Workstations
Computers for Users
(Computers for the Managers
and Bookkeepers)
FEATURES for workstations (except for laptops and tablets):
CD-ROM’s.
You don’t need them in each workstation any longer. See CD comments.
CHASSIS. This is the outside case of the
workstation. We like small
workstations. Desk space is valuable, so
why clog it up with a big case. Tower
workstations tend to be placed on the floor where they gather dust and create
cable jungles. We prefer small form
factor (SFF) cases that can be placed on edge behind flat panel monitors. Another factor is that you don’t have to get
down on your knees on the floor to remove cables.
CPU.
Workstations for management companies do not need blazing fast
CPU’s. See CPU comments.
KEYBOARD.
See keyboard
comments.
LAN ADAPTER CARDS are no longer needed since they are
included on the motherboards. See LAN card comments.
MONITORS.
We like flat panel monitors since they save desk space. See monitor comments.
MOUSE.
See mouse
comments.
MOTHERBOARD.
For workstations we recommend micro-ATX main boards or smaller. This allows you to have smaller workstations.
RAM.
The best bang for your buck is lots of RAM. Since RAM
is so inexpensive add as much as you can to each workstation.
PRINTERS. Each workstation does NOT need a printer. See printer
comments.
SCANNERS.
It does make sense to put a scanner at each desk in order to eliminate
paper.
VIDEO CARDS are no longer needed since
they are included on motherboards. See video card comments.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
We don’t recommend computers built by the big firms like COMPAQ, DELL,
HP, GATEWAY, etc. These computers
usually have proprietary circuit boards that are not easily replaced or
serviced. The major manufacturers claim
their extra cost is justified by the service
they provide. But there are too many
horror stories about this service, such as:
no service if you’ve changed the operating system; no service if you’ve
added any equipment to the computer; service not available at 1am in the
morning when you’re trying to fix your computer; service provided by an
engineer in the Far East talking to your on a satellite connection after you’ve
been on hold for 45 minutes; AND
often their recommendation is to reformat your hard drive so that you lose all
of your data. We also do not recommend service contracts for workstations.
RECOMMENDED SOLUTION:
Build it yourself. We recommend
computers built from generic parts that are easily replaced. The biggest advantage is not the cost savings. There
is very little cost savings, if any, in build-your-own solutions since computer
vendors save through volume purchases and cloning the configurations on the
hard drives. The big advantage is that
you will not be afraid to open up the box and repair it yourself if you built
it. Hence, you save the technician’s time,
which is much more expensive than the computer parts. Plus, when you build it yourself, you will
use generic parts that are widely available, and your workstation will be
repairable by any geek in town.
FIRST ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTION: An easy build-it-yourself solution is to
buy a “bare-bones” unit. Here the
motherboard and power supply and cables are already installed in the
chassis. All you have to do is add RAM, CPU and hard drives. A complete workstation happens when you add monitor, mouse and keyboard.
SECOND ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTION: Buy a workstation built by one of our
recommended vendors. The big advantage here is that the vendor
will be familiar with the equipment when it comes time for repairs. And hopefully the vendor will be familiar
with the applications you need and the configuration you need so that they can
load your software also.
RECOMMENDED PRE-BUILT SOLUTIONS:
SUMICOM
PIII bare bones
CONFIGURING YOUR COMPUTER:
The cost of the computer is only the start. You most load all of the software and
configure all of the parameters and options.
This is true whether or not you build it yourself or if you buy a brand
name computer.
MONDO CONDO occasionally offers workstations that are already built and tested
and loaded with software with appropriate options and parameters set. These computers incorporate all of the
recommendations on our hardware page.