using salary sacrificing / packaging to buy new toughbook?

I presume this happens in the US and other countries too where tax laws allow for it, but my company (Genesee and Wyoming Australia) has just set up an agreement with a 3rd-party salary packaging service provider and one of the things which can be done is use that service to buy a new computer used for work (which is what I have my toughbooks for in the first place!).

Now I was curious to know who might have used this approach here in Australia to purchase a new Toughbook system. Panasonic's Australian website provides no pricing information and says to contact 'your dealer' so that part's still a mystery, but I noticed Panasonic's site says that CF30 Mk3 and CF19 Mk3 systems are about to be released so that would be the way to go.

I already have a used CF28 and CF18 (CF18 is here with me in Darwin at the moment), but I think it's more beneficial to go straight to a new system if I was using my income to purchase it under a packaging arrangement.

Anyone want to offer some comment? Perhaps this could be a useful ongoing discussion topic as toughbooks are much more business-oriented systems than average el-cheapo consumer notebook/laptop systems.

Craig.

 

Found a couple of local Australia dealers via Google listing local RRP's for new CF19's and 30's (Mk 2's as they're the current models), and the prices are astronomical!

Ranging from about $7000 to $10000 - OMG that's expensive.. And it means that salary sacrificing to buy a computer like this is probably unworkable as that's around 10 percent of my gross annual income which is quite a lot. These are all A$ figures by the way.

sigh.

So maybe I'll stick with buying second hand and depreciating the cost normally over 5 years. hmmm Second hand Mk2 CF18's keep appearing for sub-$500 prices and that's a far better deal than the cost of new CF19's or 30's.

Craig.

 

$10,000 ..... Do they come with car? wow that's sick

 

Let me find a couple of the local dealer pages again.... Ah here we go:

http://www.pressdigital.com.au/mobi...e/tablets-panasonic-toughbook-c-1387_983.html

http://www.tegatech.com.au/reseller/index.php?cPath=46

THe few others I found which list prices all have similar numbers so I presume these are the Panasonic Australia RRP's for the various Toughbook configurations available at retail level. I bet the government departments and big companies get waaaay better prices and have access to the options not offered to the public.

It's unlikely government and military dealers would have public pricelists.

Craig.

 

If it makes you feel better 1 us dollar buys you 1.20 australia dollar


Alex

 

Didn't consider that, but what would make me feel better is if it came with a car!!

 

Dewed... even at THAT exchange rate, it STILL sounds to me like you're paying for three & only getting ONE...

mnem
YipeYipeYipeYipe!!!

 

I tell ya what.... I'll sell you an Ultimate Toughbook for only half that and I will finance it too.... What a crock.