Steve G. answered 12/18/15
Tutor
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Computer Science Tutor - IT Professional
The IT Manager should foremost consider whether the hardware will meet the requirements for which it is being purchased.
In order to meet the requirements, the hardware would need to meet a set of specifications: CPU/Memory/Disk space/peripheral connections. Peripheral connections could be graphics adapters, network cards, etc.
Other things that should be considered would be support requirements, mean-time-between-failure of components, how to manage it in an operational environment, etc.
Each of these considerations: specifications, management, support will contribute to overall cost and expected lifecycle of the hardware (Total Cost of Ownership).