How to get the best deal on hardware and software

Historically, small businesses and educational institutions like schools have had a raw deal when buying hardware and software.  Baffled by jargon, preyed upon by unscrupulous resellers who see them as a 'cash cow', people have developed an unhealthy mistrust of people trying to sell them computers and computer services.

It used to be that decent pricing was beyond the reach of any small business, because they were too small to get an account with the larger distributors, so the only option was high street, or a reseller.
Now, things are different.  Online IT suppliers like ebuyer.com and it247.com have opened up distributor pricing to the small company, but you do have to find it.

Do not despair though!  It's actually very simple.  If you can browse the web, you can find good prices.  I've set out below how I looked for a price for a laptop, pointing out the best places to go, the pitfalls to avoid, and the end result.

1. Start with something simple, define what your requirements are.  Get advice from someone you trust on what specification of equipment (e.g. laptop) you actually need.  If you don't have a qualified trusted IT person, try one of the following websites;
2. 1. http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/buyersguide/laptops/
   2. http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/co_841-laptop-guide-laptop-buyers-guide.html
   3. http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/features/2146409/buyers-guide-notebooks
3. Having defined your requirements you now need to search for some prices.   Don’t assume any of the following price comparison sites are perfect, try them all, make notes, and compare.  Make sure you search using the model name of the system in quotes, e.g. "HP 6720s".
4. 1. Google Product Search - http://www.google.co.uk/prdhp?hl=en&tab=wf
   2. Pricerunner UK - http://www.pricerunner.co.uk
5. When you look at the results, there’s a few pointers to remember
6. 1. The results will often be sorted ‘by popularity’ or ‘by rating’.  Make sure you change the sort order to ‘by price’ and make sure it’s in ascending order.
   2. When making notes and comparing prices, make sure you include the basic specification.  Specification can mask the true price in both directions.  For example, you could find much cheaper model, but then find it doesn’t have wireless, or a DVD writer drive.  On the other hand, you might find a model which has a smaller hard drive, but it’s 20% cheaper!  All you need to do, in both cases, is decide is the difference in specification reflected in the price, and is it worth it.
   3. Make sure you compare the total cost of the unit, i.e. including all shipping costs (and VAT if appropriate).
7. Now compare your prices, check that they still work out the best offer after shipping and taxes, and see how much you saved!

I’ve used Pricerunner for years, and Google Product Search for the last year or so, and I expect I’ve saved on average at least 10%.  In many cases I’ve been able to save myself (or clients) hundreds of pounds with an hours work.  Try it.  It’s all open to you, you just need to make the effort to go and get it!