Apple announced a retooled line of notebooks yesterday, and that means good things for businesses thinking of upgrading laptops for its employees. But, I don't mean that the way you think I do.
There's no doubt that the new glass trackpad and fancy casing make Apple's new line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros completely drool-worthy. And, of course, don't forget about the new cinema displays that would look beautiful at your workstation.
At price points beginning at $1,999, though, equipping your entire office with new MacBook Pros will set you back a pretty penny. There is another option.
Watch for plenty of "old" laptops and cinema displays to become available in the next few days. Right now, previous generation MacBook Pros -- you know, the ones that went "out of style" less than 48 hours ago -- start at about $1,500. (Refurbished MacBook Pros are a little over $1,300, however whether or not you should buy used hardware for your business is an entirely different topic).
Sure, you won't get a fancy new trackpad or an advanced graphics processor, but you won't get a two thousand dollar price tag, either. Instead, you can outfit your employees with a very respectable laptop that, until Steve Jobs and his turtleneck gave yesterday's presentation, were the the envy of Apple aficionados everywhere.
If your IT shop is part of an educational institution, the news is even better because you qualify for an even deeper discount.
In today's belt-tightening economy, I encourage businesses to examine all the options before upgrading office hardware. For instance, there are several open source ideas that will make even the oldest computer purr like a kitten, and will cost you next to nothing.
If you've seen the new Macs, though, and you're finding them hard to resist, then consider getting an older model instead. Your wallet will thank you.
Maybe you can use the extra cash you save to buy one of the new 3G iPhones.
