How do I tell my new employer that I can’t use the computer they gave me?
Just this week I started working for a new company. I’ve been developing code and going through the database the past couple of days on my machine. Everything is working fine, I set up a new account and it’s hooked into the domain and everything.
Today, the Director IT gave me a “work” computer. It’s running Windows XP with 3 GB of ram, and has a 11 inch screen. He also mentioned I could possibly use a remote desktop for development.
This would make it incredibly difficult for me.
I have a 2012 Retina Display Macbook Pro, running Windows 7, with 8GB RAM, Core i7, etc. I am much more comfortable with it, and it has the power I need to get the job done and run the multiple programs with no lag.
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Ezra
Unless your company explicitly has a BYOD policy (Bring Your Own Device), do not in any circumstances use your own machine for company usage.
I’m in a similar situation as yours, except I’ve a display larger than 11″. The Visual Studio 2010 (with some extensions) took around 10 minutes to be usable, and some time I can sit back and watch my codes appear letter by letter.
Ezra
The company I work for does not allow personal computers on the network. It’s viewed as a breach of network security. Personally, if I find myself in your situation, I would make the case that the computer provided to me is not up to standard and will impede my productivity, and request a new machine.
I wouldn’t recommend using your personal computer for work regardless. If you want to install stuff on your own machine, for instance, you don’t want to have to worry about how it’s going to affect your work.
Ezra
To expand a bit on my comment on @KateGregory’s answer, the problem you face with using your own computer is “who owns what?”. How is a line drawn between things that you do on that computer for the company vs. for yourself? If you work on other projects off the clock, can the company make any claim to those? Does the computer have to comply with all corporate standards & policies, including antivirus, web filtering, remote scanning for unapproved software, etc.? Who owns the software you’re using? Who’s responsible for the licensing?
You are going to have to wait a couple weeks before you can make any kind of pitch to get a usable computer. Otherwise, you come across as the new guy who wants everything “just so”, and that will not earn you any points.