Guidance on New Business Computer

[Ben Factor]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This inquiry will seem very remedial and retro, I’m sure. I’m not a technophobe, I’m kind of mathematical and logical, but I’m sort of on a need-to-know basis with technology.

I have been running my home-based specialty finance business using four old Pentiums, Windows XP, Windows file-sharing local network. One of the computers is also the “server”, with its 180GB HDD. I use MS Office, Acrobat, and QuickBooks.


(1) The motherboard on this “server died, and I’m getting a new “server”.

XP is somehow “over” (I don’t really understand the implications of that). I’d rather just leave the remaining 3 old computers as they are, with XP.

Will the other three “installed” old Pentiums, using XP, be able to use shared MS Office files with the new “server”, which will use Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? By use, I mean access and modify the files?

Is there any tangible advantage to buying three $200 “refurbs” that could run the updated Windows 7, 8, or 8.1?

Should I care whether I’m getting Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? Should I care if I’m getting “home” version or “pro” version?


(2) As you can see, I don’t need much storage. The SSDs are so cheap that I’m thinking of running the entire business on an SSD. I don’t comprehend the scale of the “write” limitations on an SSD. To quote one entry I saw: “To go over the writes limit, you have to do something like 5GB of writes a day for 5 years.”

Is there noticeable improved speed from using only the SSD, as opposed to programs on SSD, but data on HDD?

Assuming I would notice the difference if I went 100% SSD, if I were to buy a 500GB SSD for $250, I’d be more than happy with 5 years of service from the drive. I preemptively replace HDDs more often than that. I’d accept 3 years of service.

Probably the most write-intensive activity that happens here is to save one of several 5 MB spreadsheets. In addition, we create new documents than may be 0.5 MB. So if we did each activity 50 times a day (and we probably do only 20% of that), it would total roughly 0.3 GB.

But how much background writing is going on without our being aware of it?


Is there an easy way to know how much “writing” onto the server drive is happening every day?


(3) I thought about custom built, and it seems 30% more costly than just buying a Dell or HP or Lenovo based on “dealnews.com”, and then putting in an SSD. Is the difference in components really worth a custom build?

Many thanks for anyone's time and expertise.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you upgrade the "server" to Windows 7, and continue to use the other three XP PCs as clients, you will likely have to adjust the file-sharing/serving settings on the Windows 7 PC to accommodate the lower security of the XP machines.

It would be best to upgrade the client PCs to Windows 7. If they are Pentium 4 / Pentium D era machines, you can get off-lease corporate refurbs of, say, DC7900, with E8400 CPUs (3.0Ghz Core2Duo), 4GB RAM, a HDD, and Windows 7 (sometimes Win7 Pro) for under $200, check Newegg.

That would be a significant upgrade, not just of OS, but also in terms of computer "power", and lower power-consumption, going with a 3.0GHz Core2Duo than a Pentium 4.

You might want to ask the SSD-related questions separately in the Storage forum.

Edit: here's some refurb deals:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883250154
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883280124&ignorebbr=1

 

[TheStu]

XP is 'over' in the sense that MS is no longer supporting it (finally), and will therefore not be putting out any updates. That means it will become increasingly vulnerable everyday to attacks, viruses, spyware, malware, and every other form of scary computer thing.

 

[jefeweiss]

Will the other three “installed” old Pentiums, using XP, be able to use shared MS Office files with the new “server”, which will use Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? By use, I mean access and modify the files?

Yes, this is possible.

Is there any tangible advantage to buying three $200 “refurbs” that could run the updated Windows 7, 8, or 8.1?

If any of the computers are connected to the internet, then yes. Windows 7 and Windows 8 are much more secure than Windows XP.

Should I care whether I’m getting Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? Should I care if I’m getting “home” version or “pro” version?

If you are coming from XP, then Windows 7 will be more familiar to you. If you can get that on a refurb, I would suggest getting Windows 7. Pro won't make much difference to you, I don't believe.

Is there noticeable improved speed from using only the SSD, as opposed to programs on SSD, but data on HDD?

If you are only going to need ~256 GB of space, I would pay for the SSD. The typical order of upgrades that I suggest is first to get RAM up to between 4GB and 8GB for each computer, and then get a SSD. 4GB is fine for most people, 8GB is good for people that have a lot of programs and browser tabs open at the same time. A SSD makes everything faster.

But how much background writing is going on without our being aware of it?

A good amount, but most people shouldn't worry about it over the course of 5 years.

Is there an easy way to know how much “writing” onto the server drive is happening every day?

In Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can open up the Performance Monitor and you can set it up to tell you how many reads and writes have been done since it has been open.

Is the difference in components really worth a custom build?

Not generally, no. A custom build is usually for people who want something out of the ordinary, or enjoy doing that kind of thing. For a general business use, it would really come down to whether it sounds like something you might do for fun.

 

[bonehead123]

IMHO.........

XP = d E a D.....has been for years, even moreso now......big security risk, especially for a business like yours that has confidential & sensitive customer/client info stored digitally....

To keep familiarity + add performance/security upgrades, get Windows 7 Home Pro 64bit version (almost ALL apps are or soon will be rewritten to 64 bit, you might as well get ready NOW), or the enterprise edition if you have someone else managing your IT & security needs.

