[OPLINTECH] Suggestions for hardware vendors

[Chad Neeper]

On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 8:48 AM, Amy Deuble <adeuble at marion.lib.oh.us> wrote:

> I’m looking for recommendations for hardware vendors. I currently use
> CDW-G along with a smidge of TechDepot. My director wants me to investigate
> alternatives to ensure we are getting the best prices.****
>
Some of my school clients regularly purchase computers from Dell. Over the
years, I've found the computers to be reasonably priced and generally
pretty well designed and reliable. I don't know if they have price
discounts for public libraries, though. I would assume so.

One caveat to Dell applies if you want to use Solid State Drives:  I build
custom computers for my own library clients (Mini-ITX SFF chassis, Intel
Mini-ITX MB, Intel Core i5 (or i7) 3.xGHz CPU, Intel SSD, 4GB Kingston RAM,
very long useful lifespans!). To ensure that it still made sense to
continue to custom build them, I had the opportunity several months ago to
do a direct comparison for the typical computer I would build versus a
computer from Dell (since I could easily customize the specs right there on
Dell's website). I was very happy to find that I could build a nearly
identical spec'ed Dell computer, so I had as close as it comes to
apples-to-apples. I found that it still made the most sense to custom built
them. To get a Dell computer that would perform equally to the custom
Intel-based build, the computer would cost many hundred dollars more. To
get a Dell computer that cost the same as the custom build, the Dell's
performance wouldn't even come close.

The key factor is the Solid State Drive I put into the custom builds.
Patron and staff computer don't generally need tons of hard drive space. By
putting a 40GB SSD in patron computers and an 80GB SSD in staff computers
(both probably overkill as it is), the cost is only slightly ($10-$20) more
than a traditional spinning hard drive, but the performance isn't even in
the same arena. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a Dell computer with a small
SSD. The only SSDs offered on the dell website were considerably larger,
which pushed the price WAY up. So, for now, the custom builds still win,
for me.

2 cents,
Chad

ps. I should note that I only build for my own clients! I'm not looking to
build computers for everyone/anyone!


-- 
______________________________
*Chad Neeper*
Senior Systems Engineer

*Level 9 Networks*
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

*Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools*
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