The Ohio Office of Budget and Management reports that "the tax reduction recognizes the integral importance of certified elementary and secondary teachers in OhioŐs efforts to bring information technology to schools, and acknowledges that they do a significant amount of their preparation work outside of the school day. The General Assembly and the Governor approved the elimination of sales taxes when certified teachers purchase personal computers. Reduced revenue to the General Revenue Fund is anticipated to be approximately $285,000 for the biennium."
The exemption was contained in section 5739.02 of Ohio`s 1997 Biennial Budget Bill, H.B. 215:
(40) SALES OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS, COMPUTER MONITORS, COMPUTER KEYBOARDS, MODEMS, AND OTHER PERIPHERAL COMPUTER EQUIPMENT TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS LICENSED OR CERTIFIED TO TEACH IN AN ELEMENTARY OR A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THIS STATE FOR USE BY THAT INDIVIDUAL IN PREPARATION FOR TEACHING ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS;
To receive the exemption, you need to fill out a unit exemption form and take it to the vendor you are purchasing your computer hardware from. You do not need a vendor's license because you are not reselling the computer. For the reason for the exemption simply state that you are a certified teacher using the computer in preparation for elementary/secondary teaching under HB 215 section 5739.02.
The form is available from the Union Office and on-line at www.state.oh.us/tax/forms/unitexem.pdf. The on-line form is in Adobe`s pdf (Portable Document Format) and it requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. You can download the reader at no charge from Adobe (www.adobe.com).
If you purchased a computer after September 27, 1997 and did not receive the exemption you can ask your vendor to submit a refund request to the State of Ohio.
If you have a small budget, recent used computers can be a bargain for a beginner. You donŐt need the fastest computer to create lessons and worksheets, add simple graphics, calculate grades or explore the Internet. But donŐt expect to play the latest 3-D games and multi-media CDŐs. Even if your needs and budget are minimal, donŐt consider a used computer that does not run at least Windows 3.1 or Mac System 7. (Computers running Windows 95 or Mac System 7.5/8.0 are much better choices.) If the computer is too old, you will waste a lot of time learning outdated and hard to use software.
Be sure you are getting a fair deal Ń relatively fast, new computers can be bought for around $1000. There are some useful web sites that compare prices and explain features. The American Computer Exchange (www.amcoex.com) reports used prices weekly. You can find reviews, comparisons and prices for new computers at www.zdnet.com/netbuyer/ and www.computers.com/. The Toronto Star published an extensive buyers guide (web.idirect.com/~myles/buyguide97.htm) with a detailed explanation of many PC options. The Berkley Mac Users Group has an excellent guide to buying a used (or new) computer (www.bmug.org/Services/buying_guide/).
The best deal in a used computer is often a hand-me-down from someone you know. You should be able to get a more honest appraisal of the system and some help with setup and use. Ask questions and make a list of your likely needs before you buy.
Software is what makes a computer useful. If you have specialized needs, confirm that the software will run adequately on the computer you pick out. Often a computer comes bundled with software. This can be valuable if the software fits your needs. Educators can get deep discounts on some software. Fastrack (800-927-3936) in Columbus, Ohio and Mac/PC Warehouse (800-696-1727) are two of the many companies that sell educational versions.
Adding RAM (memory) is a cheap way to get a small productivity increase out of an older computer. You can usually install it yourself in a couple of minutes. A good source for inexpensive RAM is the Chip Merchant (800-426-6375). For an in-depth look at upgrade considerations for an older computer read the PC Magazine article available at www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/upgrade/intro2.html.