5 ways to get the most out of your computer investment
Small businesses invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars in gleaming new commercial laptops, fully expecting them to last a long time. Will they, however? Not without proper upkeep.
The typical laptop or notebook has a four-year lifespan. However, companies frequently notice a drop in performance long before the equipment is nearing the end of its useful life. Software starts taking longer to boot up or runs slowly. The battery's life is getting shorter and shorter. The keys are stuck. Your network appears to be infected with more viruses.
These things happen more often than not because a company either does not have enough IT staff to handle things (one in every four small and medium-sized businesses does not have any) or the company is not properly caring for these investments on its own.
Don't feel too bad if your company falls into the latter category. You're all very busy. There are only so many dollars you can spend on computer maintenance. And the equipment is most likely adequate for your requirements.
Keep in mind, however, that drops in performance are frequently imperceptible - until they become painfully obvious. It's similar to squeaking front car brakes, which don't seem like a big deal until you find yourself unable to stop the vehicle as it careens down a steep hill.
The good news is that you don't have to hire your own IT staff to adequately protect your laptop and notebook investments if you have the time. There are some tasks that you can complete on your own.
Here are a few helpful hints for maintaining a long-term relationship with your business computers:
1. Don't overdo it with the charging cables.
Technology experts are constantly debating whether it is better to leave a computer on all the time or to turn it off at the end of each business day.
Those in favor of allowing it to run point out that every time you turn on a computer, there is a small surge of power that can shorten the computer's lifespan. The theory is that the surges cause unfavorable wear and tear on the components, which may be correct.
Others believe you should turn it off at the end of each day, claiming that the other method wastes more electricity (increasing your operating costs) and causes wear and tear on your battery and charging cable. The idea is that by shutting it down on a daily basis, computer performance will improve upon reboot.
As a result, we recommend that employees turn off their computers at the end of the day.
2. Whenever possible, update
Many consumers and business owners are hesitant to install software or firmware updates, not because they are difficult, but because they can be frightening.
Most of us have experienced updates that slow or stall our systems, resulting in lost time and productivity as well as a great deal of frustration and angst. Many business owners believe that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
But that is an outmoded viewpoint. The benefit of updating far outweighs the cost of those sporadic and infrequent occasions when patches cause more trouble than they are worth.
Updates guard against new security threats. They add new, often productivity-enhancing features to your software. They can improve battery depletion rates and performance, resulting in increased efficiency, and they frequently fix software bugs before they become serious issues for you and your employees.
Our advice: Use the automated features in Windows and your antivirus software to install updates on a regular basis.
3. Maintain cleanliness
You don't want to stand over your employees' desks and tell them to keep food and drinks away from computers. However, if you paid for those items, you have the right to demand that they be cleaned.
It is critical to keep dirt and dusty particles out of the computer as much as possible, from wiping down the screen to removing dust from vents. Clogged vents can reduce speed and impair the cooling mechanism over time.
Overheating can harm a computer and reduce its lifespan, so employees should keep laptops and notebooks away from heat sources. Remind them not to leave computers unattended in their vehicles, for example. You should also consider providing workers with cooling pads as an added layer of protection.
Our advice: Post best practices for keeping computers clean and cool around the office. You won't have to micromanage their PC hygiene this way.
4. Remove any unnecessary software.
New computers frequently come with trial software that you do not require and will almost certainly never use. However, the programs may be running in the background, affecting computer performance and productivity.
Unnecessary toolbars from Yahoo!, Ask, Babylon, Skype, and even Google (if you're in Explorer or Edge) are just a few examples. You can also scan the long list of software you have installed, left-click on those you're sure you don't want or need, and uninstall them by going to Settings/Apps & Features on your computer.
A quick scan of one business computer revealed a slew of unwanted programs, including Bonjour, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Entergy Star, Google Talk Plugin, Groove Music from Microsoft, Microsoft Money, and Snapfish.
PC Magazine has a good article on how to remove unwanted and unnecessary programs, but a quick Google search will bring up a plethora of other options.
Our advice: Don't be afraid to uninstall programs you clearly aren't using, but before you do, do a quick Google search to ensure you aren't uninstalling an essential component of a program you do use, such as the operating system.
5. Think about DaaS.
In the end, you might not want to do-it-yourself. That would be prudent. Because it becomes tedious after a while and can be a distraction you don't need.
This is where device-as-a-service (DaaS) enters the picture. DaaS providers (HP® is a pioneer in this space) ensure that you get complete hardware, support, analytics, and unified endpoint management solutions while spending less on IT.
Offload the time-consuming tasks of supporting, securing, and managing multi-OS devices so you can focus on what is important to your business. Reduce the complexity of purchasing by utilizing simple, adaptable plans that can be easily tailored to your specific business needs and budget.
If you have the ability, we recommend that you do it yourself. If you don't have the time or aren't comfortable with that approach, consider HP DaaS to keep your systems up to date, well-managed, and secure.
Thinking about implementing new technology in your business but not sure where to begin? Allow an HP business expert to assist you. They'll work with you to identify the best technology for your company now and in the future, and they can help with custom configurations, flexible financing options, and much more.
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