Just don't get it
I am the IT admin in 2 SBS server 2003 shops. This is no way a full time position, both companies are just using inbuilt resources, me, who is a Navy trained WinNT admin (which means you do the course but don't get a cert, lest you leave, which I did anyway) who happens to be available for failure and advice, I am charged out to both businesses though, at £35 an hour for IT support. I might do an hour in the average month.
All of our "new" desktops for static staff are Core2Duo coming from ebay at £100 with winXP COA on the side. they have just been replaced by bigger business at the end of their support cycles. They are only bought when needed, either when I've get fed up with complaints of slowdown, (rare) or hardware failure occurs. It's generally not cost effective fixing a desktop for the sake of replacement with an ebay £100 special.
Mobile users were on expensive VAIO laptops when times were good, as they were the moneymakers and reliable kit was worth the expense. They will all get MSI winds or EEEPC 1205 for replacement if theirs fail now, as they are more than fast enough for the role. Hardware has gone way past the needs of the software, consumer laptops are more than adequate for our business now. (I've been using a MSI wind since last year, best laptop I've ever had)
We are running WinXP with a mixture of Office 2007, Visio 2010, users personal choice for browser, NOD32 for Virus (excellent) and Sage for the finance types.
Thanks for the tips on the SSD though, that will alleviate slowdown claims. As I have a minor budget for testing, I wil give one a run in my desktop. Always fancied a Gigabyte IRAM or similar though, I must admit.....