Thinking of buying a laptop

[AMDPwred]

I'm giving consideration to purchasing a laptop for school and work. Do you guys think it would just be a waste of money? For school I would take it to my programming classes so I could use it for class. I would only take it to my IST classes really. I would take it to work everyday though. I could use it alot for work alone. I don't have a whole lot of cash to through around so I want some of your opinions for weither getting one would be good or not.

 

[Zenmervolt]

It's my firm opinion that the only two brands worth considering for a business laptop are IBM and Toshiba. And both of those companies tend to run a bit more $ than other brands. I don't mean to say that other brands cannot be good, but everything I have heard indicates that IBM and Toshiba make the most durable laptops. If you don't want to spend a lot of money and you don't really need a laptop, don't bother with one yet. I'd say to save up so that you can buy a higher-end laptop when you really have a need for one.

ZV

 

[wepopfresh]

It's a good idea, and a wonderful way to work. I use my ti-book at school, at work, and everywhere I go. It's nice to have the ability to use a computer without having to wait, having to find a place to go, etc...

I'd go with a mac for flexibility. I use VPC5 with XP in OSX and do all my programming work in it.

 

[BreakApart]

Worth the money? If you use it yes... If it sits in the case, or shelf collecting dust-no.

My Toshiba laptop has been well worth the purchase price, gets used 5 days a week, 9 hours a day, 2 years now. Only problem i have had was the hard drive sectors started going bad-(month ago). Upgraded to a bigger drive and off we go again... I would have traded it on a new model, but they didn't have any i was interested in, maybe next summer.

As often as i pull my home PC's apart to swap parts around, i am really glad i have my trusty laptop for all my banking and personal info.

 

[AMDPwred]

Heh, there is no way I'd get a MAC. I'd probably get a Dell or one from CompUSA. Does anyone else use one for what I'd be doing on it?

 

[bdunosk]

I have a desktop, but my monitor blew out... my girlfriend loaned me her laptop since she's already on winter break. This is my first time using a laptop for any extended amount of time, but it's kind of fun because you're no longer limited to where you can work. I've been making charts for my final exam while sitting in my recliner... very good for my butt / back. And I can watch TV while I'm on IM with her right now. So I see the virtues of a laptop, even if it's a lowly Cel 366.

If you're buying it for work, can't you take it as a deduction on your taxes for business expenses?

 

[AMDPwred]

If you're buying it for work, can't you take it as a deduction on your taxes for business expenses?

Hmm, never thought of that. I'm not really sure how that works. Does anyone here know the rules with that sort of thing?

 

[apoppin]

You bet I will be taking most of the $1200 I spent on my Dell Inspiron 4100 as a business expense. It will be used far more for business than my home machine (which is also used in business).

The newer laptops are almost desktop replacements (but you will pay a pretty penny for a 1.2Ghz P-III Mobility and the Radeon 7500 Mobility). Mine is much more modest . . . (at half the price) it is a 866Mhz P-III-M and the 16MB DDR Radeon mobility with 320 MB PC-133. I run Win2K on it and it runs all the current games (although - admittedly - I had to lower the resolution to 800x600 to play the Serious Sam-II Demo with all setting maxed at a good FPS).

Since I can't take my desktop with me to Hawaii for my 10 week working vacation, this laptop will do fine . . . it has DVD built in (for movies on that long plane flight) and I am using an external USB CDRW.

Notebooks are awesome!

 

[AMDPwred]

How could I declare it as a business expense?

 

[apoppin]

<< How could I declare it as a business expense? >>



Tell your tax preparer you want to write it as a business expense deduction.

or

(if you prepare your own taxes) use Turbo Tax or Tax Cut's program to walk you through it. You have a choice of depreciating it over 3 years or taking a one-time deduction.

Of course, you have to be running your own business (or else qualify it as an expense while working for some one else - more complicated) and have to specify how much your notebook is used for business (and how much for 'home" use).