Need help with Laptop selection

[Naveen Mohan from New York]

I am looking to buy a new laptop for the upcoming tax season. I have narrowed my choice down to ACER I7 with Intel core I7 and 8 GB RAM or HP Pavilion I5 with Intel core I5 and 16 GB RAM. Both have 1 TB Hard Drive.

 

Which is better for ATX Max.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Naveen Mohan

[Jack from Ohio]

I am looking to buy a new laptop for the upcoming tax season. I have narrowed my choice down to ACER I7 with Intel core I7 and 8 GB RAM or HP Pavilion I5 with Intel core I5 and 16 GB RAM. Both have 1 TB Hard Drive.

 

Which is better for ATX Max.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Naveen Mohan

As long as the new laptop has WIN7, extra ram and processor are not the key to making ATX work faster. Don't buy into the hype the company (ATX) is putting out about "minimum requirements." If and until they make the program 64bit, extra processor speed, more ram and more storage space will NOT improve performance.

I have proved this at the firm in a hands on test.

If you give in to the hype, and buy a laptop with WIN8.X, you just add additional chances for issues. This I have also proven at the firm.

You do not need to spend more than $600 to get a laptop that will handle ATX with ease.

If you are interested in a company that will sell you a new laptop with WIN7, message me.

I have given this advice many times and it seems that almost no one listens. However, I have made my experiences known. ATX problems with speed and durability are NOT hardware related, PERIOD.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

Make sure you like the keyboard and the display, the two things you have to "live" with.  Secondary is whether or not I can get a higher capacity battery, and how much.  All new machines have enough hardware (or can be upgraded) to run most applications - unless you are trying for something special, like the fastest FPM for a game...

[kcjenkins]

Excellent point, especially the keyboard.  Backlit keys, for example, make a surprising difference to me.  And difference in the 'feel' of some keyboards is a real factor to many.  

[ILLMAS]

Go with WIN7 Pro, avoid the home edition.  A couple of months ago I bought a Dell XPS 8700 desktop with WIN8, I didn't even bother turning it on, pop in an oem Win7 Pro, formatted the drive to get rid of WIN8 and I am happy.  Win7 Pro cost around $130.

[GeneInAlabama]

I bought my wife a laptop with a black keyboard and the letters are awfully hard to see, even in good light.  From now on, I will not buy anything with a black keyboard.

[kcjenkins]

my keyboard is black, but it is backlit, so no problem.  But if the backlit button is turned off, big problem.

[mcb39]

Excellent point, especially the keyboard.  Backlit keys, for example, make a surprising difference to me.  And difference in the 'feel' of some keyboards is a real factor to many.  

I have one with a backlit keyboard and one without.  Can't say that I prefer one over the other.  Plus the one that is not backlit has the number pad.  I don't generally look at keys when typing, and did not buy it for the backlit feature.  I have had good luck with the gateway, acer family.  Others may not have.   Most important to me is Win 7 Pro and i5 or i7.  Am doing research at the moment on a new one since my XP is no longer usable for any internet work.  Hope it never dies, though, because it has lots of labels, business cards, etc., that cannot be replicated on Win 7.

[mcb39]

Go with WIN7 Pro, avoid the home edition.  A couple of months ago I bought a Dell XPS 8700 desktop with WIN8, I didn't even bother turning it on, pop in an oem Win7 Pro, formatted the drive to get rid of WIN8 and I am happy.  Win7 Pro cost around $130.

 

I just saw Win 7 Pro on sale on Tiger for (I think) $79.

[easytax]

As long as the new laptop has WIN7, extra ram and processor are not the key to making ATX work faster. Don't buy into the hype the company (ATX) is putting out about "minimum requirements." If and until they make the program 64bit, extra processor speed, more ram and more storage space will NOT improve performance.

If you give in to the hype, and buy a laptop with WIN8.X, you just add additional chances for issues. This I have also proven at the firm.

You do not need to spend more than $600 to get a laptop that will handle ATX with ease.

 

 

Agree with Jack here expect for one thought ---  I prefer the I7 chip (quad core, etc.) and try to get extra ram (min. 8mg but try for 16mg.).    Not because it might run today's ATX better but for "tomorrow" if/when CCH does go to the 64 bit or REALLY fixes the current ATX program.

 

My thoughts are spend a little more now --- with hopefully much longer use time for any future needs versus buying basic now and HAVING to buy again later.

 

Have a positive and GREAT season.

[SCL]

jack and easytax both make a case.

computers have been cheap for several years.

$600 or $800 for a laptop (or even a desktop pc) that will last several+  years is a bargain at twice the price.

 

i have a laptop/pc story...for what it's worth...and subject to anyone's welcome critique/correction.

 

3 years ago i bought a laptop and pc at office max on a demo sale...both win7, i5, and 8mg for around $650 each.

i have used the pc at my (stand alone/125 return) tax office with no problems...even with atx (well, some small problems).

