The technology and devices available at a nearby retail store or online have come such a long way in the past 10 years as consumer adoption drives the trends. It’s easier than ever to walk into an electronics store or jump online and buy a device. It may seem to come with all the right features and the right price tag.
But not all devices are created equal. The personal grade and business grade devices may look identical, but there are significant differences between the two. Here’s a look at three of the key differences:
- The insides are not identical.
The parts inside of business grade devices often are constructed with harder, more durable materials and the devices are made for travel – rather than sitting on a tabletop. This affects the usage threshold of the device. An all-in-one print device bought at retail store, for an example, is designed to make far fewer copies in a month than a business grade device. If you’re a small business and make only 20 copies a month, you may not notice a difference.
Reliability and cost come into play as usage climbs. Personal grade print devices often cost more per click than their business grade counterparts that are designed for higher print volumes. I compare it to a truck pulling a family fishing boat vs a trailer with a race car. Both need trucks, but not the same power. What’s inside matters as the load increases.
- The ability to repair is far different.
Business grade devices are built to last longer and that affects shelf life. It is the industry standard to carry parts of devices for 3-5 years after the manufacturer date and many manufacturers keep parts on hand for as long as seven years. Parts for personal computers, printers and other devices can have a shelf life for only one or two years.
I just faced this challenge when one of my fairly new personal laptops broke. While the store was willing to give me its current value in store credit, it was not enough to buy a new, comparable device. Not to mention, I know the device would be easily fixed and last a while, if the parts were available. This would not have been an issue with a business grade device.
- Warranty and support runs out.
Personal devices do not carry the same manufacturer warranties as their business -grade counterparts. A warranty for a business grade device often is 3-5 years, and some cover the device even longer where as personal devices typically are limited to a year. The coverage of each of the warranties also are different and owners of business grade devices often receive total replacement at little to no cost. Today’s devices have become so much more complicated. Issues are more prevalent, making warranties even more important.
Once parts are not available and the warranties run out on the personal devices, the support often goes away, too. So, getting even a common question answered poses a challenge.
Business grade devices do come with a higher price tag, but in my experience, the overall value is far greater. You get a better machine, better support and longer services. It can mean the difference of keeping your device running or only being able to use it as a paper weight.
