Thursday, January 24, 2013
Computer hardware has been chugging along following an astute observation from Gordon Moore, one of the founders of Intel, since the 1960s. Simply stated Moore’s Law says that computer power will double every eighteen months. (Well, he actually said something about the number of transistors on a chip but the result is much the same.) This means that new computers are not just a little better than the old machines they are exponentially better.
If the speed of cars improved in the same way, and you bought a car in 2007 with a top speed of 80 mph, a new 2013 model would have a top speed of 1,280 mph.
With these exponential leaps forward in computing power, we really have no choice when it comes to our computer hardware. Systems need to be replaced every three to four years to keep up with new software, external hardware and expanded capabilities.
Plan on it and budget for it. But don’t simply wait four years and trash the whole system, it is much more effective and easier to budget if you replace one third to one fourth of your computers every year.
For example, let’s say you have eight workstations with an average cost of $1,200 and a server that costs $4,000 for a total investment of $13,600. You can scramble for an extra thirteen thousand dollars when things crash after four years or you can buy two computers every year for $2,400 and put another $1,000 in the server account. A big benefit of that strategy is you always have up to date machines and an easy to manage budget.
As a general rule clinical computers need more processing speed and power than business machines. The newer machines go in the doctor’s treatment rooms, next are hygienists, then a patient consult room and finally the old slow clunky machines go to the front desk. The newest, fastest most powerful RAM-laden machine with the 54-inch widescreen monitor…that goes in the doctor’s private office. But that’s just me.
What to get:
Because hardware changes exponentially according to Moore’s Law, any technical specs will be out of date in approximately six months. Nevertheless, if you were in the market for a clinical workstation right now here is what you should get.
- Small Form Factor Case
- Windows 7 pro 64 bit
- Intel Core i5 3550
- 8GB RAM
- 250GB Hard Drive (all the data storage will be on the server or in the cloud so the workstation needs minimal hard drive storage)
- Wireless keyboard and mouse
- Two 22” monitors (One for the patient and one for the practice)
All that should retail for $1,200 to $1,300 plus set up and delivery. In many ways the cost is more important than the specs because the specs will change rapidly but the cost of a well suited clinical machine with two monitors will stay much the same. In the future you will just get more power for your $1,200.
In dentistry we have the added problem of asepsis for clinical machines. You cannot spray and wipe a keyboard or dip a mouse in the cold sterile. At least you can’t do it more than once. However there are special input devices designed just for dentistry that address the problem.
Rather than grab a mouse with your gloved hand why not use your foot? We use foot controls in dentistry for all kinds of things. Bekmer products introduced a foot controlled mouse especially for hygienists in 2005 called the Dental R.A.T. They have announced plans for a new product called Boomer, a foot controlled mouse for dentists that will be introduced in 2013.
You may not be able to spray and wipe a regular keyboard but you can spray the solid surface Cleankeys keyboard. Many rubberized keyboards can get wet but the keys stick up making cleaning a tedious process of wiping between each key with a cloth or Q-tip. Cleankeys has a flat surface that can be wiped down in seconds.
Where to get it:
Good IT support does not just involve buying hardware. The true value is not the products it is the service. That is setting up a system, installing applications, troubleshooting conflicts setting up a network, establishing security features, and most of all, being there with service and support when you have a failure.
In the early years of computers in dentistry finding reliable IT support was a huge challenge. That has changed. Many of the major dental supply vendors now have computer hardware divisions that work right out of the local branch. For example Henry Schein has a division called Tech Central that will supply your computer hardware, deliver it, set it up provide the networking and security features then maintain and repair it as needed. Patterson Dental and Benco have similar options.
If you are looking for an independent vendor a great place to start is the Dental Integrators Association (DIA). DIA is a group of independent IT support professionals who specialize in the dental market. The Association sets standards (which are published on their website) and shares best practices among members. You can check out the website for a member your area.
Gordon Moore was right, the future is coming and it will be amazing!