Got some money to spend before 12/31

[torifile]

My practice has made a profit this year (yay!) and I'm trying to minimize my tax liability so I've got some dough to spend. I'm thinking around $3000 or so. What should I get? I've got a 2.2 ghz MBP but it's about 1.5 years old and that's a long time for me. ;) I've also got CS3 but I hear CS4 is worth the upgrade.

I'm thinking a new MBP with CS4. Anyone know the license restrictions on CS4? Is it like other licenses: one desktop and one laptop?

I'm enamored of the form factor of the new Macbooks so maybe I'll go that route and just max out the RAM in my iMac (I think it's a 2.4 ghz). That wouldn't get me to $3k but I could buy some office furniture. :)

[SpecMode]

So, aside from getting to add someone (http://forums.applenova.com/profile.php?do=addlist&userlist=ignore&u=8603) (and another (http://forums.applenova.com/profile.php?do=addlist&userlist=ignore&u=7413)) to my ignore list for the first time in a while, here's my $0.02 (wish I had $3K to add, but meh. ;) )

According to this article (http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_15266&sliceId=2) on Adobe's support page, you still have the ability to install any single-user copy of Adobe software on a "secondary" machine (they don't specify laptop or desktop), provided you don't run it on both machines at the same time.

So, looks like you're covered. I've been using Photoshop CS4 (along with Lightroom 2) for about a month, and I'd say it was worth the upgrade. Performance-wise, I haven't noticed much of a difference, but it certainly hasn't slowed any. I don't do much of the sort of work that a GPU would make much of a difference for, I suppose. The new MBP might handle that aspect a bit better with the new 9600M.

Just be sure to save a bit to get a good anti-glare screen for the MBP. :)

[SpecMode]

torifile, if you're really looking to make the most of your dough, you can always go for one of these (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/9836/)! :D

[curiousuburb]

Keep your colleagues and clients happy with better chairs (http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/0,,a10-c440-p8,00.html)

And you can't beat an endorsement like 'Official Chair of Office Hockey (http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/QTV/1,,2982,00.html)' <-- Tiny QT video on page ;)

edit: the ignore list is great... :) but doesn't stop people from quoting the ignored, which effectively unignores them :(

[SpecMode]

And you can't beat an endorsement like 'Official Chair of Office Hockey (http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/QTV/1,,2982,00.html)' <-- Tiny QT video on page ;)

While my office/server room doesn't exactly have enough room to play hockey of any sort, given how much time I spend in there on any given day, this would be an excellent substitute for...whatever generic office chair brand we always get on the ship.

edit: the ignore list is great... :) but doesn't stop people from quoting the ignored, which effectively unignores them :(

Firefox + Greasemonkey (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748) + this script (http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/26567) = no more posts, quoted posts, or PMs from users on the ignore list! It's like they were never there to begin with. :)

[Fahrenheit]

Yo Torifile,

I'd second that motion for the office chairs. I got a Mirra in the summer, and it really is the comfiest mother fucker i've sat on - not in the slouch and relax way, but in the "I've been sitting down for 9 hours and I don't feel awful" way. Really expensive, but worth it.

And Apple009, sure, you have your opinion, but its a business, not a fucking NGO, and part of the game is to increase your profitibility as much as possible - he's paying his fair share of taxes as required by law, and he doesn't need some snotty little oink to tell him how to run a firm that he's worked his life for. Do as the doctor says, not as the doctor does.

[SpecMode]

On the subject of office chairs (well, sorta, loosely on the subject): you might need to "write off" a bit more than $3K, but you could always consider one of these beauties: the Spirit (http://www.poetictech.com/spirit/index.html) workstation from Poetic Technologies. If I ever end up with around $5K burning a hole in my pocket, this (or its bigger sibling, the Aura (http://www.poetictech.com/aura/index.html)) would be on the shortlist of "Things To Buy".

[Partial]

I could be wrong, but I believe it is well within his rights to buy things as business expenses and write them off? So whats the big deal, move on with your life.

Maxing out the ram on his perfectly fine notebook is NOT a business expense. Nor is upgrading from CS3 to a new MBP and CS4 for his practice.

While I would have virtually ZERO problems with doing this, Tori has blasted people for years about this sort of thing, and how he is more than happy to pay taxes as it helps out the common good. He's called me selfish before for supporting practices such as this, and plenty of worse things.

This thread makes him a HUGE hypocrite, and we see now where he lies when his money is where his mouth is. What a joke!

[chucker]

I'm going to pretend a certain subdebate isn't going on at all in this thread and merely point to Coding Horror articles on chairs:

A Developer's Second Most Important Asset (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000240.html)
Investing in a Quality Programming Chair (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001146.html)

[SpecMode]

I might have to save up for a few paychecks and seriously look into the Mirra, myself. I'm sitting in a regular wooden dining room chair with a pillow on top, so you can probably guess that just about anything would be an improvement at this point. :\

[Brad]

I've split off the idiotic political tangent ramblings into a closed thread. apple007: This isn't a good way to announce your return. Your ad hominem flame baits here are completely unnecessary and uncalled for. Troll again like this and you'll find yourself banned again. Same goes for you, Partial.

