The right stuff

There has never been a better time to buy a PC for business use: they have never been so fast, so reliable, so small, or so cheap. But there's no need to rush, because there will be even better deals on offer next year. Prices may not fall much further, but PCs should become significantly more powerful as Intel starts to offer a new feature - hyperthreading - across its Pentium range.

Certainly, speed is not a problem. Even entry level PCs are more than fast enough to run Microsoft Office and similar applications. Cheap business machines now start with 1.8GHz Intel Celeron chips for about £400, not including VAT. They will probably run faster than any PCs you already own, unless you have been stocking up during the past 12 months. However, unless you are on a tight budget, it might be better to go for a Pentium 4-based system with 256Mb of memory.

Today, desktop systems running at 2.4GHz offer a good balance of price and performance, and should last several years.

The operating system is not a problem, either. Microsoft Windows XP Professional is the business standard, even at the bottom end of the market, where it is supplied with PCs such as Compaq's Evo D310 Microtower. Windows XP Pro is stable, easy to use, and more compatible with old applications than its predecessor, Windows 2000. At the moment, it is an unbeatable combination.

Users on a tight budget could be tempted to opt for the XP Home version instead. That would be a mistake. While slashing the retail price of its New Technology (NT-based) software for the home market, Microsoft has removed significant functions that are important to businesses, especially companies with Windows servers. The functions removed from XP Home include remote desktop access (one way to connect to your PC from outside the office), access controls (used to protect files and folders), roaming user profiles (which let you log on to "your" desktop from any PC), plus support for other systems management features.

If you are buying the operating system bundled with a PC, the extra cost of XP Pro is far lower than the extra value. However, medium-sized and larger companies that were slow off the mark when it came to switching to Windows 2000 should probably continue to roll that out, rather than switch in midstream. W2K has most of the benefits of XP Pro, except for the "system health" feature that helps protect system files. This can be provided separately and better by installing Roxio's GoBack 3 software (Roxio is Microsoft's supplier). Imagine Lan's ConfigSafe is an alternative.

Sound and graphics are no longer a problem with most business PCs. These aspects were neglected in the design of the original IBM PC, launched in 1981, and since then, slot-in expansion cards have been used to plug the gap. Today, expansion cards still have a place in home PCs and multimedia workstations. However, Intel Extreme (845G) graphics and SoundBlaster sound facilities integrated on the main board (the motherboard) are good enough for normal business purposes. Also, leaving out the separate sound and graphics cards reduces cost and complexity and could increase reliability.

When buying a new PC, you should also make sure an Ethernet network port is integrated into the motherboard. This removes the need to install a separate expansion card for a local area network or broadband internet connection. With the removal of the need for so many expansion cards, and today's highly integrated motherboards, business PCs can now be fitted into small boxes. If saving even more space is a consideration, there are several PCs that fit the bill. The leading examples include Dell's Optiplex GX260 and SX260, Hewlett-Packard's ePC range, and IBM's NetVista S42.

The ePC system boxes are about the size of a phone book, and are designed to make it extremely easy to change the hard drive. Paysan's M Series machines, which measure only 157 x 146 x 45mm - not much bigger than a CD-Rom drive - could also be worth a look. However, miniaturisation tends to reduce flexibility and upgradeability, and also increases the price.

During the past decade, flat LCD screens have also become an increasingly popular way of saving space. LCDs used to be very expensive, but they are now so cheap they are coming into widespread use. Prices of 15-inch LCD screens start at about £200, which is reasonably competitive with 17-inch monitors that offer about the same usable screen area. To my eye, a good Trinitron-style monitor still looks much better than an LCD, but cheap LCDs may well be better than the cheap monitors supplied as standard with many of the PCs sold at low prices. The only fly in the ointment is the appearance of hyperthreading, which Intel has been using in high-priced Xeon processors aimed at the workstation and server markets. This has the effect of making one processor look like two to a multi-threading operating system such as Windows XP Home or Pro. Now that XP has reached the mass market, Intel is moving it to the Pentium line as well.

Hyperthreading (HT) delivers a useful increase in performance in many, but not all, circumstances. The main advantages come when a PC is performing a demanding task in the background. It should become more useful as software houses adapt their applications to exploit it.

Unfortunately, HT is only available in the 3.06GHz Pentium 4. As the top-of-the-range chip, this is too expensive for standard business desktop use. However, in another 18-24 months, 3GHz chips could be the bottom of the Pentium range, and HT will be available as standard. One option is to make sure the PC motherboard will support HT, even if an HT processor is not fitted. You can then upgrade the chip later. Perhaps even more important than what to buy is what not to buy. For business users, that means avoiding "hot boxes" and transitory special offers. Some PC suppliers put together fast PCs using whichever attractive parts happen to be available. However, it is better to buy business systems made from a small number of known parts that have been tested over a long period. They may be boring, but they should prove more reliable and easier to support in the long run.

Companies such as Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, Hewlett-Packard and IBM - in alphabetical order - buy parts on long-term contracts and assemble them using quality-tested procedures. (Hewlett-Packard also owns Compaq, while Fujitsu-Siemens includes what used to be ICL.) All these suppliers are giant multinationals. If you want to buy from a local supplier, look at Evesham, which has a good reputation for support.

Most businesses either buy PCs direct or use established resellers such as Computacenter. Resellers usually offer machines in quantity at less than list prices. If your business is too small to deal with a reseller, it is still worth checking them out as a guide to the standard business offerings.

I would not recommend buying a business PC on the high street. Consumers have different requirements. The only exception is the local dealer who specialises in small business computing and assembles machines to order. Some of these are superb and some are disasters waiting to happen. Caveat emptor.

Help panel

Things to ask your IT supplier

· Extended warranty: how easy is it to fix problems?

· Security: how will your network be secured against hackers or even user errors?

· Discounts: is there a discount for bulk purchases?

· Installation: will you be given a load of boxes and wished good luck or will someone help you set up? (Depending on costs you might want to opt for the no-frills approach)

· Delivery times: are the products in stock or will you have to wait?