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What Design Gear Would You Buy if You Were Given $1,000?

shutterstock_33588094What design gear would you buy if given $1000?

We all have a few things on our personal wish list that we want, but can’t buy for whatever reason. Since it is depressing to think about things we can’t have, lets lighten the mood a little by doing a littler pretending.

Lets, for a moment, pretend that one of our clients was so pleased with the job we had just done for them, that they bought us a $1000 Amazon gift card to show their appreciation. The only catch is that it has to be some sort of design related gear that will help you run your business smoother or help make you better at what you do.

You are free to buy as many things as you want, you just have to keep it under $1000. After all, you aren’t made of money.

For the sake of this experimentation in imagination, lets use the Amazon Computer Category as our baseline for setting the price. Don’t get to caught up in the specifics of each item. I’m just more interested in what tickles your fancy.

Image was purchased from Shutterstock Images

About Danny Outlaw

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  • http://www.thewizdesign.com jesse wisinski

    Wacom Intuos4 Large Pen Tablet- $429.00
    Canon CanoScan 8800F Color Film/Negative/Photo Scanner $162.00
    Apple Mighty Mouse Wireless Kit $63.99

    that’s all I really need or want right now

    • http://www.nyqdesign.com Brett Nyquist

      I would suggest staying away from the Mighty Mouse and get a Logitech Revolution (or whatever it’s called).. I had the Mighty Mouse for awhile and the precision just wasn’t the same as the Logitech..

    • http://www.krop.com/gustavs/ Gustavs

      The Mighty Mouse scroller is a pain! All 3 mouses I’ve used (2 wired, 1 wireless) had the same problem with it being stuck.

  • http://YourWebsite Jack Franklin

    I would go for a Macbook. That’s about it. Sorry, boring answer!

  • http://www.zeemidesign.com zeemiDesign

    ASUS VW246H 24″ = Widescreen LCD Monitor – $216.99…so I can see better

    Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro = Wireless Keyboard-Mouse Combination – $94.95…so I can feel better

    Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System – $75…so I can hear better

    Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless All-In-One Photo Printer – $189.97…so I can print better

    Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34275 – $99.99…so I can backup better

    Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook – $299.99…so that I can work better on the road

    Quite a good yield for $976.89! Thanks for this interesting thought experiment.

  • http://twitter.com/atimothymiller Timothy Miller

    I’d get a Wacom Intuos4 Large Pen Tablet to replace my very old Graphire and Samsung Touch Of Color T260HD 25.5-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor to replace my 19″ Acer.

  • http://diggerdesignlabs.com Steve Robillard

    Wacom Cintiq 18sx

  • http://www.caseybarthels.com Casey Barthels

    I’d have to go for a Wacom Cintiq 12WX Pen Display. Drawing/painting right on the screen with pressure sensitivity, priceless. But really it’s $899.99

    Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Mouse, because the clutch driven scroll wheel is the best thing since sliced bread… and it’s wireless – $59.99

    Thin Apple Keyboard, like the macbooks, because typing on anything else now feels like work – $49.00

    I think I went a little over, but I’d happily kick in the extra 10 bucks for this package.

  • http://nextexile.com Serg Chernata

    I’d instantly grab a Cintiq. Got everything else I need. :D

  • http://YourWebsite Jeremy

    A good SLR, or as good as I can get for only $1000 :P I love photography but I can in no way afford good equipment. Mine was made in the 1960s soo.. yeah lol

  • http://www.mikelangelo.com Michael

    Probably a Cintiq…I’m dying for a tablet like that. Might just get the Intous 4 and then another 2 TB raid drive for photos

  • http://www.ryan-king.com Ryan

    I would have to get two ASUS VW266H 25.5-Inch Wide LCD Monitor @ $282.70 a piece because you can never go wrong with dual monitors, especially big ones.

    Also, a Wacom Intuos4 Large Pen Tablet @ $429.00 because my current bamboo small is just too small.

    Those things would definitely make designing much easier/more comfortable for me.

  • http://YourWebsite Nghia

    tokina 12-24 :420usd for wide
    tokina 100-300 : 200usd for street life
    nikon 50 1.8 mf: 150usd for portrait
    ipod touch 16gb: 230usd

  • http://themeforeset.net?ref=hqm Patrik

    I would buy a wacom since my old one broke down a while back.. And I could really use a new Mighty Mouse to :P And I could probably need some paper and pens to :P (I always draw my designs there first)

  • http://YourWebsite Tribal Tuna

    I’d pick up a Wacom Cintiq 12wx and a portable hard drive! Heaven! I could stop using the little Bamboo pen tab that I’ve got….

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  • http://www.sporkycomplex.com gothicspork

    A wacom Cintiq, a portable hard drive and lots of traditional art materials like markers, tech pens, inks. Mmmm…

  • http://www.eyeondesigns.com Rommel Miraflores

    Definitely a Wacom tablet, just not sure which one, as I haven’t the $$ to dream about it.

  • http://www.bebop-ad.com BebopDesigner

    I’d be quite happy with any of these babies:

    Wacom Intuos4 Large Pen Tablet

    Iomega Prestige 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34474

    HP Color Laserjet CP1215 Printer

    or just this:

    Wacom Cintiq 12WX 12-Inch Pen Display $899.99

    This is one cool post/experiment! Cheers!

  • http://shinycooking.com Amy

    Curse you for making me daydream!
    Wacom Intuos4 large: $437 or extra large: $680
    Apple Keyboard kit: $49
    Printer: I can’t pick one out. Expect it to cost a few hundred.
    Or I might ditch the printer and the computer accessories and buy another valuable computer accessory in a different category: digital cameras.

    I currently have an old Canon A75. It’s a great little camera. What would be the next step short of dSLR? Or should I go dSLR? I’m not super serious, but I would like the very best photography I can get for the price.

  • http://shinycooking.com Amy

    Whoa, I hadn’t read any comments before posting. We all want Wacom tablets!

  • http://www.orphicpixel.com Mars

    a canon 50D will do for, is it the money enough for my wish?

  • http://www.chrislowden.com Chris

    Nothing PC related. I went MAC and I will never go back.

  • http://YourWebsite Danielle

    This is an interesting post.

    I notice a lot of you would like the Intuos 4 tablet. I have to say I absolutely love it.

    I actually bought it during a spending spree when it first came out. It’s a little over $1000, but at the time I bought the Wacom tablet and the Apple 24″ display made for the new MacBook Pros. That puts the total at around $1300, but it was worth every penny.

  • http://www.dandenney.com Dan Denney

    I have to go the boring route, too. I’d put it towards a Macbook…

  • http://www.davymac.com/wordpress David McDonald

    Easy…
    1 x ‘Yard-o-Led’ pencil, then probably (sadly) only one good Nikon 2.8 lens, prob used. The rest on good beer for ‘inspiration’ ;-)

  • http://www.indiqo.eu Maximilian Bartel

    Probably a boring answer, but I think I’d purchase a MacBook too or a good DSLR and some software, not sure yet.

  • http://www.simplexstudios.com John

    2 x HP LP2475w Black 24″ H-IPS LCDs
    1 x PANTONE Huey Pro

  • http://www.cobaltcow.com Nathan Sarlow

    Wacom Intuos4 Medium Pen Tablet $321
    HP Color LaserJet 4600DN Printer (Refurb) $270
    ASUS VH236H 23-Inch Monitor $189
    Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard $135
    EMTEC C200 Pro Series 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive $60
    Logitech LS21 2.1 Stereo Speaker $30

    damn i’m going to have to $5 of my own money :(

  • http://YourWebsite b

    @ Casey i have this mouse it is an excellent rodent indeed

    i ‘d have a Casio XJ-S52 Projector i dont think projectors are utilised enough
    just need a white wall thenimage size is massive like 1.52 i think thats about 59 ” fairly large for photoshop imagins how cool that wil be

  • http://dailydesignbits.com Niki Brown

    I would probably have to be boring and opt for a refurb macbook pro – teeny size. Probably what I’ll be dropping soon after the new year with all my hard earned freelancing money :D

  • http://cmdshiftdesign.com/blog liz

    can a swanky new office chair count as design gear?

  • http://www.360bposolutions.com cynthia victor

    I will go to Express T-shirts store and AX to buy some stuffs

  • http://www.crearedesign.co.uk Michael Thomas

    I think I Would go for a Pentax SLR and by some accessories with the change if there is any, not sure what the exchange rate is but an SLR is about £500 in the UK. I already have everything else! Maybe I would put it towards a digital HD camera and start getting into film.

  • http://www.linkbaitwritingservices.com/ Linkbait

    Great post, how much did you pay to have someone write it for you?

  • http://www.finalclap.com/ Galdon

    Your message…

  • http://www.dgenerador.com/s-diseno-de-folletos.htm Diseño de Folletos

    Muy buen blog de diseño! great blog! thanks from Argentina.

  • http://www.zen-dreams.com/ Anthony PETITBOIS

    I would go for an Apple macbook, this one : Apple MacBook MB466LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

  • http://pshero.com Hero

    My desk is already pretty well spec’d, but a Wacom Cintiq-21ux would be definitely make my wish list along with a few new books full of inspiration and a new office chair… the wheels on this thing are crap.

    • http://www.outlawdesignblog.com Danny Outlaw

      Yeah. I think I’d go for one of those super expensive, ergonomic office chairs.

  • http://twitter.com/daanweijers Daan

    a Wacom Intuos4 medium pen tablet ($315)
    ASUS EEE PC ($378)
    ASUS 26″ Full HD Monitor ($317)

    Grand total; $1010 (argh, I went over with 10 bucks.. ah well, I’ll pay them)

    I know the purpose of the post.. You’re giving the most original submission a $1000 gift card for amazon! AREN’T YOU!?

  • http://www.shinazsaeed.com Shinaz Saeed

    I have two Wacom tablets, Intuos 3 and Intuos 4.
    So I can’t say another tablet…and I’m looking forward for a Cintiq 21UX which is beyond a $1000 so probably I’ll go with a:
    Nikon 105mm F2.8 VR lens for $899.95 (I have had my eye on this for sometime now…awesome lens, super sharp and perfect for macros and portraits)
    then an Airbrush for my Intuos 4 tablet: $99.95 (Can’t wait to try the airbrush on the intuos 4)

    That’s mine!

  • http://www.timeoutdoors.blogspot.com Kevin

    I would ditch my PC, get a Mac, and start getting new adobe products for the Mac (thats the main reason I have not switched to Mac as of yet).

  • http://www.nurbsatwork.com Osito

    Beautiful website by the way!

    But I think I would get a better monitor with 1000 bux.

  • http://www.bruceslogos.com brucelogos@gmail.com

    I will buy an Iphone and or a brand new laptop worth $1,000

  • http://www.cypherbox.net cypherbox.net

    Im gonna buy a Apple MacBook : )

  • http://simon.vansintjan.org Simon

    Funny, this is a list I should seriously think about. And it’s great seeing all these ideas.

    I would probably get a better / larger tablet, and then save the rest for a faster computer. Although I would still stick to a laptop.

  • http://www.krop.com/gustavs/ Gustavs

    I would go with Apple MacBook for 989$ as I’ve always wished I could do work outside of home.

  • http://YourWebsite James

    $1000? that doesn’t buy a lot these days (at least on my wish list). I’d have to pull another grand from somewhere and get the big Cintiq.

    If i didn’t get the Cintique i’d put it towards a nice SLR like the 40D.

    • http://YourWebsite James

      Ooops! Cintique = Cintiq :)

  • http://www.danielgolden.net/ Daniel Golden

    1. Net and PSD Tuts Plus Membership (It’s cheap, but I’ve been lazy) .

    2. Apple 24″ Widscreen Display (*Drooling*)

    3. Serious set of bose speakers (*Cough: for inspiration*).

    4. “Little Snapper” application.

    5. Intoos 4 WAhkom Tablet. (Because the ladies love it.)

  • http://www.brochuresprintingonline.com/ Louise | Brochure Pr

    Well, if I were a designer (and darn, I wish I was… :D ), I definitely would want a desktop computer first since computers at home are really crappy and outdated. I believe a notebook just wouldn’t cut, and that a good computer is the most essential gadget a designer needs. HP desktop PCs look nice, and I know that it’s even nicer on the inside.

  • http://YourWebsite Devin Clark

    I would buy a good camera. Right now I am rocking a point and shoot hp.. Then if there was any left over, a new desk chair.

  • http://www.luisangelcamargo.com luis angel

    Wacom Intuos3 6 x 8-Inch Pen Tablet, EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GTX 275 896 MB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card, and Epson Stylus NX515 WiFi Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer (C11CA48231).

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  • http://www.traxor-designs.com/ Luke Jones

    I’m going to be a little cliché here and say that some of the money would go towards a Wacom graphics tablet. The rest, however, would be funds towards buying an iMac. Designing websites is getting more and more difficult on my laptop for several different reasons and it’s starting to become a real hinderance to my work and efficiency. Woops!

  • http://www.iowa-personalinjurylawyer.com/ Iowa personal injury

    Anything that I can put around myself to keep the environment feeling right. Plants, desk, chair, etc.