Why not get that computer configured with a 48 hour guarantee?
Congratulations! Just bought a new computer for one of your team members?
Maybe that 4 year old computer is running way too slow for 2017. Perhaps you’re trying maximize your tax incentives for 2017 hardware investments through Section 179. Or maybe you’re simply ready to start off 2018 with a new machine.
Whatever the reason, you’re looking forward to turning on that power button and getting some work done, right?
The problem that most folks don’t realize when buying off-the-shelf computers or when ordering computers online is that there are a WHOLE bunch of steps they’ll need to take to get the machine configured just the way you want it (unless, that is, you are willing to sacrifice functionality and ease-of-use for immediate use).
Because many clients (and prospective clients) are facing hardware investments in the coming months, I thought I’d walk through all the hidden steps needed in getting your brand new computer up and running the way you expect it to work.
For today, I’m going to focus on steps to set up a PC, but keep note if you’re a Mac person, you’ll have similar hurdles to overcome when pulling that silver Macbook out of the box.
Getting a PC ready for use within your business requires quite a few steps. You’ll want to pare down all the ‘bloatware’, getting all your necessary applications installed and making sure your user is comfortable with it. Let’s get into some of the nitty gritty of these steps:
Step 1: To set up a Microsoft account (or not). One of the first steps you’ll need to undertake is determining whether you want to set up a local account or a Microsoft account. When you first boot up the machine, Windows will pester you to log in (and will continue to bother you about your Microsoft setup). You might already have an account for your user (or you might not). Whoever is setting up the machine will need to know what precisely to do with Microsoft before you’re even able to configure the machine just the way you want it! Note—if you have an Outlook account, you already have a Microsoft account.
Step 2: Managing your Microsoft Account. Let’s say you were able to sign into your Microsoft account with no problems. You now will have to fine tune Microsoft’s settings to not only fit with your aesthetic requirements, but also your business security policies. Clicking on the Security and Privacy button, you likely will have to make some adjustments.
Step 3: Personalize your view. In addition to security settings, you likely want someone to make sure your wallpaper and display settings are the way you want them so that when you’re ready to work, you can start working with the exact settings that make you the most productive. To do this, you will need to right click on your desktop and click “Personalize”. From the popup window, choose one of the available wallpapers (or browse for a preferred image, perhaps your business requires a company image?). Sizing that image to your screen may take a little finagling.
You also may need to adjust your Display Settings to make text and icons easy to read (if you are one of those lucky amongst us that can read small print, you might want to have a screen that is zoomed out, but if you’re like me, you may need a view that makes it a tad easier to read your screen!). Warning: scaling may not work well with outdated applications (your computer expert may be needed to configure the settings just right to avoid hours of headaches attempting to get the screen the way you want it!).
Step 4: Update Windows. Windows constantly makes updates to their operating system. They used to release updates once a month, but nowadays in face of increased hacking, they’ve upped the ante to weekly or even more frequent updates to their platform.
Updating your PC will entail (1) checking for downloads, (2) installing the updates and (3) testing updates to make sure they’re not inhibiting other applications you critically depend on.
Step 5: Secure your PC. More than 60% of new computers do not come equipped even with full-functional antivirus. How in the heck can you operate in the office without even basic protections against all that malware that’s wandering around looking for unprotected computers like the one you turned on out of the box?
To avoid becoming a statistic, you really need to set up defenses on your computer. This may entail connecting to your business’ required network configurations (check your security policy for this) and installing specific software to protect each machine against malware and viruses. There are dozens of options here. How to choose the one that makes the most sense? (that’s where relying on people that do this stuff for a living comes in handy!).
Step 6: User Account Control. Do you want your users installing anything and everything on their brand new machine? What if they download files that contain viruses? How much autonomy should users have on their machines and how much risk are you willing to take?
To avoid them accidentally downloading a program that might ransom your entire network (this does happen!), you really should consider configuring how much user control is permissible for the user.
Step 7: Clearing out the clutter. Windows often has a bunch of software installed on your machine that you’ll never use and frankly will slow things down. Some of these programs might be free trials of software you already have licenses to, some of these applications may be games or distractions you don’t want users wasting their time.
Whatever the case, the out of the box computer is weighted down with a variety of programs you either don’t want or don’t need installed. You will want to work through the list of software pre-installed on your just purchased machine and uninstall things that won’t be necessary or helpful to your user. (Note: sometimes sorting through what’s needed and what’s not is challenging. It often is helpful to sit down with an expert to understand what you really need to function on the).
Step 8: Installing applications you need. We’ve all grown dependent on very specific software. Depending on your duties and job function, you will likely need a different array of software to get your job done. The problem with a brand new computer is you need to not only (1) identify what software your user will need but also (2) determine specific configurations of that software in your environment by installing a compatible version of the software and (3) test all the software to understand it is working properly.
Could you imagine having to figure out what specific versions you want or need for every single application you use in a month (or a year!)? To many this task is daunting.
Step 9: Even when everything seems set up, it might not be. Depending on your job, you likely have very specific accounts you need easy access to. Before calling your computer set up a complete success, you likely will want to tweak where common applications are located, have all your previous files loaded and organized per your specifications and make sure your password management software is properly installed with all of your essential passwords.
Time to completion?
Computer setups may take individual users hours to days to get right. The problem is most often, users don’t know exactly what they want the first try. Many may settle for less-than optimal configurations (which slows down productivity) or may drag out tweaking their computer for days or weeks because they get too busy to finish setting it up themselves.
More often than not, out-of-the-box computers risk business security. Over 45% of data breaches are caused by lack of properly installed or configured security software.
What’s a better solution than having to order and deal with new computer set up?
Let Dynamic Edge order your specific computer and configure it to your users’ specific requirements. Avoid the hassle and risk of getting everything just right. Don’t worry that users are wasting their time (or risking your business security) because they aren’t using properly configured machines.
And even more, we guarantee 48 hour turnaround and price match guarantees!
We’ve recently optimized our computer set up process to guarantee a 48 hour (2 business day!) turnaround in our lab. That means once the machine gets delivered from the factory to our office, we’ll have EVERYTHING set up the way you need it (we follow strict checklists to ensure users are safe and have all of their applications working right) AND we guarantee your computer on your desk within 72 hours!
Interested in upgrading your machine? Need a new laptop for a new employee? Discuss the details with your Business Technology Manager! (Guaranteed 48 hours or we’ll waive your set up costs—a $150 value).
Psst… We can only guarantee this 48 hour turnaround if you order with us (drop in computers purchased off the shelf take longer to configure because they aren’t configured for enterprise use!).
