SMBs Plan to Increase PC Spending

Top 10 Technology Trends for 2013

SMBs are looking to increase their PC spending, according to a new report by IT researcher The NPD Group. This was reported in eWeek, which noted that 30 percent of polled small and mid-sized businesses say they intend to spend more on PC purchases through the end of the year. As a comparison, only 22 percent expressed this sentiment when asked in October 2012 about their plans to increase IT-related spending in 2013.

In a statement, Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD said:

“PCs are still a core part of the technology arsenal of the typical U.S. corporate employee and a regular rotation of new and upgraded equipment is part of best practices for most midsize U.S. businesses.”

While part of the reason for the increase in PC spending can be attributed to a more optimistic outlook by SMBs, an important factor in the reported spike is probably small and mid-sized businesses holding back on the purchase of new machines after the mixed reception to the launch of Windows 8 last year.

In addition, other factors at play here are the upcoming end of all official support by Microsoft for Windows XP, as well as the undeniable appeal of the many new Ultrabooks and Windows 8 tablets released this year. I’ve looked at many of these devices, and there is no denying that Ultrabook devices offer acceptable performance in a highly compelling form factor.

Indeed, Ultrabooks appear to have eclipsed demand for traditional laptops with their more powerful processors but significantly more bulky form factors. This can be attributed to a couple of factors aside from their (generally) lower costs, namely better battery life and performance comparable to that of full-fledged laptops.

The first is the result of real improvements in Intel’s latest ultra-mobile microprocessors, while the latter has to do with widespread implementation of Intel’s Smart Response SSD caching technology, which offers solid-state-drive (SSD)-like performance without a corresponding price premium.

Moreover, many of the mid-range Ultrabooks being offered today are pure SSD devices too, with their faster read/write speeds more than making up for their slower processor. Finally, Windows 8 does indeed boot up much faster and is more lightweight, allowing users to enjoy an excellent level of responsiveness. As it is, if you’ve not tried a recent-model Ultrabook, do yourself a favor and give one a spin – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.