Picture this:
A bright eyed and clueless young Lieutenant and a well seasoned Warrant Officer are on the firing range enjoying a quick smoko. She (the Range OIC) is an Honours student in her final year of study at the Australian Defence Forces Academy and he is an Infantry Warrant Officer with 25 or so years of service. They have been running ranges for the Academy Cadets all year and have the whole process well oiled and co-ordinated.
She asks him his advice on gear. In return he gives her one of the best pieces of advice she will ever hear.
"Ma'am - always buy the best gear you can afford. Don't be stupid about it - you may not be able to afford the very best gear - but always get the best gear you can afford. You can't afford to be deep in some s******e somewhere and have your gear give out on you".
Some twenty plus years later she is still wearing the raincoat she bought, still using the maglite torch and still whipping out the Gerber multitool to make repairs. She carefully hoards a few FRED can openers as well - after all - they are still the best.
As in the military, a technology career can be heavily reliant on gear. The gear does not make the operator - but it can certainly hold someone back from succeeding if it is not up to the job. Sadly - the rate of development in technology means that it is unlikely your gear will last much more than 5 years - if that.
If you are struggling to complete your courses because your technology is not keeping up, give us a call and ask about our Borrow A Laptop Lending Library.