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Re: Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?

Subject: Re: Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?
From: "Mike Starr" <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com>
To: "Barry Campbell" <barry -dot- campbell -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2007 07:48:35 -0600

I have in the past just expensed my computer purchases (with the blessing of my tax preparer) rather than amortizing and depreciating them.

At this stage in my life I'm not ready to drink the Macintosh koolaid... especially considering the significant investment I have in Windows software. I don't see the point in buying one if I'm going to be running the majority of my software under Windows anyway. No doubt about it, they're nice computers but I don't see a tangible benefit to me in owning one.

Mike
--
Mike Starr WriteStarr Information Services
Technical Writer - Online Help Developer - Website developer
Graphic Designer - Desktop Publisher - MS Office Expert
Phone: (262) 694-1028 - Tollfree: (877) 892-1028 - Fax:(262) 697-6334
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Campbell" <barry -dot- campbell -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: "Mike Starr" <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com>
Cc: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 3:35 AM
Subject: Re: Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?

On 3/1/07, Mike Starr <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com> wrote:

In light of an exceptional tax refund, I just spec'd one out... it's
horribly expensive and I haven't decided to pull the trigger just yet but
it's definitely a dream machine for me:

Mike, the specs of the machine look entirely reasonable for a power
user, and spreading the cost over the useful life of the machine
(three years minimum) and considering that it can also be amortized
and depreciated on Form 4562 on your taxes (assuming that you file
taxes in the US), I am sure that the cost is actually pretty
reasonable, too.

Always buy good tools.

Two observations.

(1) MacBooks (especially the Pro series) are pretty nice machines, and
they run any Windows OS you like. :-) My power-user tech docs laptop
is an Intel MacBook; though I spend much of my time running OS X apps,
I also run Windows XP Pro in a virtualization window -- and I'm
running Office 2003, Office 2007, and Framemaker 7.2, among others,
without a hitch, for the times when I have to collaborate with Windows
users (often) :-) (See:
http://campbell-online.com/blog/2006/07/02/geeking-out-with-a-new-laptop/)

(2) Whatever brand you buy, it's definitely smart to get the extended
service plan on a laptop. If the ESP does not cover accidental
damage, and especially if you're going to be traveling with the laptop
a lot, consider a supplementary insurance policy that will cover
accidental damage and theft; Safeware sells one that's reasonably
priced.

- bc

--
Barry Campbell -- <barry -dot- campbell -at- gmail -dot- com> -- <barry -at- campbell-online -dot- com>
Blog: http://campbell-online.com

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References:
Re: Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?: From: Mike Starr
Re: Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?: From: Barry Campbell

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