Laptop rental guide

Laptop rentals are a great option for busy professionals who need an affordable solution for training, traveling, tradeshows and trial runs.

• If you are attending a training session off-site, renting a wireless-enabled laptop allows you to stay in touch with the office and keep up on work while you are on breaks. Laptops are also great for taking notes or storing documents distributed at the training.

• If you are conducting training and require the same configuration for all attendees, laptop rentals are the answer.

• Frequent business travelers will tell you that they cannot function without their laptops. But what if you travel only occasionally? Chances are your company will not want to invest in a laptop if you only go on a couple of trips a year. Laptop rentals are ideal in this situation. You can rent a machine and even have it delivered to your destination, saving you from having to carry it with you.

• Laptop rentals also help in a tradeshow exhibit booth. Laptops are easy to carry to and from the exhibit site. Their portability is also a plus when you want to meet one-on-one with a potential client after the exhibit hall closes. Laptop rentals also make the newest technology affordable – a new laptop with a high-resolution screen is much more impressive than older models that show their age.

• What if you are considering a laptop purchase? It is very difficult to know which brand and model will suit your needs unless you can use it in a real-world situation. Laptop rentals let you take a new computer for a trial run for a few days or a couple of weeks. Try a few models and make an informed decision before you buy.

Before you find a vendor for your laptop rentals, take note of the following considerations:

• What happens if you need to make changes to your rental agreement? Ask about the company’s policy on changing the end date of the agreement.

• How will the laptop be configured? Will the vendor load software for you, or take into account any other special requirements?

• What kind of support does the vendor offer? You do not want to be left alone on the convention floor with a booth full of inoperable equipment. Ask about phone and on-site support.

• What range of products does the vendor offer? You may have specific needs for laptop rentals, perhaps requiring several of the same model for an upcoming tradeshow or training session.

• What kind of lead time does the vendor need for laptop rentals? If you need a laptop fast, can they handle it?

• Where does the vendor deliver? Often vendors with a national reach are the ones with the infrastructure required for “anywhere, anytime” deliveries.

Always remember that the buck stops with you. If your equipment malfunctions during a presentation or training, your audience won’t be amused. Take the time to go test your laptop while your computer rental company is present and make sure you can reach them if something goes wrong.