Companies Increasingly Willing To Consider Alternatives

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By Rachael King

Companies Increasingly Willing To Consider Alternatives

Traditional laptops and desktops made by companies including Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) still reign supreme in the workplace, accounting for the vast majority of employee computers. Companies are increasingly willing to consider alternatives. Some are experimenting with so-called thin clients, low-priced, stripped-down machines that contain no hard drive and leave processing and storage to a centrally located server. Others are betting on netbooks.

Meanwhile, many employees are spending a growing amount of work time on smartphones, advanced cell phones that deliver e-mail, Web access, and productivity software, while Apple’s Mac—once viewed as a machine for artists and educators—is wending its way into corporate facilities.

This BusinessWeek.com slide show offers a glimpse at some of the growing alternatives to desktops and laptops.