 

i have used the laptop at home (the battery plugged into an outlet) as a desktop substitute...mainly for personal use but also for some satellite atx use. i had a problem with the laptop that cost me $250...my learning curve fwiw story.

 

laptop hard drives are sensitive to heat. i knew that and had it set up on a cooling fan platform when it was on.

apparently, if you sleep/hibernate a laptop, power is still on generating heat to the hard drive.

the rub, the cooling fan shuts off...the consequence, a cracked hard drive.

[ILLMAS]

SSD drives are the best thing that's has happened since the invention of whipped cheese in a can.  

[kcjenkins]

I keep my laptop on most of the time, plugged in.  I found a cheap and handy solution to overheating, that is supper easy to take with if traveling.  https://www.thegrommet.com/the-prop-laptop-stand

[mcb39]

I keep my laptops plugged in whenever possible.  But, I do not leave them on full time.  I know there are two school of thought on that, but my IT person is firmly against it.  Nevertheless, I have air-flow laptop stands that are adjustable.  (Also, I will never click on a link)

 

Not arguing with you, KC, just presenting another point of view.

 

Am considering another new laptop for 2014, in the event that I am able to find an assistant.  Spent considerable time on Fri talking to a sales rep at Tiger.  He (almost) convinced me.  They no longer have available a twin to the one I bought last year and LOVE.  This was a sleep on it over the weekend decision and I still have not decided. 

[kcjenkins]

Have you done a google search for the one you love?  

[mcb39]

Have you done a google search for the one you love?  

 

Yes, indeed.  Only one available is in Canada for many hundred more than I paid.  Really nice machine with 17" screen.

[clay]

Is anyone running their tax program on a Mac?

They are supposedly the best machine, but my understanding is that tax programs are not written to run on a Mac and you need VM Ware or something similar on the machine to run the program in Windows.

 

I was considering a refurbished Mac notebook.

[Jack from Ohio]

Is anyone running their tax program on a Mac?

They are supposedly the best machine, but my understanding is that tax programs are not written to run on a Mac and you need VM Ware or something similar on the machine to run the program in Windows.

 

I was considering a refurbished Mac notebook.

If you want to use ATX, DO NOT buy a MAC. PERIOD.

If MACs are the "best," why is less than 20% of the software that is available compatible with MAC? Corporate America, other than the media creation people, are 90% PC.

Apple has a small niche of usability and have painted themselves into a corner.

[ILLMAS]

Is anyone running their tax program on a Mac?

They are supposedly the best machine, but my understanding is that tax programs are not written to run on a Mac and you need VM Ware or something similar on the machine to run the program in Windows.

 

I was considering a refurbished Mac notebook.

 

I do, 2 macbook pro's, 2 imac and other I have put together for friends.

[Eric]

If I may geek out about computer hardware for a minute...

 

There are a couple ways to run Windows software on a Mac.  You can run a Windows virtual machine on top of OS X, or you can dual boot, and run actual Windows, no virtualization required, which is what I would recommend.  This is possible these days because the hardware is identical to PC hardware (same off-the-shelf Intel CPUs).  The only possible issues I can think of that you might run into is adjusting to a Mac keyboard layout.  (Command vs Control button, and all that)

 

Apple products aren't necessarily superior, but they do make some nice stuff. They just don't make any low-end cheap plastic crap to compete with the cheap plastic crap available running Windows, which is why people say they're overpriced.  If you're going to compare apples to apples, say a Macbook Pro to a Windows laptop of the same build quality and comparable specs (Thinkpad Carbon X1, Asus Zenbook, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus) it costs just as much for the Windows machine.

 

I bought my Macbook Pro because:

• 16x10 aspect ratio screen is superior to the 16x9 screen you find on every Windows laptop.  The extra height is nice to have for everything except watching movies.
• Better support for High DPI screens.  Retina displays aren't just marketing fluff.  They are absolutely beautiful to look at and super crisp.  There are plenty of Windows laptops available with even higher pixel density, but while Windows 8 provides OS support for these high resolution displays, a lot of windows software still lags behind.  The result is ugly pixelated application windows, or applications with user interfaces that are too small to use.  
• Battery life.  I get 9 hours of use on a charge.  This is uncommon among thin/light laptops because batteries are heavy.
• Excellent keyboard and trackpad.  If you can type worth a damn, then keyboard feel/decent key travel is important.  The trackpad is awesome too, very responsive, and I actually use the gestures. 

Things I don't like about my Macbook Pro:

• Keyboard layout.  Windows Keyboard layout is better.  I hate having so many key combinations to remember for things I can to do with a single key on a Windows keyboard.
• Fixability.  They try to keep you out of the machine by using weird pentalobe screws to hold it together, and even when you do get in, you can't replace anything because the battery is glued in and the connections are weird and proprietary.  I fixed a friend's 2011 Macbook Pro two weeks ago.  The hard drive cable cost more than the hard drive.
• Certain things about OS X drives me nuts.  You can't sort file lists so that folders are grouped together and listed first.  That's dumb.
• I would personally never buy a Mac desktop because I believe they are overpriced.  I can buy a high quality anodized CNC laser cut aluminum case for $150, and fill it with ridiculously powerful components for half the price of of of those trash can looking Mac Pro machines.

