August 2002

Computer Hardware:
Get the Most for Your Money By Following These 8 Rules
By Marilyn K. Gard, MBA

As a software vendor writing an article about computer hardware, it’s important to start with a caveat: I am not a hardware expert. Any expertise I have gained regarding hardware has been acquired the hard way, by experimenting until it works the way I expect it to. I have never taken a computer apart, nor do I want to.

I have installed a new network card or new sound card, but that is the extent of my tinkering with the inside of the computer. When I am having hardware problems that I cannot solve, I call an expert to troubleshoot. In that way, I am like most chiropractors I know. Chiropractors care about the best way to help patients, and that is where the healing energy is directed.

Many chiropractors do not want to learn about computers, but they are a necessary part of running a chiropractic office effectively. You also want to make wise purchasing decisions, and when it comes to computers, information is definitely power.

With that in mind, these eight rules about computer hardware can help:

Let’s start with the rule that many doctors don’t like to hear, but it’s an important rule nonetheless: Plan to upgrade or replace your hardware every three years. If you have computers in your office that are more than three years old, they have served you well. Retire them or upgrade them. It may actually be more cost-effective to replace them than to upgrade the individual components.

Consult with your hardware professional and look carefully at the cost estimates associated with upgrades. If you decide to replace them, donate your old computers to a nearby school or community center. Of course, if they are too old, no one will want them even as a donation.

Buy middle-of-the-road equipment. When you drive a car off the new car lot, it depreciates immediately. That is a fact of life. If you buy the fastest, most advanced computer on the market, you will pay top dollar, but will not necessarily gain enough function to justify the money spent. By next month, your top-notch computer will have already been surpassed by the latest generation.

When buying a computer for a business, there is one critical question to ask: Will the computer perform fast enough so that people will not be sitting around waiting for it? As you plan your purchase, weigh the trade-off between cost and productivity. You want a computer fast enough to meet everyday demands without draining your piggybank.

You can never buy too much memory. When memory is mentioned, it is important to make the distinction between storage or hard drive space, and RAM, or working memory. For most offices, a standard 20-gigabyte hard drive will be sufficient storage space. However, buy as much RAM as you can afford.

When the Windows® operating system loads, it uses a lot of memory - it is a memory hog. If the chiropractic software you use is a 32-bit application, it will need memory to function efficiently. On a new computer, you should purchase at least 256 megabytes of RAM. If you have to choose between RAM and processor speed, get 512 megs of RAM and a slower processor. Your money will be better-spent with the RAM.

As an example, I set up two test machines. One machine was a Pentium® III, 700 megahertz processor with 256 megs of RAM; the second machine was a Pentium 4, 1.3 gigahertz, with 128 megs of RAM. The first machine, with a slower processor but more RAM, consistently performed identical tasks at least 25% faster than the machine with a faster processor.

Buy an operating system designed for business use, not home use. In other words, get computers with Windows 2000 or XP Pro, and not Windows ME or the XP Home edition. The computers with Windows 2000 or XP Pro will provide a more stable platform if you decide to network computers at a later time.

Always get network cards and a modem installed. These items are sometimes listed as optional equipment, especially with an online purchase, but they should be included for a chiropractic office. Even if you do not intend to set up a network immediately, get network cards installed in the computer when you purchase it. You never know how soon you might need to purchase a second computer and set up a small network.

Obviously, the modem allows you to send claims electronically. Since electronic submission is so cost-effective, a modem pays for itself many times over.

Plan your network carefully. If you plan to have five or more computers on your network using different operating systems, use server software such as Windows NT or 2000 Server. The server software will help to manage data input so that workstations operating on different platforms can communicate effectively.

In one office, a computer with Windows 98 was set up as the main computer and attempting to process data coming from machines with Windows 98 and XP Pro operating systems. It crashed frequently. A computer with Windows 98 or ME cannot interpret incoming data and cannot function as a server. Installing server software created a stable network.

In another instance, the server had Windows 2000 and the workstations used Windows ME. Whenever the ME workstations tried to save data on the server, it took forever - as much as two minutes. When the workstations were changed to Windows 2000, the whole network ran quickly, and the workstations saved data in three to five seconds. The mismatch between ME and 2000 operating systems created huge speed problems.

Get a back-up system installed. Unless you want to back up your entire hard drive, a zip drive is often sufficient for backing up data. If you want to back up your entire hard drive, you will need a tape drive. Many hardware professionals suggest a CD-ROM read-write system, since it serves a dual purpose as an input device and a storage device. The CD-ROM has one drawback. If you copy files to CD, they are available in read-only format. When the data are restored, you must reset the properties to get the software application to save information, since it cannot save to a read-only file.

Regardless of the back-up method used, make sure you are correctly backing up the critical data files. Your software vendor should be able to tell you the exact files that need to be protected.

Talk to your software vendor(s) before purchasing new computers. I may be coming from a bit of a biased viewpoint, but I believe that this rule is the most important. Before you jump into your car and go to the local discount store to buy a new computer, talk to the technical people who regularly troubleshoot software issues. Ask them for recommendations for the operating system, RAM, printers, processor speed, hard drive space, etc. Ask if there are any known incompatibilities with their software.

As an example, Windows XP was released before Microsoft had drivers available for popular printers. It took about four to six months before the drivers became available for the XP system.Without printer drivers, software users could not print reports, HCFA forms, or anything else. Until the drivers became available, many software vendors recommended that people steer clear of XP. Another example is Windows ME. Since Windows ME was intended for the home market and not for business use, many vendors likewise have recommended that the ME operating system be avoided.

Software vendors know the type of equipment that runs their applications best. Talk to the software provider for recommendations before purchasing.

As you shop for computers, remember this final rule: There is an exception to every rule. You may find chiropractic software that runs flawlessly on 64 megabytes of RAM. (If it is a 32-bit application, I will eat my words.) You may find Windows ME works fine over your four-computer network and never hiccups. (Again, my words would then become lunch.)

However, the guidelines addressed here come from personal experience, and if you stick with them, it’s likely you will spend less time worrying about computers and will be able to focus on your most important tasks at hand - helping your patients and building your business.

Ms. Gard, MBA, is CEO/president of Creative Concepts in Communication, Inc. While completing a master’s in business administration degree from Michigan State University in 1981, she founded Creative Concepts. Ms. Gard is the designer of Clinic Pro Software and has consulted with chiropractic offices nationwide. She can be reached at 928-203-0854, marilyn@clinicpro.com, or via the company’s website, www.clinicpro.com