New Computer

[Guest Taxed]

So Chrome the operating system will not run Microsoft Office, you will need Google docs. Did I get that right.

The reason I was asking is that i saw an online ad for a Chrome Laptop made by Samsung for $215. Wanted to get one for the grand kids.

[jainen]

>>Chrome Laptop made by Samsung<<

Oh, sorry! I didn't think about that. I barely even know about it. Chromebooks are kind of like Apple in that you can only run their own software or approved applications. That should be adequate for general use like doing Internet research, writing papers, editing photos, playing games, and communicating with friends who have computers or smartphones.

If the kids are in high school they may have special interests that still call for a PC. For example, if they are assembling the church newsletter they will need whatever is in the office. Serious gaming is another area that Chromebook doesn't compete. And of course if you were thinking of outsourcing some of your own overflow work...

[Guest Taxed]

Chromebook will not work. The price was really good.

Back to searching for a good deal on Windows laptop.

[Bart]

I just got a Chromebook and am trying to learn about it. As far as I can tell it has a very basic operating system. Just enough to turn on and get you connected to the internet. Everything it does is online, in the cloud. Your programs are there and your documents are there. I have not yet figured out how to access the hard drive or directory structure if there is one. There is no start button. It is used for surfing the net and playing games there.

[Guest Taxed]

So what would be an advantage to buy the Chromebook other than the price?

Looks to me if you just want to surf the web, then it is a good buy. I need something that will run Microsoft Office or equivalent.

[ILLMAS]

Has anyone considered running Mac's instead of PC's? I prefer running Macs on a window environment, what I like about them is for each model they sell there are 3 to 4 configurations, you can't go wrong with even the basic model vs a PC. PC if you don't know what your buying they will sell you an outdated that is new but barely meets the minimum requirement to run ATX. I take advantage of the dual operating system, WIN7 I run all business software and OS-X I run photo editing software.

[Bart]

So what would be an advantage to buy the Chromebook other than the price?

Besides price the only other advantage I have noticed is it seems to be faster turning on, getting on the net and loading web pages. I would not recomend it unless all you want to do is get on the web.

[Guest Taxed]

Are netbooks any good?

[Catherine]

Are netbooks any good?

Depends on what you want to do.

When I am on the lecture circuit doing CPE presentations, it's easy and quick to run my powerpoint presentations from our netbook to the projector the group has (I have several types of cables, to be ready - some older projectors still use USB 1.0 and can't take the higher data rates of USB 2.0 or 3.0).

They are good for browsing if you can stand using a trackpad (or have a USB or bluetooth mouse). Not very good for email; the keyboards usually have smaller keys and tighter spacings than a normal keyboard and that gets aggravating fast. There is usually not very much hard drive space, so be prepared to transfer files off frequently. They are highly unlikely to work well with large or complex programs like QuickBooks or ATX, in my opinion - even assuming you could stand the limitations of smaller keyboard and NO numeric keypad.

All that said, they are great for travelling, for presentations, and other low-key usage.

[Guest Taxed]

Looks like it may work for a Jr. High kid. I have to check it out at the store.

[Eric]

...you can't go wrong with even the basic model vs a PC. PC if you don't know what your buying they will sell you an outdated that is new but barely meets the minimum requirement to run ATX.

I'm not Pro-PC or anything, but if you take any model Mac and look at the price, and then go buy a PC for the same price, you have a very good chance of getting better hardware than what comes with the Mac. Specs being equal, PCs are almost always cheaper than Macs. Apple has done well to brand their products as being Premium, and being able to charge accordingly, even if the guts are the same commodity hardware.

Besides price the only other advantage I have noticed is it seems to be faster turning on, getting on the net and loading web pages. I would not recomend it unless all you want to do is get on the web.

Price isn't an advantage on the nicer Chromebooks. Google makes a Chromebook called the Pixel, which is a very nice piece of hardware.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromebook-pixel/

ChromeOS is a stripped down version of Linux meant to get you online and surfing the web. So, if what you do on a computer can't all be done on the web, then chances are this can't be your primary computer. There are a ton of people who do almost exclusively use computers as an appliance for getting on the web -- for those people something like this might make sense.

