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Desktops PCs: the office power tool

by Ian Thomson

The variety of desktop PCs on the market can make purchasing one draining, not to mention confusing, particularly with notebooks gaining favour. Will your choice be the right one for your needs?

Buyers can currently find a wide array of new desktop PC offerings as suppliers serve up nearly every permutation imaginable. Thus an inordinate amount of time can be spent determining which models, and which features, are best for a business. Yet, two watchwords - flexibility and customisation - should figure at the top of your buying checklist.

Desktop versus laptop

There are several reasons why some businesses prefer desktop PCs over notebooks: technology, management and security, to name the main considerations. Overall, demand remains strong. And, according to Steven Gales, HP PSG (Personal Systems Group) head of small businesses, the demand is especially telling across all segments of the market from SMBs to corporate and public organisations.

"Organisations that have a high proliferation of desk-based workers tend to choose desktop PCs, as well as those handling highly sensitive data," said Gales. "Desktop PCs have tried and tested stability and are well suited for management from remote locations."

"As powerful as new generation laptops may be they still cannot outperform advanced desktop configurations," said Lisa Holmes, Dell

Lisa Holmes, VOSTRO desktop product manager at Dell endorses that view. Desktops provide customers with a level of customisation that laptops simply cannot.

"If you need to replace a graphics card or increase your storage capability to one to two TBs (terabytes) then you cannot easily do that with a laptop," she said. "As powerful as new generation laptops may be they still cannot outperform advanced desktop configurations making them less ideal for users who work with video editing or computer aided design."

Virtualisation

The move towards virtualisation means that less data needs to be stored locally, so carrying a computer from location to location is no longer essential.

Gales argues that the growth of netbook, mini notebook or mobile internet devices (MID) is good news for the future of the desktop PC: "For many users, the office-based PC can be just that, an office-based PC, with big display, high performance processing and large storage that can share data with your netbook or handheld."

Desktops maintain their presence in the market simply as they will always have the latest technology and hardware first, and because they are designed with less power or size constraints.

Buying decisions

So how should a buyer make the choice when confronted with such an argument?

Certainly, IT purchasing decisions should be made on a case by case basis. For some businesses, price will be the major deciding factor. For others it will be performance. Analysis of your specific requirements is key to any decision.

Gales said: "A smaller business that stores the majority of its data locally may require devices with larger hard drives whereas a medium-sized business may have a network with servers, therefore making hard drive size less important."

With laptops, the overriding criterion for selection is the convenience of mobility. Therefore, if a business does not need employees to be mobile then a desktop is the right choice.

"If you are thinking of expanding your business in the future then it is easier and often less costly to upgrade your desktop components - RAM, HDD, optical drive or graphics card - rather than trying to upgrade laptop components," said Holmes.

The market - vendor highlights

It should come as no surprise that PC shipments fell in the EMEA region in the first quarter of 2009, according to figures released by analyst firm IDC.

The fall was across the board, but western Europe held up well, with shipments decreasing by only -0.5%, supported by sustained consumer demand and continued interest in mini notebooks.

Buyers will undoubtedly see a concerted push by mini notebook suppliers in the coming months fighting for market share, added IDC.

HP maintained its solid lead in EMEA in the vendor market while Acer also continued to gain share as it maintained pressure in the portable PC market and the mini notebook segment, and saw gains from desktop market consolidation.

Trends - desktop PCs and nettops

As with any mature market there are several trends that will develop over the coming months that will have their own impact on buying patterns.

"An office-based PC, with big display, high performance processing and large storage that can share data with your netbook or handheld," said Steven Gales, HP

Nettops are becoming increasingly popular among desktop users who are looking for an inexpensive desktop with a much smaller form factor than the traditional desktop. Nettops are the desktop version of the netbook and like their portable counterparts are built around the Intel Atom processor. They are ideal for users who use only basic word processing applications.

This trend for smaller, cheaper systems is one which looks likely to continue in the foreseeable future, predicted Holmes.

Gales sees the widespread adoption of remote working changing the way people work and thus cancelling out the need for employees to carry their computer back and forth from the office.  

"As a result, desktop PCs will become increasingly popular in home offices for home workers looking to access information and data stored remotely," said Gales, adding that virtualisation is central to this shift as data no longer needs to be stored locally or transported around.

