, try finding services like the top repairs in Perth since these will assure you a good job for a good price. And the consultant you are dealing with should be able to give you a pretty solid ballpark on that. Once you know the cost of the repair you can compare it to the cost of replacement and how many parts do you need to actually replace, is it just a few parts, the monitor, the whole computer or maybe the printer or photocopier? 

-What are the current prices like for a reasonable replacement system? That of course is the other side of the equation. You may be surprised to find that since your last purchase the cost of computers have come down significantly. For instance a few years ago you would be hard pressed to find a laptop for under $1000. Now you can pick up many different models starting at $399

If you can figure out these numbers, then the decision on what to do will become much clearer, and will most likely be based on your available budget as well as the long term growth needs of your small business.

Many times I see computers that are in need of some type of hardware replacement such as a hard drive, which in itself is only a $50 part. But when you factor in the price to replace the part, reinstall Windows or Mac, recover and restore all your data, and get the computer back to where you want it, it can easily be $400. Let’s say the cost for a new computer is $600, then you need to compare spending $400 to get an old computer back with no warranty, versus spending $600 to get a modern computer with a 1-3 year warranty.

In the end there is no right or wrong answer. Getting all the facts is the first step, and that is where a reliable, trustworthy small business computer support expert can help you.

AYS provides computer support to small business in the Mississauga, Milton, Guelph, Brampton, Oakville and Georgetown areas of Ontario, Canada. Please CONTACT US for more information