[apple007]

I've split off the idiotic political tangent ramblings into a closed thread. apple007: This isn't a good way to announce your return. Your ad hominem flame baits here are completely unnecessary and uncalled for. Troll again like this and you'll find yourself banned again.

With all due respect, they were only "idiotic" if you want this board to operate in a vacuum. Further, the OP asked for purchasing advice and I recommended he consider charity instead. I also tossed in some free, and likely very relevant, tax advice -- which you seem to have split off as a "political rambling" :confused: -- since the entire premise for this thread seems faulty under existing U.S. and N.C. tax codes (which, in their haste to bash me, no one else has bothered to point out).

[Brad]

And in the same post you called his thread repugnant and labeled him an unpatriotic braggart. Enough, please. Thanks.

[torifile]

It's very humorous to come back to this thread after not visiting the forums for a day. I have an accountant to tell me what I can write off and what I can't. Anything business related is a justifiable expense, so office chairs/furniture are great ideas. Since I do web design both for my practice and as a nice little side stream of income (which I run through my practice's business account, so I do pay taxes on that income), CS4, RAM, monitors are all also legit. Charity contributions are taken care of. :)

Thanks for the ideas, all. I do need some new office furniture. I might also look into some books for a lending library of sorts. I'm thinking I should pick up a few copies of some mindfulness CDs so I can check them out, too.

[Swox]

I'd personally get one of the refurbished MBPs for $1500 - quite a deal, and no glossy screen :) .

[Maciej]

I'd personally get one of the refurbished MBPs for $1500 - quite a deal, and no glossy screen :) .

And no DP, and no new trackpad, and no unibody.

[torifile]

If I'm going with a new computer, it's going to be a unibody model. :D

[Swox]

And no DP, and no new trackpad, and no unibody.

I forgot to add those bonuses ;) :p

[Robo]

*peeks at related threads* It's amazing how often ANers are in situations where they simply have to spend large sums of money. :p

EDIT: Office furniture would be my pick. But I'm a furniture whore. ;) But seriously...I don't know if you have a high-stress workplace or not but you would be surprised at how much ergonomic furniture and better lighting can help, at least in my experience. But I guess if I were in your shoes, and I were to ask myself which option (MBP or furniture) I would regret not getting at this juncture, it'd be the MBP. I'm smitten. :lol:

EDIT EDIT: Wow, some people here are assholes.

[Lyngo]

Torifile >

Do you need any repair work done around the office? Paint jobs? Odds and ends that need to be taken care of? Maybe ask some of the staff some ideas that might be overlooked that need to be taken care of? It might be something to consider anyways.

If you go with the office furniture, maybe ask for opinions? It's always nice to be able to indulge some money in the business and make the environment a little more friendly place to work. Best of luck in your decision and may your business be even more profitable in the upcoming year!

[Fahrenheit]

Torifile >

Do you need any repair work done around the office? Paint jobs? Odds and ends that need to be taken care of? Maybe ask some of the staff some ideas that might be overlooked that need to be taken care of? It might be something to consider anyways.

If you go with the office furniture, maybe ask for opinions? It's always nice to be able to indulge some money in the business and make the environment a little more friendly place to work. Best of luck in your decision and may your business be even more profitable in the upcoming year!

This was bound to come up. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PXsuaHTC64w)

[babyb]

you could make a very reasonable donation to the "babyb's poor this christmas" fund!

[dmegatool]

What about give ME the money ? *kicking babyb in the nuts* :p

[apple007]

EDIT EDIT: Wow, some people here are assholes.

Wouldn't this be considered an ad hominem attack, the likes of which gets conservatives banned?

It was also posted well after the threads were split, meaning it was intentionally OT.

Just askin'/sayin'.

[torifile]

We recently did a bunch of work around the office - painting, landscaping and such. We're going to be getting a new sign out front, so that's a chunk of change. :) babyb's check's in the mail, as is the one to Lyngo ;)

dmegatool - you're blind, so you don't need my money, you get plenty of gov't assistance. ;) :lol: (inside'ish joke).

[Lyngo]

torifile >

whatever you spend it on, great. Blessings upon you and your holiday. Enjoy it!

Merry Christmas and Happy Rama-Hanna-Quanz-Mus

[dmegatool]

dmegatool - you're blind, so you don't need my money, you get plenty of gov't assistance. ;) :lol: (inside'ish joke).

LMAO :lol: :lol: :lol: That was a good one. Fuck you though :P

[Fahrenheit]

Was it dmegatool who accidentally got the whole forum thinking he was blind in some sort of video camera thread? Haha, that was full of fail!

[torifile]

Was it dmegatool who accidentally got the whole forum thinking he was blind in some sort of video camera thread? Haha, that was full of fail!
Yup. That was him. :lol: