Be Excellent To Each Other

So… Imagine the company you work for is allowing you to buy yourself an xmas present (or two), which is very nice of them. Imagine that to make it tax efficient the present has to contribute in some tenuous way to increasing your productivity. Also imagine that this gift or gifts can be up to the total of £650.

What would you buy?

I have an iPad 1, so I don't really need an iPad 2, but that is an option.
I have an iPhone 4, so I don't really need an iPhone 4S, but again that is an option, plus I can give my 4 to Mrs T, sell her 3GS and get some cash back.
I was thinking about a 27" monitor to go along with the iMac and dual screen that bitch, but i'd want one the same resolution, and to be able to plug in my xbox and PC to it too. Can I get one for £650?
I could just get a 4S and flog it straight away and pocket the cash, but that cash would just go on bills and shit, and I think i'd prefer to get something tangible with this free money.

Other than that, I dunno…

Would coke and hookers improve your productivity?

as fun as that would be, probably not...

Buy a camera, obv. Maybe a Nikon D90 with kit lens.

Alternatively, I'd go crazy and make my own wine cellar. Gosh. That'd be awesome.

Not really. Apple's Thunderbolt display (which is the exact same screen) is £900, and you wouldn't be able to plug other stuff in. The Dell equivalent is £619, but is £742 after VAT and shipping is added. At least it has HDMI though.

Buy some motivational paintings from me.

A laptop?

Buy a cow.

He could offer to pay the difference? My dad did that with the stereo system he wanted for his long service award.

Hmm... so I have seen after a quick look around.

Ah well.

I have asked, but I doubt that is an option, due to the joys of our tax system

How's your chair? If it's a bit crap then get a really nice office chair, not very exciting but you won't regret it.

Oooh, not bad. I have a 300D I never use though...

It's fucked actually! Good shout. I could get a reasonable one for £150 and still have £500 left over for a gadget

If the company's buying it "to increase your productivity", VAT will not be paid/be reclaimed. Which is the tax efficiency, surely? So £650 ex VAT.

Yes, the VAT will be reclaimed, but that will be reclaimed by the company and not paid back to me. It's much easier to tell everyone the price they can spend including VAT, as all employees will be buying as a direct consumer, rather than telling everyone then can spend £500 ex VAT (or whatever)

NOT ENTIRELY CONVINCED OF TAX EFFECTIVENESS DIMLIE

Is it to get rid of some profit to avoid corporation tax?

Hah! No.

For £650, you could probably hire some impoverished African part time for a year. Just get them to reply to all your emails and do your paperwork. Instant productivity increase!

Good day madame my name is MISTER TROOPER and I have writing to beg your indulgency in my situation, as I find myself in possesion of a LARGE FORTUINE of $800,000,000 US DOLLARS and must find a way to dispose of this for TAX REASONS in my country. Please be sending me your bank details at once!

Buy a big turnip, in the country.

Buy a shotgun and some ammo, and use it to threaten people into working harder and not interrupting you.

I'm shocked no one has suggested £650 worth of cupcakes

11 x Furutech Formula 2 USB cables.

1 x Dark Souls Ltd Edition.

Maybe a camcorder?

And move back to the 80s?

I've got a crappy HD one kicking around, but I suspect the iPhone 4S would handle all my video needs.

I'm leaning towards a 32GB 4S, and to see if I can wangle a £50 itunes voucher for the remainder.

Easy buy one of these
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... wer-review

& then let us know if it is good so we can come round to have a play.

I'll crawl back into the basement now ...

Bah, all 3D is rubbish. Until you can see it without the need for funny gadgets on your face, it'll never take off

What about a £650 bar tab at the Beex xmas meet?

I reckon something like those 3D displays will be amazing for games one day pretty soon. They've been promising them for years but it's actually getting to the point where the technology can make it work.

Thanks for the offer, we accept!

Not sure what that has to do with me though?

Statements like this really annoy me, "What the HMZ-T1 does prove is that OLED technology is unequivocally the future of HDTVs." Does it? How?

Edit, statements like Trooper's annoy me.

Well I have some MAGIC BEANS that might interest you, was going to ask for half the kingdom but I suppose £650 will do.

Good we have a deal.

goood.

The game has changed. I can use the £650 as part payment for something that costs more!

I'm still going to just go for a 4S though, I think.

Man, how dull.
650 scratch cards sounds good to me.

Or this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110CC-Quad-Bi ... 2c6102e580

I wish, it has to be some sort of hardware, or software license, or training course, or something like that.

speaking of which, my bro-in-law has ordered himself something similar to this

http://extrememotos.com.au/650ccdunebug ... ocart.html

but the 800cc version I think

I shall get him to come to the pit with it.

Incredibly dull.

How can you argue that a 4S will increase your productivity, Trooper, if you already have a 4?

Some sort of awesome office chair that actually supports your back?

edit: Already mentioned. Damn.

But I was talking about something like this, rather than the most expensive one in Staples.

It's faster innit.

My other thought is that if I opt not to use it, I have something that has a very high resale value...