Remember SCSI drives, FireWire ports, and all those odd-looking connectors that each had a different number of pins in them? Time marches on – and so do the interfaces we use in our IT components and networks. Here are some thoughts from our Austin IT business support  experts on the issue of adapting versus upgrading.

Different components in your IT chain may age or become effectively obsolete at different rates. For instance, you may have perfectly functional PC monitors that use old-school VGA ports, while your computers use more contemporary video interfaces. You can probably string some adapters together to make the connection work – but that VGA monitor will have some serious resolution limits compared to one designed to take a high-definition signal. Ask yourself whether you'd be better off taking this as your cue to upgrade to more capable and compatible technologies.

The ubiquitous USB interface can also pose some challenges these days, depending on what equipment you have. You may rely on standard USB-A ports and devices for a number of daily tasks, only to find that your newest addition requires USB-C. Or while your USB 2.0 ports and devices served you well enough in the past, you might really like the idea of stepping up to USB 3.0 components, which can offer up to 10 times the transfer speeds of USB 2.0.

The decision of whether to add adapters to your existing machinery or simply buy new machinery is also, of course, a budgetary matter. Is it more cost-effective to buy an adapter for the time being, or would your productivity (and therefore your profitability) benefit from making a larger investment now?

Gravity Systems can evaluate your current IT hardware and cabling to determine whether you're ready to upgrade key pieces of your network. Contact us to schedule a consultation!

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