Hardware requirements for a tech doc laptop?

[Mike Starr]

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
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Campbell" <barry.campbell at gmail.com>
To: "Mike Starr" <mike at writestarr.com>
Cc: <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.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.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.campbell at gmail.com> --  
> <barry at campbell-online.com>
> Blog: http://campbell-online.com