My recommendation for that price range is to buy a used business-class laptop. Emphasis on the business-class. These are the Dell Latitudes and the HP ProBooks. Try to find something less-than five years old (businesses tend to phase out older laptops in the three or four year mark). Buy from a reputable re-seller that offers support in case you get a lemon.
It won't be the fastest or sexiest laptop out there. But it will be long lasting and reliable.
Build something that you want. Find that niche that isn't well served by existing projects and fill the void. Either by making something entirely new or adding a feature to something already out there.
I spun up a trial version of Windows Server and tried to get it working. It seemed to want a Domain environment and I didn't want to go down that road. There probably is a way to do it without setting up a Domain but I didn't feel like messing with it at the time.
He probably has an additional MSO because of some event in career. Certain schooling and assignments may incur an additional service obligation. The Army wants to avoid spending a lot of money on training its officers only to have them immediately drop their REFRAD paperwork.
I got a carbonization machine. I've been drinking way more water these days. I always thought I liked soda because of the sugar. Actually I liked the fizziness. It gets fizzier than anything else I've ever drank.
The iPad displays the absolute best and worst of Apple. I don't think another device in their lineup has such a gap in what the hardware is capable of and where the software willingly fails to utilize it. Very few people that get this device will be able to properly take advantage of its abilities in its current configuration.
The lemon drank was pretty good honestly!