Purchasing : Getting a Computer/Laptop/Mobile/Tablet/etc.
In general, you will be provided with the appropriate computer(s) and IT equipment that you need for your work here.
Laptops (and other IT equipment) can be ordered early, before people arrive to work at our institute. And we
hold a small stock of the most common laptops that are ordered.
Lower value items such as: External Disks, Touchpads, Mice, Keyboards, USB drives, WebCams, Laptop Hubs, Cables, etc.
Lower value commodity items are available from IT Support, such as external storage disks, standard screens, touchpads, mice, keyboards, USB drives, WebCams, microphone-speakers, laptop hubs, cables,
connectors, etc.
How to get a computer(s)
The options for getting a computer for work use are:
-
New: to purchase a new computer you will need the approval of a cost centre owner for the expenditure.
In general this approval will be from a group leader or Director. Then contact IT Support to make the purchase
and clearly specify what you want purchased : there is advice below.
-
Spare computer: you can ask IT Support if there are any spare computers.
-
Your own computer: you can use your own computer for work if you wish to, and by doing so you agree to
the security policy and rules.
New Computer
In general we will do our best to purchase the computer(s) you need for your work, based upon your specification.
Some computers take longer to arrive, after ordering, than do others. For example, a laptop with an International English
layout keyboard typically takes 1 or 2 weeks longer to arrive, as compared to a German keyboard layout laptop.
There are three brands easily available for laptops (please do send us a screenshot of the specification you want):
When specifying a new laptop please tell us:
- Type: MacOS or PC (Windows/Linux)
- Model: e.g. MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Lenovo Thinkpad
- Screen size: 13" is often chosen for mobility
- Memory: a minimum of 16GB is recommended
- Storage space: we suggest choosing a size that is at least 50% bigger than the space used on your last computer/laptop
- Processor: the best value/performance is usually achieved in the mid-range of processors (e.g. for a PC we recommend an i5 Intel processor. The i7 processor typically gives a little more clock speed, on CPU cache and hyperthreading (which is usually only of benefit for specific codes), as compared to the i5)
- Accessories: laptop bag/case/slip, adapters for external connectivity
- Docking station (if available for this type of laptop)
- External screen(s), keyboard, trackpad, mouse, etc.
- Any other specification information that we will need to obtain quote(s) for the laptop, such as the colour
- Which cost centre will be paying for the laptop and who will approve/has approved the purchase
If you like, you can use an external hard disk for your personal laptop backup. This is useful for backing up your settings, and work data. Please refer to the IT desk to get one.
Another possibility is the storage service:
Please do use our storage services for your important work data.
Mobile Phones
In the first instance please contact IT Support.
Other Purchases
Please contact IT Support about other procurement/purchasing requirements.
IT ONLY:
Wiki-Link.
