Home Office Purchase Project

Office Purchase Decking Out an Office One of the most significant purchases that must be made is that of the laptop computer the customer has requested. While MacBooks are known for their ease of use, durability, and high-end performance on a multitude of tasks they are also expensive and can be difficult to find appropriate software for, and thus MacBooks can be ejected. Using CNET's buying guide and review articles, the HP Envy was select for further consideration (CNET, 2012).

Priced at $659 (rounded to $700 for tax), this computer does not have any optical drive (CD or other disk reader), but does have flash drives and a variety of other ports for connectivity and should serve all of the business needs very well -- it comes equipped with Windows 8, has a variety of features that ease pairing with other devices and communication (Bluetooth capabilities, etc.), is both durable yet relatively light and portable, and comes with a three-year warranty and service package (Bolton, 2012; CNET, 2012; Leswing, 2012; Purewal, 2012).

All in all, this laptop represents the best bang for the buck according to many reviewers and to the specific needs of the laptop's use and capabilities in this scenario. Following the purchase of the laptop, the desk and office chairs are the most important and the most expensive purchases to be made.

While both of these pieces of furniture might seem pretty utilitarian, a quick glance at online reviews and a long discussion with Brad at the downtown OfficeMax makes it clear that the selection of a good chair and the right desk for a person's work style and habits are immensely important.

The chair should provide adequate back support and have an ergonomic design the makes it comfortable to sit in for hours at a time and that allows for many adjustments and different positions to be taken so as to allow the office worker to find new positions for enhanced comfort and refrain from getting stiff or suffering repetitive motion stress injuries.

A taller full-backed chair with adjustable arm-rests, adjustable height, and ideally an adjustable back angle (as well as rocking and swiveling capabilities, of course) will allow for the greatest degree of comfort and adjustability, and ensuring appropriate quality becomes the hardest issue in selecting from the many chairs that fit this description.

A useful list of features and comparison reviews is provided by ConsumerSearch.com (2012), leading to a selection of the $600 (tax included) Steelcase Think -- not available at OfficeMax, unfortunately, but combining the best of the features seen in chairs online and in the store and offering a higher quality of materials and manufacturing than most of the OfficeMax chairs. Finally the purchase of the desk was completed at OfficeMax.

Quality of construction was still important but less an issue than with the desk chair, as it is expected to be subjected to less stress. The Sauder Office Port Executive Desk has strong online customer reviews as a solid, basic piece of office furniture with smooth-rolling and durable drawers and a large flat desktop that will allow the worker to arrange various materials and equipment however deemed necessary or appropriate (OfficeMax.com, 2012). With a price of $300, this brings total expenditures for the desk, chair, and laptop to $1,600,.