Since the University spends below the annual threshold on portable computers, the Regulations do not apply. However, there are good deals available by making use of national and regional framework agreements, and maintenance and support considerations do apply. The nominated suppliers are those who have been found to offer good service and value for money. Many users of portables become very reliant on their machines and consequently it is very important to buy a configuration that allows the taking of backup copies of system and data, and to take such backups regularly. If you plan to use a portable PC abroad they you need to buy one with a world-wide warranty, and to make sure that the warranty is extended if necessary to cover your period abroad.
Recommendations are as follows.
The Apple Macintosh range of portable Macs running the Apple System software. The nominated suppliers are Newcastle Computer Services and Getech . The Toshiba or Dell ranges of portable PCs running Microsoft Windows if the portable is to be used abroad. The nominated suppliers for the Toshiba range are Getech and XMA .