 

And that's the end of my nerd rant.  Sorry about that.

[Jack from Ohio]

If I may geek out about computer hardware for a minute...

 

There are a couple ways to run Windows software on a Mac.  You can run a Windows virtual machine on top of OS X, or you can dual boot, and run actual Windows, no virtualization required, which is what I would recommend.  This is possible these days because the hardware is identical to PC hardware (same off-the-shelf Intel CPUs).  The only possible issues I can think of that you might run into is adjusting to a Mac keyboard layout.  (Command vs Control button, and all that)

 

Apple products aren't necessarily superior, but they do make some nice stuff. They just don't make any low-end cheap plastic crap to compete with the cheap plastic crap available running Windows, which is why people say they're overpriced.  If you're going to compare apples to apples, say a Macbook Pro to a Windows laptop of the same build quality and comparable specs (Thinkpad Carbon X1, Asus Zenbook, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus) it costs just as much for the Windows machine.

 

I bought my Macbook Pro because:

• 16x10 aspect ratio screen is superior to the 16x9 screen you find on every Windows laptop.  The extra height is nice to have for everything except watching movies.
• Better support for High DPI screens.  Retina displays aren't just marketing fluff.  They are absolutely beautiful to look at and super crisp.  There are plenty of Windows laptops available with even higher pixel density, but while Windows 8 provides OS support for these high resolution displays, a lot of windows software still lags behind.  The result is ugly pixelated application windows, or applications with user interfaces that are too small to use.  
• Battery life.  I get 9 hours of use on a charge.  This is uncommon among thin/light laptops because batteries are heavy.
• Excellent keyboard and trackpad.  If you can type worth a damn, then keyboard feel/decent key travel is important.  The trackpad is awesome too, very responsive, and I actually use the gestures. 

Things I don't like about my Macbook Pro:

• Keyboard layout.  Windows Keyboard layout is better.  I hate having so many key combinations to remember for things I can to do with a single key on a Windows keyboard.
• Fixability.  They try to keep you out of the machine by using weird pentalobe screws to hold it together, and even when you do get in, you can't replace anything because the battery is glued in and the connections are weird and proprietary.  I fixed a friend's 2011 Macbook Pro two weeks ago.  The hard drive cable cost more than the hard drive.
• Certain things about OS X drives me nuts.  You can't sort file lists so that folders are grouped together and listed first.  That's dumb.
• I would personally never buy a Mac desktop because I believe they are overpriced.  I can buy a high quality anodized CNC laser cut aluminum case for $150, and fill it with ridiculously powerful components for half the price of of of those trash can looking Mac Pro machines.

And that's the end of my nerd rant.  Sorry about that.

1. How many users know what dual-boot is, much less how to do it? Less than 10%.

2. No mention of available software, how many companies do not write software for Apple, and Apple's refusal to use Flash. These are the real world problems that users who get conned into buying a MAC, soon realize.

Rant over...

[Kea]

2.  My MacBook has Flash.  Apple refuses to use Flash on their mobile products, however (iPhone, iPad, iPod). 

 

It's true that there are very many companies that do not write their software for Mac.  However,  most types of software I've ever needed or wanted are available.  Perhaps a choice or only 1 or 2 companies, (or more) rather than a choice of 10 or more competitors.  The only product I use on a regular basis that is not available for Mac is tax software.  (OK one company has recently announced a Mac version, but, well, no.)

 

 

Off my MacSoapBox.

[Randall]

My reason for not liking Apple is that they stole their name from The Beatles.

[mcb39]

Just an update to let you know that I was able to order the laptop that I wanted.   After a lot of sleuthing, searching, begging and (crying) sic., I was able to find one at a Tiger store in a different state.  Took a week for someone to pull some strings, but it is now ordered and on its way.  I am a happy camper.  It is identical to one that I bought a year ago.

[Eric]

1. How many users know what dual-boot is, much less how to do it? Less than 10%.

2. No mention of available software, how many companies do not write software for Apple, and Apple's refusal to use Flash. These are the real world problems that users who get conned into buying a MAC, soon realize.

Rant over...

 

1.) Not many. But, if you want a mac and you want to run windows software, i guess you learn.  They make it easy with Boot Camp.

2.) I guess my advice is to do a little research before any major purchase.  I'm one of those people who agonizes over every detail before finally making a decision like that.  

 

I would have removed Windows from all of my computers and moved them to Linux if it weren't for Adobe Photoshop.  There's nothing really special or superior about Windows itself.  Like Apple and iOS, they're successful mostly because of the software availability, not because of quality of the operating system (although apple fans may disagree).