Upgrading Office Laptops
There is almost a hard written rule that replacing computers, laptops, and other mobile devices need to be done within x number of years and that number is usually less than 5 years. Office workers are used to snappy results and fast load times and that slowing speed is a sign of being less productive and impatient finger tapping ensues.
It is also a much more profitable solution to replace entire systems than small upgrades.
The questions that need to be asked is:
is it going to enhance productivity
improve efficiency
improve workflow
The other major concern can be newer apps and software not working on older hardware. This can especially be true for Operating Systems that just won’t run well on older systems. Apple is good at simply not allowing newer OS releases from even downloading and installing on older systems. This again can lead to users feeling left behind in a fast-paced cyber world of connected devices, fast internet speeds, and busy schedules.
Computer and server upgrades are easy. Upgrading office laptops are a little more limited.
Hard drive upgrade
Most notably the first part of a laptop that slows down is the hard drive. Since more and more data is being stored on the drive, it will inevitably slow down. Data recording starts on the outside of the drive. The farther the data move inwards to the inner part of the drive the slower the drive becomes. This is because physically, the hard drive is actually spinning at a faster rate (which is the drives maximum speed) than towards the center of that drive. Also, there is no need for as much efficient data placement on the physical drive. 1’s and 0’s can be placed almost anywhere within the outer part of a drive. Solid State Drives are much faster and store data a little differently so it is much less noticeable.
Upgrading office laptops can simply be done by replacing the SATA drive with a larger fresh one or install an SSD drive. Data retrieval will become much quicker as well as data writing. The storage drive is one of the few components that are almost always replaceable or upgradeable on laptops. With the price of SSD’s coming down to record lows, this should be the first most affordable option with the biggest improvements.
RAM Upgrades
If a laptop has the option to also upgrade the RAM (Apple MacBook Air laptops, for example, do not) then this should also be an affordable upgrade to any system. ifixit.com is an excellent resource for several Apple laptop upgrade options as well as iPhone fixes and upgrades. Mixing different RAM types will in almost all cases not work. There has to be identical RAM installed. Obviously, if the laptop is already at its maximum allotted RAM, this upgrade will not be possible.There is also the original fast RAM that came installed on the laptop and then there is possibly faster RAM available. Faster RAM, of course, is faster as long as the motherboard can work at the faster Mhz rate. Front Side Bus is no longer being used as much since being replaced with technology such as HyperTransport.
Upgrading Office Laptops with an Operating System
Surprisingly, newer Operating Systems can sometimes slow down a laptop significantly. This is because of added features, a larger drain on system resources and increased multitasking or running processes active in the background. Only if security is still kept up to date can a newer OS really be passed by to keep laptop performance up. Ironically, laptop upgrades can involve skipping an OS upgrade.
Deleting and Backing up Files
Deleting unused software is time-consuming and rarely helps with improving speeds unless the disk space is very low. Laptops and computers, in general, like to run with still plenty of free space left on the drive. As the drive becomes more full, it becomes more difficult to find free space in random free areas on the drive. Deleting large files such as video, images or software that never gets used can help improve speeds. An external hard drive or DVD burner can make sure files are saved before they are deleted from the drive forever.
Each user of a laptop is different and some may last years while for others theirs is sputtering constantly. Just because others are upgrading office laptops doesn’t mean everyone has to.
Newer evolving technology is very good at leaving older technology in the dust and making it “end-of-life” with no upgrade options left. That does not mean upgrades should not be looked into. However, sometimes replacing an entire system makes better sense. Especially financially if the upgrade is only effective for one year or so. Selling current old gear can be snapped up by many companies. They then later refurbish and resell them for a profit. Firms just need to be certain all data is wiped before unloading hardware.
The question is also how much faster and newer the technology should be for companies to buy for them so they last as long as possible. Or are more frequent upgrades more economically feasible? Also, resale value can play an important role in this. Apple computers tend to sell for higher prices than Windows and Android-based laptops. Upgrading office laptops is not always so straightforward.
The question is also how much faster and newer the technology should be for companies to buy for them so they last as long as possible. Or are more frequent upgrades more economically feasible? Also, resale value can play an important role in this. Apple computers tend to sell for higher prices than Windows and Android-based laptops. Upgrading office laptops is not always so straightforward.
Selling current old gear can be snapped up by many companies that then later refurbish and resell them. Firms just need to be certain all data is wiped before unloading hardware. The question is also how much faster and newer the technology should companies buy for them to last as long as possible or are more frequent upgrades more economically feasible? Also, resale value can play an important role in this. Apple computers tend to sell for higher prices than Windows and Android-based laptops.
The question is also how much faster and newer the technology should companies buy for them to last as long as possible or are more frequent upgrades more economically feasible? Furthermore, resale value can play an important role in this. Apple computers tend to sell for higher prices than Windows and Android-based laptops.
Replacing and upgrading office laptops, computers, smartphones and other mobile devices don’t always have to be done within x number of years. Either office workers are used to snappy results and fast load times or that slowing speeds is a sign of being less productive and impatient finger tapping ensues. Each business will have to make its own determination on whether it makes financial sense to upgrade or replace.