More Than You Know: Justifying That New Computer
| Pages | 93-104 |
| Published date | 01 March 1989 |
| Date | 01 March 1989 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047769 |
| Author | Walt Crawford |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The Trailing Edge
More Than You Know:
Justifying That New Computer
Walt Crawford
Do personal computers make sense? Do the benefits
outweigh the costs? That's something you need
to determine before you buy a computer (or add
to your existing supply). A few years ago, many
organizations underestimated the costs of com-
puters and overestimated their benefits. Now, the
prevailing wisdom may be going too far in the
other direction.
Our trailing-edge skeptic notes some of the absurd
projections of earlier years, showing the simple
math that undermined the business plans. Going
on to discuss some reasons why earlier cost-benefit
equations were seriously off in one direction, he
proceeds to the current situation.
Finally, notes from the literature cover four
months (December 1988 through March 1989) with
few startling developments but many worthwhile
articles and reviews.
The process of planning for, justifying, and
purchasing a personal computer was far from simple
in 1984, when I discussed it in the second "Common
Sense Personal Computing" article. It is probably
more complex now. For one thing, there are more
good choices of computers across a broader range
of prices and power. The decisions are more difficult,
with more conflicting claims to resolve. The justifica-
tion showing that a PC makes good sense may also
be more difficult because of changes in published
assertions regarding the cost and worth of personal
computers.
This column is not about what computer to
buy or how to buy it. This column deals with an
earlier issue: justifying the purchase in the first
place. If you need to plan the overall budgetary
support for PCs, if you need to convince your super-
ior or your funding agency to buy new ones or
replace old ones, or if you just need to convince
yourself or your spouse that you should buy a PC,
you need to consider the issues raised in this column.
PC GROWTH: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT?
Once upon a time, not so many years ago,
businesses were buying PCs by the hundreds for
most desk workers who had any interest in them
(and for many who did not). Why not? PCs could
improve productivity dramatically, they were not
very expensive, and they showed that a company
was forward-looking and progressive. Over a five-
year period, a computer might only cost $1,000
a year or so--a trivial expense for substantial gains.
In many cases, PCs were purchased in the same
way as typewriters: a small purchase, not worth
Crawford is Principal Analyst for Special Pro-
jects at The Research Libraries Group, Inc. and
edits the LITA Newsletter and Information Stan-
dards Quarterly.
ISSUE 27 93
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