Originally Posted by mdilthey

I received a $300 tax deduction on my laptop this year as an expense for freelance writing, but the tax deduction is a fraction of the total cost of the laptop.

I might've been able to get away with a cheaper laptop than the Macbook Air, but the extra processing power and interface lets me work faster, so I end up making a bit more money and ease-of-use has it's own "cost" depending on who you ask. For me, it's more than zero.

I bought a Macbook Air with a SSD to "future-proof" myself a bit so I won't have to reinvest in a laptop for several years. The Mac desktop I bought when I was 17 in 2007 is still being used daily (I gave it to my parents as a gift). This laptop NEEDS to live a long time because I can only afford to invest in a laptop every once in a while.

It's worth a sweaty back to know that the laptop is safe from vibration, but if someone else out there has already taken a chance with a pannier over a few thousand miles with no issues, my paranoia will be dissuaded and I can make myself more comfortable on tour.

Worth the survey.