Let’s face it: IT expenses can cause sticker shock, especially when you are talking about hardware purchases. You have to upgrade your technology to keep things current, but it’s tempting to go with the lowest price possible to keep your spending to a minimum. The experts on IT support LA businesses trust with their hardware purchases asks this question: “Are you actually saving money or losing money?”
Let’s look at three of the most common cost-savings tactics used when purchasing IT hardware, and whether they actually save you money or end up costing you in the long-run.
Tactic 1: Go Cheap
You need a new laptop. So, you go surfing looking for the cheapest price. You find a great deal on an $800 laptop from an off-brand supplier. You also find a similar model from a name-brand company for $1400. The $800 model is your first choice due to price.
What you may be overlooking is the fact that the off-brand uses cheaper, less reliable parts. Plus, it comes with a minimal warranty compared with the name-brand model. So, that cheap laptop could end up costing you more to repair and will need to be replaced in a couple of years, while the name brand can last 4 to 5 years.
Tactic 2: Build It Yourself
For those who know how to build computers, it’s very tempting to buy all the parts and assemble the system yourself. You can get the parts you want at the price you desire.
The downside, however, is that there is no warranty on the system. You may have minimal warranties on some parts. But, when parts go bad, you have to remove the part, wait for a replacement, and then install it again. Plus, if you aren’t tech savvy enough to build the computer yourself, you have to hire someone to do it. While you might save $100 to $200 on the parts, you will pay that to have it assembled or to do repairs on it.
Tactic 3: Don’t Get a Warranty
To save money up front, you decide that you don’t need to buy the warranty that goes with the system. You think the chances of needing a repair is low enough you can skip the coverage. That’s a bad idea according to the IT support experts in LA.
Warranties are there to protect you from human errors and normal wear and tear. One repair can end up costing you hundreds of dollars.
We Can Help
For more information, contact us at Advanced Networks today. We are the experts on IT support LA companies rely on for their hardware recommendations.
