OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Where Laptops Rule at CPA Firms Today

Three top laptops in firms today, from left: for the bookkeeper, for the auditor, for the partner.
Three of the leading laptops in accounting firms today, all business-class Dell Latitudes. From left, for bookkeepers, the E6430 14-inch; for auditors, E6540 15.6 inch; and for partners, E6330 13.3 inch.

Also: Save up to 26% on your hardware spending with four smart strategies.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless

Kepczyk
Kepczyk

Getting the right mix of mobility is critical for firms today. Today’s rule of thumb is that everyone who works out of the office one day or more per week should have a laptop as their only machine.

Laptops should be scheduled for replacement every three years, whereas desktops are often functional for a fourth year. In firms that utilize workstations only as “dumb terminals” via tools such as Citrix, Windows Terminal Server and workstation virtualization (VDI) in the future, the functioning life of a desktop computer can be five or more years.