When EAR opened it doors for the first time in the late 1970's everything we sold was pretty much WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). All that dramatically changed in the late 1980's with the advent of computer based audio and video editing. No longer was your purchase just a box that went unchanged until the day you retired it to the dumpster.

Computer workstations are evolving creatures Change is the only constant with workstations and for this reason alone - buying a new or used audio or video workstation is more that a simple purchase - you are literally buying the box of today and access to the products of tomorrow. Likewise buying the right used system will allow you to keep your system affordably current and able to run a large variety of current software and hardware products. Buying the wrong workstation will lock you into a dead-end selection of outdated products and years of headaches. Q: What do I look for in a used workstation? In a word "upgradability". Before you say "but it works fine the way it is" the notion of upgrading a system has as much to do with establishing the value of your new system as it does with anything else. Imagine buying a car that had no support or replacement parts available. Wouldn't that effect the value of the car? If a used workstation does not have the ability to be upgraded - it is likely the original manufacturer has considered your potential purchase to be end-of-life and support and parts are the next items to be end-of-lifed for your possible purchase. Q: Not buying a dinosaur sounds like the right idea - but what do I look for? Original manufacturer trade in value - This may be helpful in establishing a cash value for the system if/when you decide to resell it again. No trade value severely effects a system's worth.  Is the computer (if included) reliable and fast enough to run current software? There are thousands of used Macintosh and PC system for sale everyday. Many are too old or slow to run anything but 3-5 year old  software/hardware. Don't get stuck trying to run a system that's out of date, too slow and even worse - unreliable. Chances are putting new software on an older computer will actually make them run slower! Cost of the current version compared the used system - Before you buy a used (anything) compare the price of the new system. Compare not just price but functionality. Simply stated - a top of the line workstation from 3-5 years ago typically can't keep up with even a lower to mid priced model of the current variety. Get all the Details.  Just buying a "Avid Media Composer 1000" does not tell you enough to know what you're getting until the system is on your door step.  Get serial numbers, system ID numbers, boardset details, software revisions, operating system revision and CPU details. Also asked to confirm ownership of the software add-ons (tons of people offer software extras that are "cracked" or illegitimate - they can never be upgraded and frequently contain viruses or other problems). Equipped with this information - contact the manufacturer or a service center to help you confirm the system age and what it takes to make the system current. Unless you do your homework - you won't know for sure if it's a great price or a big mistake. Warranty included or can it be purchased? Some not so old used systems may have some warranty remaining or it may be possible to purchase it ala carte. Unless you have a lot of experience and/or time to work out technical issues - you may want to purchase a technical support contract or extended warranty. Hardware failures on many systems can catch you off guard for several thousands of dollars in repairs or days of down-time while you track down a bug. Depending upon your production demands and staff capabilities - technical support and warranty should be part of your purchase process considerations. The 50,000 miles/year rule of thumb - By the end of 3 years, most workstations are past their prime. If they've been taken care of and kept current - they should operate reliably for you. However to "gauge their age" think of a car that was driven 50,000 miles per year. At the end of 3 years - the car is about ready for an over haul if taken care of - or sold for scrap if it has been abused or unattended. Get all the facts before you buy - and test drive the workstation before you commit to buying it from an unknown seller. Q: You're being pretty harsh on used equipment - are there any good values? Yes! there are certainly good used system for sale. The best deals typically are sold before they get to the web page or the direct mailer. So ASK if there are any used systems available. At EAR our best workstation values (especially Avid Media Composers and Digidesign Protools systems) are sold before we have a chance to post them to our web site's used page. Email or call us! In simple terms - there is a degree of risk with every purchase. On one end of the set of possibilities - buying a new (warrantied) system from a local reputable seller, on the other end of the possibilities is buying a very expensive used system - sight unseen from an entity you've never met. Only you can decide how much of a savings is worth the risk.

A note about the author: Ed Vogt is President and cofounder of EAR Professional Audio/Video in Phoenix, Arizona. Established in 1977, EAR has provided professional audio and video products including workstations to tens of thousands of professional users worldwide. EAR also configures and supports audio and video workstations by Avid Technology, Digidesign and hundreds of other industry leading manufacturers.

EAR Professional Audio and Video proudly serves Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake,
Albuquerque, Tucson and national. Providing sales and support since 1978 for Avid Technolgy, Digidesign, Apple,
Media Composer, Protools, Sony and thousands of other great editing and content creation products.