Jack from Ohio

Agreed. I should have said preparers instead of PTINs.

90% of the clients at the firm could care less about what caused the delays. 90% of my personal new clients could care less about what caused the delays. 100% of my personal returning clients were very understanding about what caused the delays. This year, gained 65 new, lost 10. Last year, gained 15 new, lost 3.

The findings of my independent software developer that is checking out ATX for me support my following comments: This information just cements the fact that the people CCH picked as a development team, picked a cheap database and built ATX to fit its requirements. Any first year tech student knows that you choose the software (in this case the database) that has features that will meet the needs of the program you are developing. CCH had/has a bunch of dimwits at the controls, and will be just a blip in history in 2 more tax seasons. They will be losing 2 10 year loyal customers if they keep the RAVEN DB as the core of the program for 2013.

The program will work very well in 2013 on a standalone computer system. I recommend i5 processor, 16GB RAM, SSD if budgetable (at least 240GB) and multiple monitors. This is the kind of system I have at my home business and have had only minor issues all season, and even less after update 12.15. If you bring a second computer into your network, problems everywhere.

Three user license means 3 different PTINs. Has nothing to do with network or multiple computers. This has been the rule since 2004. Nothing new here. What some of the jargon means "do not support the use of the software from multiple OS user accounts at the same time or in a Terminal Server/RDP or Remote Desktop scenario" is... I have a network with 10 workstations. 7 are WIN 7 PRO, 3 are XP. The database will NOT allow a user on one of the XP machines to use ATX if someone is already on a WIN 7 machine, and vice versa. This is new information to me and very clearly proves that the developers are loose in the noodle. We have experienced this bug and did not know the reason for it till now. Strike 17 ATX!!! This is "damage control propaganda" by CCH and only makes me loathe CCH even more, despite the sweet well intentioned pleas of our sales rep. Unless I see some radical change in their philosophy, they are going to be history at my company and my personal business.

The software is "iffy" as far as dependability of translation and calculation integrity. If it reads an 8 as 0, you can see the problems. Love scanners for storing documents, but draw the line at software that translates and calculates.

12.15 solved several of the issues. There are still many minor issues to be dealt with, but 12.15 was an improvement over 12.13. Everyone should download and update to 12.15.

If your motherboard has enough slots for the video cards, I think the limit for WIN 7 is 16 different monitors. Some video cards will support as many as 4 different monitors. BTW, michaelmars has figured out how to always be up to speed on hardware and technology.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO Three monitors!! I am in geek AWE!! I have two systems in my corner with 2 monitors each. I'll show you mine if you show me yours???

He is correct. Get strong hardware firewalls at the router (the conection out to the intenet) and turn off ALL software firewalls on all computers in the system. Things will work much better. 1st hand experience here.

You are welcome. Glad I could help. I/we intend to be here many years with successful tax practices.

My points of discussion are meant to say that you CAN keep up without breaking the bank, if you are willing to put on the learning cap, or hire someone who will, and take on the learning curve of keeping up. BTW, I will soon be 57 years old. So don't throw the "too old to learn" thing out. It has no relevance.

Seriously? Is this an attempt at humor or just straight sarcasm... Workstations to meet the recommended specs by ATX for 2013 - $500-$600 EACH, delivered. Superworkstations - (Custom built to my specs) $1,000 - $1,100 EACH delivered. I have supplier connections that date back to 1997 when I became an authorized reseller for them. Long term customers are appreciated by my supplier.

If you are a standalone system, replacing a $500-$600 system every two or three years should not break your budget. If it does, you are running your business on too little margin. Likewise, a superworkstations like I described every three years will not break the budget either. Of the 5 newest workstations, 3 are the superworkstations like I described. Of the 5 we will replace, 3 will be the superworkstations. The others are used for tasks that do not include preparation of returns. Replacing the 5 workstations in mid Feb this season is all that allowed us not to be totally destroyed by the software. Now that many of the problems (not nearly all) have been fixed, the program hums along at a very reasonable pace. (Not nearly as fast as it could/should be, but the last 7-8 days of the season were hugely more productive on a daily basis than before)

When I take a system out of service, I transfer the license to the new machine. I only buy new licenses when I buy upgraded software. Currently using Office 2007 Home and Student edition. Purchased from my hardware supplier. in 2009. Each package licensed 3 systems. I bought 5 packages. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. I think it came to $38 per license. You gotta shop these things, and don't by packages of software that have things you don't need. We do not need Office Small Business or Office Premier.

Replaced 5 workstations this past Feb 15. All will be up to recommended+ by start of next season. Hardware does not have to be expensive. A little investigation, and not listening to salespersons can make as much as 40% difference. Our superworkstations we bought with 240GB SSD, 16GB RAM, i5 processors, WIN7 PRO, dual monitor capability (now this is almost double the recommended hardware) came in under $1,000. The absolute speed and processing power is unbelievable. Time from power on to desktop is 7 seconds.

Computer hardware is cheap. Desktops are essentially being given away at today's prices. Just remember what you paid for your 6-8 year old systems, then check and see... Current replacements are a fraction of the cost. Cost of hardware cannot be a serious business consideration. We will replace 6 workstations this summer.

Agreed! Hardware is cheap. I think the reluctance to upgrade hardware is the lack of willingness to take on the learning curve associated with it. In the 21st century, two years is stretching the useful life of computer hardware, due to the constant and rapid changes in software as well as the continual competition among to always have something new. Our chosen career path is irrevocably intermeshed with high tech software and hardware.

This may be true of 99% of the business applications that YOU run, but I have experience otherwise.

I am noticing an entirely different installation process for 2013 for Server/Workstation networks. Hopefully, it deals with the problems we have seen so far.

What have I been saying all season??

The resale market for timeshares is very depressed. Many are going for pennies on the dollar compared to original cost. Tell her to sell it outright and donate the funds. No IRS problems that way.

I agree with you 100%.

So IE9 or IE10 have the hole patched?

If the developers are savvy enough, the hurdles can be overcome. Raven has open source roots, so it can be manipulated and adapted if the right programmers work on it. Another reason they chose it is that being open source, the root programming is free. Unlike SQL or Oracle that charge usage fees for their program. I wish I had a tardis to go back and listen in on the discussion about which engine to use. There may still be hope...