Christmas in August

There has never been a better time to update your old, clunky laptop.
What should you look for to make sure you get the best tool for the task?

My accountant tells me it's a once in 20-year windfall for small business. The ‘it' in this case is an early Christmas present from the Rudd Government and the Australian Tax Office. If your company has an annual turnover less than $2 million, the Government will provide an additional 50% tax deduction if you order any new assets worth more than $1000 before the end of the year.

Combine that with the new financial year and I figure it's a perfect time to update
your clunky laptop. But what should you be looking for?

The most important question to ask is what you need your computer to do. If it's just for working with office applications, you can get by with a fairly low-spec machine. But if you want to use the machine to work with databases, you'll need a fast processor of 1.6Ghz or higher. If the database data will be stored (even temporarily) on the computer, you may also need a large hard drive.

If you're out and about a lot, consider buying a wireless broadband modem from one of the mobile networks, or look for a notebook with a built-in SIM card. These connect to fast 3G data networks for internet and data access when you're away from the office. Don't even consider connecting a computer to the internet without a virus protection and security package.

Many business users are opting for lighter, thinner and sexier notebooks like Dell's Adamo, Apple's MacBook Air, Lenovo's Thinkpad X300, Fujitsu's Lifebook Q2010 and Asus's Eee PC netbooks. Since these don't have built-in optical drives, you won't be able to play CDs or DVDs, or even install software from a data CD - make sure you won't miss these capabilities.

There are really just a few things that make a difference to computer performace. The first is RAM (random access memory), and the formula here is simple: get as much as your computer can take. RAM is about $40 per GB now, so if you can get 2GB, 4GB or more, do it.

Processor speed is a favourite number for salespeople, and can be an indication of performance, but, to be honest, I'm more interested in some of the other numbers, like how much hard drive space there is (again, you can never have too much), battery life, screen resolution and connectivity options.

Because laptops are prone to be lost, stolen or left behind in taxis, backup is essential. Portable external hard drives are extremely cheap these days; even an enormous two-terabyte drive will cost around $400.

The choice of manufacturer is also important, but not as much as it once was. Notebooks are largely commodities these days, so chase a low price point aggressively and don't be fanatical about brand.

You can get good deals when shopping online, but ideally you should test drive the keyboard, mouse and monitor before buying. Also, check the warranty and support sections of the vendor's website, and even call its toll free support number with a test question to see what the people on the other end are like.

You and your employees have a great opportunity to reap the dividends of improved productivity and performance. Of course, there are loads of other technologies that would also improve your office productivity, but I'm out of room.

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