Ordering Laptops
Aim: Describe the process for ordering laptops, focusing on PhD candidates and postdocs.
Introduction
PhD candidates and postdocs are entitled to a (one) laptop for the duration of their contract.
The golden rule when ordering laptops:
Nikhef has to pay for the laptop.
Nikhef will not reimburse the expenses of laptops paid by employees!
Prerequisites
Request permission
First, check that you meet the conditions to order a laptop and ask permission from your group leader. The conditions are described in the Mobile Electronic Work Facilities Scheme / Regeling Mobiele Elektronische Werkvoorzieningen.
Instructions
Selection of the laptop and supplier
You are free to select a laptop given the constraints that are described in the Mobile Electronic Work Facilities Scheme.
Constraints to consider include:
- the price limit €1500 for PhD candidates and postdocs (including VAT and all other costs);
- for other staff, the price should be reasonable;
- the supplier (must be in the EU);
- the restriction that the Helpdesk will only handle possible repairs if the laptop was ordered via one of the preferred suppliers.
If you need assistance or advice for the selection, contact the CT Helpdesk.
Note: Nikhef cannot make use of special promotions that some suppliers offer. With some vendors Nikhef may not be able to order through consumer portals, but should use the enterprise portal. This may result in different laptop models being available, or different pricing.
When you know which laptop configuration you would like, the next step is ordering the laptop. See below.
For grad students (refered to in Dutch as Onderzoekers in Opleiding or "OiOs") and post docs, there is a default budget limit for the total price of the laptop that is paid by Nikhef. This limit is €1500. If the total costs of the laptop including VAT, transportation costs, additional adapters (e.g. a Satechi or Apple USB to USB C converter) and extended warranty, exceeds this limit, the excess amount will be charged to the PhD candidate or postdoc via an invoice from the financial department.
Note: Once the helpdesk has placed the order, cancellation is no longer possible. Exchanges are also NOT possible after ordering. Think carefully about what you want before submitting your order to the helpdesk!
Apple
Tip from the helpdesk: before you order a MacBook, please check the link below whether the model you have in mind could possibly receive a hardware refresh in the short term. Sometimes it pays to wait (if you can): MacRumors Buyer's Guide.
Extra warranties
If a laptop is purchased from Dell or Fujitsu, additional warranty is usually configured as standard. You are free to choose whether you want this extra guarantee or not. We cannot give specific costs for the extra guarantee. They depend on the chosen system, configuration and the vendor (for example, Apple Care is more expensive than Dell Premium Support). It does offer advantages when it comes to hardware defects. Note: this warranty only includes defects by the manufacturer, but does not cover accidents like damage resulting from dropping the laptop or spilling a drink over the laptop.
If a hardware defect occurs after the warranty has expired, Nikhef will check whether the repair can be justified on the basis of the repair costs and the current value of the laptop. If this is not the case, PhD candidates and postdocs can use a loan laptop from Nikhef (there is no choice in terms of brand) until the end of their work at Nikhef, after which it must be returned to the CT department. For defective laptops the user must always contact the Nikhef CT department.
With the extra warranty that is provided by Dell and Fujitsu you are also protected against hardware defects in the second and third year. If something goes wrong during that time, Dell or Fujitsu will send a technician to Nikhef or your home address (usually the next working day) to repair the defect. Apple has other conditions, which you can read here.
Placing the order
The CT Helpdesk can prepare the order for you. That is independent of the vendor of the laptop. So you should no longer go to the Financial Department for certain brands of laptops.
It you already know which model and type you want, please bring a link to the vendor website or a print of your desired configuration with you. If you don't know which type you want, the CT Helpdesk can advise.
Payment
Nikhef is and remains the owner of the laptops. For fiscal reasons, Nikhef must directly pay for the laptop and cannot reimburse the laptop afterward!
Delivery
When the laptop is delivered at Nikhef, it may be be sent directly to you or to the CT Helpdesk. This depends on the supplier and way of ordering. If it arrives at the Helpdesk, you will be informed that you can collect it. If it is sent directly to you, we ask you to contact the Helpdesk and pass the serial number of the laptop for our registration.
Old laptops
If you already had a laptop that was provided by Nikhef, you will have have to return it to the CT Helpdesk after transferring its data to the new laptop (typically after a few weeks). You may also purchase this laptop from Nikhef; please inform the CT Helpdesk if you wish to do so. The costs for taking over the laptop are €100 after 4 years and will be paid via an invoice from the financial department.