New Computer

[Christian]

Like not a few I am looking to upgrade my old pc. I am looking at one with 8GB of ram, 1TB of memory and an Intel two core processor (whatever that is ?). My current machine is 64bit which I like quite a lot so I am going to opt for that as well. What do you tech knowledgeable folks think ?            

[Lee B]

An I 2 core processor is a low end machine. Actually I didn't know they still sold computers with chips that old.

Today an I 3 processor is considered a basic machine.

You should probably get a computer with a I 5 CPU.

 

[ILLMAS]

Please swap the 1TB HDD to a SSD drive 

[Jack from Ohio]

Get as much RAM as the motherboard will handle.  Never too much RAM.  16GB minimum.  If the motherboard will not hold this much, find a different machine.

This is not an area to skimp on.  Bigger & Faster are all good for your business.  Chalk up the cost, to the cost of doing your business.

Agree with ILLMAS about the SSD.

[Christian]

I keep a computer up to eight years. I doubt the SSD drive would last. Speed is not that important to me as I do a fixed number of returns and if this season is any indication I will be doing less.  Nowadays I take clients in the afternoon only as my days for getting up at 6AM to hit the returns is now a fading memory. Thanks for all the info. This business is still a pleasure to me and occupies the colder months and helps keep the old grey cells active.

[Abby Normal]

1 hour ago, Christian said:

I doubt the SSD drive would last.

SSDs last as long if not longer than HDs these days and it's the single biggest speed improvement you can make in a computer. HDs were always the bottleneck in processing.

[Eric]

I agree.  The difference between SSD/NVMe and an old-school mechanical HDD is night and day.  I also don't think there's much of a difference one way or the other regarding reliability.  The only benefits I can think of for a HDD (besides dollar per GB) is that when they do fail, there's a better chance that they'll fail gradually.  An SSD is more likely to die all at once, offering a much worse chance at recovery in those situations.

Regardless of what type of drive you decide on, if your data is important, you need to have some kind of backup solution.  Both types of drives can die without warning. I personally use 4GB HGSD HDDs for long term storage and backup, and Samsung NVMe drives for everything else. 

[Catherine]

21 hours ago, Jack from Ohio said:

Get as much RAM as the motherboard will handle.  Never too much RAM.  16GB minimum.  If the motherboard will not hold this much, find a different machine.

THIS.  Definitely.  8GB won't run the operating system, the tax program, Adobe Reader, and your email without noticeable slowdowns these days.  My spare machine has 8GB and will grind to halt if too many programs are running - and by "too many" I mean "barely enough to work with."

[Lee B]

1 hour ago, Catherine said:

THIS.  Definitely.  8GB won't run the operating system, the tax program, Adobe Reader, and your email without noticeable slowdowns these days.  My spare machine has 8GB and will grind to halt if too many programs are running - and by "too many" I mean "barely enough to work with."

I am still running a  Win 7 Pro 64 bit I 3 CPU with 8 Gig of Ram and a 500 Gig Hard Drive which runs just fine.

It also helps that my system is not loaded down with a bunch of other resource hungry programs.

I will say that replacing the regular Hard Drive with a SSD Drive  several years ago made a significant difference.

[Abby Normal]

51 minutes ago, cbslee said:

replacing the regular Hard Drive with a SSD Drive  several years ago made a significant difference

Seconded. Did this at work and at home. The home computer was almost unusable. Now it's runs well. Work computer wasn't usable for 20 minutes after a cold start and frequently bogged down for 20-30 seconds during the day. Now it's better than new even at 6-1/2 years old.

[Abby Normal]

2 hours ago, Catherine said:

THIS.  Definitely.  8GB won't run the operating system, the tax program, Adobe Reader, and your email without noticeable slowdowns these days.  My spare machine has 8GB and will grind to halt if too many programs are running - and by "too many" I mean "barely enough to work with."

I put 16GB in my computer in 2012. Now, with just email and browser programs open, it's using 32% of that. Normally (when I'm working and not screwing around on this forum), it runs about 50%. So, if I had gone with 8GB it would not have been enough.