The real advantage, though, is that you don't have to worry about security or upgrades in the normal OS sense. Since the whole things is web based, and all of the "applications" are web based, as Google's (and other) services improve, so does your experience with the OS. No more operating system upgrades, software updates, no more malware, no more antivirus. If you drop your Chromebook into a lake and buy a new one, you sign in with the same username and password, and everything is exactly the same. Of course, all of that comes at the cost of wondering if the NSA is reading your grocery list.

It would be perfect for our friend's 12 year old--her whole class does all of their word processing in Google Docs, and share homework/essays/presentations/etc directly with the teacher. The teacher makes comments on the assignments without a piece of paper ever being printed.

The Chromebook Pixel is really nice, and I could use it to do *some* of my work online, since a lot of it involves maintaining content through web-based content management systems, but the real work, like programming requires specialized software.

Are netbooks any good?

Do Netbooks still exist? It seems like they are a short-lived thing that are getting replaced by tablets. They're usually low-power, small laptops with 10 or 11 inch screens. I'm not sure that'd be all that great for getting work done either.

If you're looking for a cheap and portable computer for doing work on, your best bet might be to get something refurbished, or constantly be on the lookout for a really good deal. There are often some really great deals at slickdeals.net but you have to jump on them fast:

http://slickdeals.net/deals/computers/

[Guest Taxed]

>> It would be perfect for our friend's 12 year old--her whole class does all of their word processing in Google Docs, and share homework/essays/presentations/etc directly with the teacher. <<<

The way things are going I think High School in the next 5 years may go that way. Even in Jr. High, subjects like Math, the assignments are on a website. Kids can do the quiz online or print the question do it on paper and turn it in.

The kids have access to a family computer in a common area so that their parents can keep an eye on what they are doing. But I think as they are getting older they would like to have their own computer (sort of a double edged sword). So we have to approach this subject carefully with the parents. I have heard horror stories from my friends what their grandkids were doing on the web.

One thing for sure I am not buying a netbook or laptop with a built in camera. That is asking for trouble with kids.

Thanks Eric and others.

[imjulier]

Thanks Eric for the info. I'll look into it. I suspect this will all work out OK for me in the long run. I did get ATX 2012 loaded this weekend and opened and worked in a dummy 1040 return. Seeemd to be working OK. I could not find the data (individual/business tax files) from ATX 2012 on my old computer to move to the new computer. I looked under programs and in the appropriate folder for each ATX year (I think the folder was called CCH small firm services for 2012) but didn't see anything that looked like the data that I should move over to be able to open completed returns from my old computer. As I've stated, I'm not a techie so I generally accept any defaults when loading the software. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Julie

[Eric]

I'm sure someone here knows where to find the files, but there is probably a Knowledge Base document on the ATX site with that information too.

(I haven't used the software for a few years, so I can't say where they might have moved it to)

[Lion EA]

I haven't used ATX in years. Used to be, I'd install program on my new computer. Then I'd open the program on my old computer, choose Export returns, and put on a flash drive; and then open the program on my new computer, choose Import returns, and done. Returns now on both computers. Some people used Backup and Restore.

[joanmcq]

Thanks Eric for the info. I'll look into it. I suspect this will all work out OK for me in the long run. I did get ATX 2012 loaded this weekend and opened and worked in a dummy 1040 return. Seeemd to be working OK. I could not find the data (individual/business tax files) from ATX 2012 on my old computer to move to the new computer. I looked under programs and in the appropriate folder for each ATX year (I think the folder was called CCH small firm services for 2012) but didn't see anything that looked like the data that I should move over to be able to open completed returns from my old computer. As I've stated, I'm not a techie so I generally accept any defaults when loading the software. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Julie

the date files are in Program Data, not in Program Files. Older years the data was in a folder in that year's application. Not with 2012.