If you're a small contractor thinking of purchasing a computer, you've probably had salespeople make pie-in-the-sky predictions about all the time and money you'll save, and you've probably heard old-timers grunt that you're better off spending the money on "real" tools. To gain some perspective, imagine that you've gotten a call from a couple who would like a price on a house. Consider these two scenarios: Scenario #1. You meet with them, take their plans back to the office, and work up an estimate. Since you don't own a computer, you spend three days working up a price. You deliver it to the couple and never hear from them again. Scenario #2. You meet with them, take their plans back to
