My computers at work haven't been updated in 5 years...

[devilgrrl]

now I have to write proposal proving that I need updated equipment to get my job done effectively. Does anyone here have any experience writing these?

[Deja Q]

1. You could always tell your boss to swap computers with you...

then he'll know what it's like. :evilgrin:

I'd advise against it, however. They hate to be proven wrong.

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. uhhhhhhhhhhhh,,,

I'm clueless. My boss requested a new computer for me, which I now have, but he's working on a computer with Windows95. I'd love to write up a good enough request to get our Board to approve a new computer for my boss! :)

[Walt Starr]

3. Stay inside some key indicators

Talk about how the new equipment fits in with the strategic objectives laid out by top management, how it will increase productivity,and how it will affect bottom line revenue.

Those are the keys to any proposal for investment in capital expenditures. If you can demonstrate with hard numbers the return on investment through increased productivity and increased sales, for instance, you can show a time to payoff where the investment pays for itself.

[ret5hd]

5. are there any parameters or paradigms?...(or is that too 20th century?)

[Walt Starr]

10. Yes, tie lost productivity to salary

from there you can calculate hard numbers on how productivity can be increased and show how the investment actually pays for itself.

Furthermore, if the equipment is driectly utilized to generate sales, sales figures can be tied to it as well and a pretty good indicator of increased sales can be presented.

[reprehensor]

4. What kind of applications are you using?

Graphics? Word Processing? Spread Sheets?

Is your office on a server?

[devilgrrl]

14. Computer graphics on a Mac

The one at work is still on system 9.2, photoshop 6, illustrator 9, no flash (which we need for our new site), BBEdit 6, etc... software as old as the machine.

[reprehensor]

16. MAC at the crossroads.

Steve Jobs has recently decided to switch the processor in the MAC to Intel.

IMO, this means that a substantial investment in brand-new G4 technology (despite being much faster than what you are using) may not be the best bet. Considering that your boss hasn't coughed up any shekels for new CPUs in 5 years, I assume he/she runs a pretty tight ship money-wise.

You may want to propose an interim solution, purchasing second-hand MACS with G3 processors running around the 700mhz mark. (I wouldn't go any slower than that.)

I'm runing OSX on a 433mhz G3 and it runs fine. A 700mhz G3 sails on OSX, and of course, Adobe products are born to run on MACs.

You would be faster, and saving money for the boss! Twice as fast on processing time, I'd say.

If the boss is ready to invest in G4s with the caveat that he might have to reinvest again to stay current in less-than 5 years, then go for it. Presumably 3x as fast on processing, but of course some of those Photoshop filters just take forever no matter what you are running. (i.e. a 300dpi photo with substantial 'liquify' filtering)

What speed are the processors you are running now?

[gmoney]

17. G4s? Don't you mean G5s?

G3s are the old beige machines, and I've not even contemplated installing OSX on the ones I have (had). G5s have been out for a couple years now.

Consider asking for the Mac Mini with maxed out RAM... you can continue to use your same monitor. Or the high end eMac. The baseline machines of today still run rings around what you're used to.

If they're REALLY cheap, they could enroll you in a community college class so you can buy all the software at educational prices, then they reimburse you, but that's not quite kosher as far as the licensing goes.

Good luck!

[reprehensor]

18. G3s and G4s have 700mhz processors.

I think 700mhz was the entry level for G4.

G2s were beige-box, G3s were beige-generic and in my case, Blueberry clamshell, the iMacs are largely G3 and multi-color.

Lots of G4 and G3s available used around the 700mhz benchmark.

I was thinking G4 as the newest processor because Apple still hasn't coughed up a G5 laptop, and that's what I have been shopping for recently.

I would still hold back and make a moderate investment in G4s, with slightly slower technology. Still faster than comparable Windows machines, 3x cheaper.

I think the next-generation Macs will be handstands over anything available now, graphics-wise, but if you just can't wait, and you can afford it, go G5.

[YDogg]

6. On a basic level, ...

... does the computer run the software you need to do your job? Please understand that I'm not trying to work against you in this effort ~ my work computer is at least four years old and I'd love a newer one also ~ but this may be one way to make the case for a newer, more capable computer.

[hootinholler]

7. Write it in a version od Word so old that corporate

Can't load it in thier newer version.

-Hoot

[MazeRat7]

8. Yes. More than I care to admit....

Send me an PM and we'll go from there.

MZr7

[Lannes]

9. "Flintstones meet the Flinstones"

Would be a good title.Compare the efficiency of today's computers with the ones you have now and try to prove that it is cost effective and increases productivity to get them.

[flowomo]

11. wait a minute.... I am NOT convinced you need a new one...

prove it in detail right here, right now:

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Wow, five years?

That's a long time I think. My dad's place gets updated pretty often. But then again he works for the government (TVA) so I don't know how it works with all that. :shrug:

[Syncronaut Seven]

13. Hell, I'm running an 11 year old operating system.

And I had to pull the hardware out of our IT guys junk pile. Hope you have better results.

[KerryOn]

15. A little....

Start by making a list of evey little thing you can think of that is wrong with your current system. Just kicking out some ideas....

Look at your software first. What versions do you have? Is the version you have compatible with newer versions of the same software. This is important if you open files from outside sources.

What software do your need that you do not have, and is it compatible with your current operating system. Most software companies are dropping support for Windows 95 and Windows 98 since Microsoft is.

Look at your operating system. Will it need to be upgraded to be compatible with new software. If it needs to be upgraded then that alone is reason enough to get a newer faster computer. Windows XP and XP pro use lots of memory.

Just outline it in a list in order of importance, and then put it in words.

On a side note: My company just got 200 new Del computers in this week. I'm getting a new flat screen monitor!! I was watching them unload them from the truck yesterday. The boxes all said: "Assembled in Mexico". All he parts were probably made in China, and the only two people in the uS that are getting rich on he deal are the President of Del and BUSH!! Ha!