What’s the difference between computer rental and computer leasing? Are there any other options?

Computer rental is most often a short-term proposition. You might rent computers to set up some temporary workstations. Perhaps you need to beef up a company training room for a development session or software training class. Or might need to pick up some special rental equipment for a company trade show booth. Short-term computer rentals will last a few days or weeks. On some occassions, they’ll last a handful of months.

Computer leasing, on the other hand, tends to fulfill needs that are more long-term in nature. Companies will lease, rather than purchase, to avoid tying up capital. Personal computers and peripherals are typically leased for two or three years. This allows the company to stay on top of the technology curve. As the leases on older (and slower) computers expire, they are replaced with newer (and faster) machines.

The fluidity of eBay offers a third option. Companies can purchase and flip, rather than leasing or renting computers to meet a short- or in-between-term goal. Once a piece of equipment has lived out its purpose (rather than its useful life), it can be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Tags: computer rental, computer leasing