"We expect to see changes in the way that our customers interact with their devices, and how our devices look," he said. HP, for example, has released Touchsmart PCs with touch screens, which have been successful in the consumer market due to their compact design and intuitive touch capabilities.

Gales said the market may start to see applications which will take advantage of touchscreens in the business market at some point. He added: "A permanent desk-based PC in your office can make an ideal videoconferencing solution with very high performance, we expect to see increased use of this technology as the trend for collaborative working continues to grow."

Desktop alternative: Asus

Users who are considering purchasing a desktop and only need limited functionality could buy an Eee Box or Eee Top, a light, inexpensive and energy-efficient nettop computer. With entry prices around the £200 point, there are obvious cost benefits although these need to be balanced against what you are getting for your money. If a user does not require portability, a similar specification Eee Box unit could cost less than the equivalent notebook and a user could save the equivalent of the entire cost of the Eee Box over three years as a result of the reduced energy consumption. If a customer requires the interactivity of a touchscreen (in a school, for example) then an Eee Top with touchscreen is an option.

Monitors complete the picture

Once you have selected a suitably specified desktop PC, the next step is to choose the right monitor. There are a number of issues to consider such as the size of monitor and the available desk space, standard or widescreen format and whether you want users to have access to multiple screens. Energy efficiency is also important with a number of newer monitors featuring economy mode settings and improved power saving to reduce the electricity bill.

Monitors checklist: purchasing tips

These are the important things to bear in mind when purchasing a new monitor:

1 Screen size - how big do you need the screen to be? (usually given in inches diagonal)

2 Resolution - how much content is a monitor able to display (number of pixels)?

3 Ergonomic features - height adjustability, swivel and tilt options

4 Panel technology - TN or IPS based on the performance and viewing angles requirement (IPS panel for graphics professionals while TN is a cost-effective choice for typical office use)

5 Video connectivity options - analogue, digital like DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort

6 Additional features such as audio speakers, USB hub, webcam, embedded media card reader, etc. Source: Dell

On the screen size,  the old adage bigger is better is certainly the case. Although wide screen monitors are not as popular with business users as consumers, once you start using a wide screen display, the associated productivity benefits are obvious. As you can fit more onto the screen and view multiple applications, users can save time and work faster, effectively saving money and definitely improving productivity. For comfort, check whether the display has an adjustable stand; ideally, it should be fully adjustable to minimum 110mm travel, ideal 150mm. It is also good if it pivots. There is nothing worse than propping up monitors on reams of paper to achieve the right ergonomic position.

On the physical security front, look for theft deterrence software and Kensington lock compatibility.

Warranties are one area where you can build in a certain level of protection. Look for a standard warranty of three years which should include the back-light and either on-site or return to base cover. The TFT standard lifecycle is generally five years.

What's new in monitors?

The big development in monitors is high definition display screens with Viewsonic's launch of a full HD 1080p LCD monitor, the VX2260wm. Although aimed primarily at consumers, the 22-inch monitor could be considered by the professional market because of its Full HD 1080p resolution for crisp text and precise graphics, HDMI and DVI-D with HDCP connectivity and full multimedia desktop provision. The VX2260wm costs £162 ex. VAT and comes with a three year warranty.

Professional wide-format desktop displays are also available from NEC with its expanding SpectraView series for media reproduction, digital image processing or print-workflow. Prices range from just over £1,200 up to £2,400.

NEC has also announced a 22" display featuring two backlights and extremely low energy consumption. The MultiSync EA221WMe now requires only two instead of four backlight lamps, which means that at least 30% more energy is saved in comparison to monitors with four backlights. A new feature is the NEC One Touch Eco Button located at the front of the display that allows straightforward Eco Mode activation at the push of a button. The Carbon Footprint Meter displays the CO2 emissions from the display's energy consumption.

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Contact file

Desktop PCs
Acer
www.acer.co.uk

Apple
www.apple.com/uk/

Dell
http://www.dell.co.uk/

Fujitsu (formerly Fujitsu Siemens)
http://uk.ts.fujitsu.com/

HP
http://www.hp.com/uk

Lenovo
http://www.lenovo.com/uk

NEC
http://www.nec-online.co.uk/

RM
http://www.rm.com/