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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 within the constraints of the Mobile Electronic Work Facilities Scheme. To streamline purchasing and support, CoolBlue is our contracted, recommended supplier.

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), with CoolBlue as the recommended default;
  • 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.

If you're ordering a laptop funded by a grant or a group budget, please provide the helpdesk with the budget code. If you're unsure of the code, your group lead or sponsor can assist you.

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!

If you're looking for a lightweight, quiet, and energy-efficient laptop suitable for standard office tasks, writing papers and documentation, working with LaTeX, running Python scripts, performing data analysis, and setting up remote sessions to HPC clusters, and powerful enough to last for about five years (and available from our supplier, CoolBlue) then you can consider the following brands and models.

macOS: MacBook Air (13″ display)

The M4 chip provides more than enough computing power for academic and research-oriented workloads that are not directly GPU-intensive.

Windows: Business ultrabook (13–14″ display)

Recommended models are the Dell Latitude or Dell XPS, Lenovo ThinkPad E- or T-series, and the ASUS ExpertBook. These models offer a solid balance between mobility and performance.

Linux: Linux-certified ultrabook (13–14″ display)

Recommended models are the Dell Latitude or Dell XPS Developer Edition, Lenovo ThinkPad E- or T-series, and the ASUS ExpertBook.

Note: Always check Linux support on the manufacturer’s website or on Ubuntu’s official certification list: Ubuntu’s officiële certificeringslijst. We would also like to emphasize that the latest hardware is not always immediately supported by Linux kernels. Please keep this in mind when making your choice if you plan to use Linux.

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

Equipment ordered through our supplier Coolblue comes with a standard 2-year warranty. If you would like to purchase additional warranty coverage (such as AppleCare for Apple devices), please inform the helpdesk during the ordering process. We cannot provide the exact cost of an extended warranty package in advance, as this depends on the selected system, its configuration, and the vendor (for example, AppleCare is typically more expensive than Dell Premium Support). Additional warranty can offer significant benefits in case of hardware defects.

Note: The standard warranty only covers manufacturer defects. It does not cover accidental damage, such as dropping the laptop or spilling liquids on it.

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.

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 will be sent directly to the CT Helpdesk. Once it arrives at the Helpdesk, you will be informed that you can collect it.

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.