EIGHT
Can anyone go with you to the store, especially on the day when you want to firm up the purchase?
You may at least enjoy a psychological advantage over the sales rep if there are two of you asking well-coordinated questions.
Who should accompany you? Perhaps the person in your office who would use the machine the most; what better source of questions for the sales rep? Obviously, too, it’s good labor relations. Employees who helped choose a machine will be less likely to complain about screens or keyboards.
NINE
What programs will do the jobs you need done?
Don’t just consider costs of the programs; consider their costs versus the cost of not owning particular ones.
I don’t regret spending $250 for a word-processing program to replace the cumbersome software with which my machine came. With the “free” program it would have taken perhaps 40 percent longer to write this book.
TEN
How easy are the programs to learn? How easy are they to use? Some of the easiest to learn are the hardest to use.