We are often asked whether or not to seek or accept used (older) PCs, or buy new workstations. Inevitably, our answer has almost always been the same: if youre able to buy new, you are almost certainly better off. Yet increasingly, the quality and speed of available free/used hardware has begun to shift causing us to reevaluate when donated computers make sense. This process of reassessment has caused us to change our tune, if only a little.

Today, our standard answer when a group asks whether to go new or used is it depends. We like to ask the following questions.

Replacing an existing computer:

• What is the state of the computer this one will be replacing? The easiest way to figure this out is to run a great little tool called Belarc advisor, available for free at http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html.
• Have you budgeted for the obsolescence of the existing computer?
• How much will the computer be used?
• What will this computer be used for?
  

Adding an additional computer to your network or organization.

• Why do you need another computer?
• Did you budget for this new computer as the need became apparent?
• How much will this computer be used?
• What will this computer be used for?
  

In both cases, we also like to have a complete picture of the other computers in your office. This allows us to help you match your most powerful computers with the people that are doing more demanding tasks. This also allows us to assess whether a prospective used machine will fit in well with your existing computers.

Generally, we find that purchasing new computers is almost always more cost effective in the long run. Used computers generally require more effort to set up, require more maintenance, and will need to be replaced sooner than new computers. The spreadsheet that accompanies this article is designed to help you assess the costs and benefits of new versus used computers.

It is VERY important to note that in some cases, groups are using very old computers. For these groups, a more up-to-date used machine (e.g. a two-year old machine that replaces a four-year-old machine) will provide a worthwhile performance and productivity boost.

Resources

Compare the costs of new vs. used computers with this simple spreadsheet.