Should Employees Buy Their Own Computers?

Should Employees Buy Their Own Computers?: "Local ID10T writes
'Data security vs. productivity. We have all heard the arguments. Most of us use some of our personal equipment for work, but is it a good idea? 'You are at work. Your computer is five years old, runs Windows XP. Your company phone has a tiny screen and doesn't know what the internet is. Idling at home is a snazzy, super-fast laptop, and your own smartphone is barred from accessing work e-mail. There's a reason for that: IT provisioning is an expensive business. Companies can struggle to keep up with the constant rate of technological change. The devices employees have at home and in their pockets are often far more powerful than those provided for them. So what if you let your staff use their own equipment?' Companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Kraft, Citrix, and global law firm SNR Denton seem to think it's a decent idea.'

What stops this company from providing inferior equipment to push the employee into using their own money to pay for this equipment? How many of these employees understand the tax issues related to this?

What about liability? If there is a breach and it is traced to the employee-owned equipment, can the employee be held liable too?