How Important is Gear to Productivity?

One of the favorite topics discussed when you get a group of productivity minded people together is what gear are they using to stay productive.  For some, the term "gear" translates into software, for some it's hardware, for others it's notebooks, pens, and pencils, and if you're like me it's all of the above.

Gear is one of those things that can be a mixed blessing in your system.  Find the right piece of gear and you can raise your level of productivity significantly.  Spend too much time on the quest for the right piece and your productivity suffers.  What's a productivity geek to do?  My suggestion:  look at the hunt as a business process.

Here at The Idea Pump one of the main focuses is on defining and improving business operational processes.  If you look at your quest for productivity gear as a process improvement exercise then by starting with identifications of the deficiencies in your process and identifying the gear available to offset those issues is an excellent starting place.

I'd be hypocritical though if I left you with the impression that my quest for "prodgear" was purely a business exercise.  I'll readily admit (as will my wife) that I enjoy it.  A new notebook, pen, app, or tool can capture my attention quickly and wind up as part of my collection just as rapidly.  It's nearly September and back-to-school, while not only a focus for my children, means I have a viable excuse to look at all the new tools and gear available.  While it's not an addiction, it's pretty close.  :)

Where do you find yourself on the productivity gear spectrum?  Do you grab whatever is available and make it work or do you enjoy the hunt as much as the application?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!