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Buying an AutoCAD workstation

© Jonathan Jonas

When people think of a machine that is required to run AutoCAD, there are several different images that come to mind, depending if they are the drafter, the bookkeeper or the architect. The drafter wants a speedy machine, the bookkeeper wants a cost-effective machine, and the architect simply wants whatever will work with the least amount of downtime and associated expenses. Some companies will purchase all new equipment every six months, while others purchase new equipment only when they absolutely have to, and still have people using the old 486's. If you are in the position of wanting to purchase a new machine, consider the following things:

1. How fast do you really need the computer to be?

2. Can you afford to completely replace the machine in six months, or will you have to live with it for the next four-plus years and only occasionally upgrade parts of it as you can afford to?

3. How much of the cost of your new AutoCAD station can you write off on taxes, and how much can you pass along to the client?

Remember, the client is paying you to do your job. If you can't do it, they will find someone else who will do it for you. Part of you daily expenses should include setting aside a portion of your income to new equipment and programs — AutoCAD isn't free, and you need to add the cost of the software into the overall cost of the equipment you can afford. I have walked into numerous architectural offices and asked them how much they paid for their new equipment, and how they planned on paying it off. Most of them never consider the idea of passing along the costs of their equipment to the client, yet they factor into their bills things like lighting the office, rent, paper, etc.

If you are the architect, you might like a computer like a Dell, Compaq, IBM, etc. These are machines that are very well tested, they work right out of the box, they come with things like MS Office, and normally have special sound cards, speakers, cameras etc that come with them. Problems that arise buy purchasing these machines range from paying either an extra fee for the name brand, and finding that these computers cannot be upgraded, or they will end up costing two or three times as much to upgrade. This is because they use something called proprietary hardware. This means that you cannot simply place a new sound card into the computer, or a new video card or new anything, because many of the items are placed on the motherboard, and cannot be removed. This limits what you can do with these machines.

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