SSD's: Massive improvements over HHD's for everyday use. Read/write/boot/IO times all drastically better. Use several BIG hdd's for your multiple back ups and offsite storage of same.

Don't worry about the read/write thing....eventually ALL drives will fail & have to be replaced, ssd or otherwise...sounds like you already have that in mind...

Custom builds: not really needed for your uses, unless there is some features/components/devices etc that you just have to have and absolutely can't get on a pre-built machine.....

Refurbs: Been there, done that.....Can save you big bucks if selected carefully AND bought from a good company that will offer & stand behind a good warranty on them....which is not always the case with some smaller sellers...... I would suggest you start at places like newegg, buy.com, tiger direct or another well-known outfit that has a history of taking care of their customers well...

 

[gmaster456]

If these computers are only on an internal network and not connected to the interent (which I highly doubt) you can continue to use XP. But since I am assuming these machines are online, and that you have sensitive client data, an upgrade across the board is in order.

Buy 4 off lease Core 2 Duo machines, 1 for the server and 3 for the clients. You can get them for under $200 a piece and will more than suit your needs as well as provide a better and more secure experience. Assuming the funds are available.

 

[Ben Factor]

Larry, I want to thank you belatedly for your excellent advice about upgrading all the computers away from XP. I think your recommendations about the Core 2 Duo machines is very sensible.

I just got good value on an i5 to house the data, and will now buy the client core2duo machines. I'm planning to replace the hd in the i5 with an SSD, since I have only 150GB of storage/program needs, and could run the entire business on the SSD.

I would put a new hd in one of the core2duos (probably won't accept the hd that comes with the i5, and use robocopy to back up from the i5 file-host to that core2duo with the new hd, and, a little less often, to back up to an external hd that will be kept offsite.

It seems that there is an abundance of SFF core2duo machines, and many buying sources. I assume that it shouldn't be impossible to replace hd or psu on an SFF every now and again. Am I kidding myself?

Ideally, I'd rather have a mid-tower, but they are scarcer and costlier. Do you think it's worth paying $25-$50 more for the the larger tower form factor?

Some core2duos come from the original mfr., with a 30-day or 90-day warranty. Some come from MS-approved refurbishers on ebay with stellar customer ratings, with a full 1-year warranty. Other machines permit purchase of a 2-year warranty from Square Trade--for very little money. Any thoughts about the best seller or approach?

Should I care if the clients are HP or Dell or Lenovo?

Do you think more than 4 GB of RAM on the client machines would make a really noticeable difference in how fast they access/open/write to the MS Office and Acrobat files on the data-host computer?

Would more than 8 GB RAM on the i5 data-host machine make a noticeable difference in the performance of the client machines?

In short, what is the limiting bottleneck?

Thank you very much again. Your first response completely shifted my plans for the network, and I'm really grateful.

Ben

 

[Ben Factor]

JefeWeiss, I want to thank you belatedly for your response. I'm going to follow Virtual Larry's advice and get rid of the XPs that are on the network. We do some faxing that I can still do on the XPs, but they will be off of the main network.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Ben Factor]

Gmaster, thanks. I couldn't resist buying an i5 file-host computer (refurbed, but 1-year Dell wtty, and a good value [until it fails ]), and I'm going to buy core2duos for the client machines.

I'll respectfully ask you the same questions I asked Virtual Larry about the core2duos:

Larry, I want to thank you belatedly for your excellent advice about upgrading all the computers away from XP. I think your recommendations about the Core 2 Duo machines is very sensible.

I just got good value on an i5 to house the data, and will now buy the client core2duo machines. I'm planning to replace the hd in the i5 with an SSD, since I have only 150GB of storage/program needs, and could run the entire business on the SSD. Does that make sense?

I will put a new hd in one of the core2duos (probably won't accept the hd that comes with the i5, and use robocopy to back up from the i5 file-host to that core2duo with the new hd, and, a little less often, to back up to an external hd that will be kept offsite. Does that make sense?

It seems that there is an abundance of SFF core2duo machines, and many buying sources. I assume that it shouldn't be impossible to replace hd or psu on an SFF every now and again. Am I kidding myself?

Ideally, I'd rather have a mid-tower, but they are scarcer and costlier. Do you think it's worth paying $25-$50 more for the the larger tower form factor?

Some core2duos come from the original mfr., with a 30-day or 90-day warranty. Some come from MS-approved refurbishers on ebay with stellar customer ratings, with a full 1-year warranty. Other machines permit purchase of a 2-year warranty from Square Trade--for very little money. Any thoughts about the best seller or approach?

Should I care if the clients are HP or Dell or Lenovo?

Do you think more than 4 GB of RAM on the client machines would make a really noticeable difference in how fast they access/open/write to the MS Office and Acrobat files on the data-host computer?

Would more than 8 GB RAM on the i5 data-host machine make a noticeable difference in the performance of the client machines?

In short, what is the limiting bottleneck?

Thank you very much again.

Ben

 

[Ben Factor]

Dear Stu,

Thank you as well for your response, and for being a moderator. It's a great service for the website and its particpants.

Ben

 

[Ben Factor]

Dear Bonehead,

Thanks. I'm taking your guidance and using an SSD on the file-host machine. They are pretty cheap now, and I could put one on a client machine as well, if I'm happy with the improvement on the file-host. If it's already on the host, would it make much difference if it were on the client as well?