Software
Now you’ve got your computer, but of course it needs software before you can do your work. But no matter how tempting it is, do not buy software that seems “too cheap to be true.” It may be corrupt, it may be pirated, or the seller might not be legally licensed to sell it.
You may still be able to economize a bit, though, depending on your industry and clients. Just because there’s a more recent version of FrameMaker doesn’t mean that all your clients have it or want their deliverables done using it. So if you’re not sure, or particularly if you’re purchasing an application for personal training, you could purchase an older version.
Additionally, most software is available for immediate download upon purchase. So you don’t need to shell out the money until you need the product. But don’t forego buying those little shareware utilities—you don’t want an embarrassing “nag” screen popping up while you’re showing work to a client.
The type of writing you do (or would like to do for future clients) will greatly influence what software you’ll need to buy. Use the following checklist as a starting point for software purchase planning. (Do note that I’m an API writer, so I’ve likely omitted some of the major graphics, design, and training related software tools. Feel free to drop me a line for future revisions to this article.)