[Christian]

I'll reconsider the HDD SDD matter. The machine I was looking at was upgradable to an i 7 CPU at not great expense. I back up all client returns and rarely if ever have ram memory problems even on this 4GB machine. After years of hemming and hawing I am going to a wi-fi setup. My local Centurylink provider uses a single modem router combination. I will still have a Windows7 Pro machine which will have no wi-fi capability but was told I could connect it to the router modem (what by a ethernet cable connect?) and use it as well. Since I am about as technically proficient as this chair I am sitting in I have doubts that that info is correct. Do any of you know if that would work?

 

 

[Abby Normal]

If you only have 4GB of RAM, windows is using the Page File a lot. The Page (or Paging) File is space on your drive that Windows uses when it runs out of memory.

Wi-fi is less secure and much slower than a wired network. I don't like combo modem/router devices because it's nice to be able to replace one or the other, but they work and if you're renting it, that doesn't matter.

 

[Christian]

I have more or less worked out most of the kinks in what I need to do in no small part with help from our forum members. I have a windows 7 professional 64bit machine. I use it off and on but not for tax work. In checking tech support I am told a simple USB Wi-Fi adapter is available which will make it Wi-Fi accessible. Someone on the forum mentioned that Microsoft is continuing support for the professional version for three additional years but I have been unable to confirm that.

[FDNY]

I recently checked it out and come January 2020 you can extend 7 by paying per computer.   I read it will be $50 first year, then $100 the second and I think $150 the last year.

I was planning on getting a new computer, now not sure as my current one works well.  Will probably extend either way, it's only money, we can always make more.

Quote

 

 

[Lee B]

 

28 minutes ago, FDNY said:

I recently checked it out and come January 2020 you can extend 7 by paying per computer.   I read it will be $50 first year, then $100 the second and I think $150 the last year.

I was planning on getting a new computer, now not sure as my current one works well.  Will probably extend either way, it's only money, we can always make more.

 

I also checked it out, but as small business users, we do not qualify and will not be offered "extended paid support"

Microsoft will only be offering "extended paid support" to corporate accounts etc.

There are tech articles online which tell you how to "spoof" MS and move up a classification so that you can buy "extended paid support'! 

[FDNY]

Well that's discouraging.  Not planning on spoofing anyone so there goes that option. 

[Christian]

Some tax clients try spoofing each year. 

[Catherine]

I recommend strongly AGAINST a wifi system (instead of wired).  More and more cybersecurity risks.  Here in MA, if a client's confidential information is taken and they trace it to me or my systems, my business is toast.  As am I.

[Abby Normal]

16 hours ago, FDNY said:

Well that's discouraging.  Not planning on spoofing anyone so there goes that option. 

If you don't want to go to 10, you can get 8.1 for 10 bucks. At least, that's what my IT guy charged me on new build recently. I've been on 8.1 for over 6 years with zero problems. Support for 8.1 ends 1/10/2023.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

[Lee B]

On 4/26/2019 at 8:20 AM, Catherine said:

THIS.  Definitely.  8GB won't run the operating system, the tax program, Adobe Reader, and your email without noticeable slowdowns these days.  My spare machine has 8GB and will grind to halt if too many programs are running - and by "too many" I mean "barely enough to work with."

I am always puzzled by posts like this, because I currently have my tax program, my payroll program, my accounting program and this website all open

on my Win 7 Pro 64 bit I 3 CPU with 8 Gig of Ram and a 500 Gig SSD and everything is running fine ?

[Christian]

When you say wired system I do not understand. My Wi-Fi  modem router would be connected to a dsl line. Is that what you are referring to? I keep my old landline basically for security. I plan on using the connection to service my smart tv as well.

[jklcpa]

31 minutes ago, Christian said:

When you say wired system I do not understand. My Wi-Fi  modem router would be connected to a dsl line. Is that what you are referring to? I keep my old landline basically for security. I plan on using the connection to service my smart tv as well.

WIFI is allowing the computer to connect to the internet through a wireless connection.  Hardwired is connecting the modem/router to the computer using an ethernet cable.  Older wired connections used a phone wire for dial-up. 

[FDNY]

4 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

If you don't want to go to 10, you can get 8.1 for 10 bucks. At least, that's what my IT guy charged me on new build recently. I've been on 8.1 for over 6 years with zero problems. Support for 8.1 ends 1/10/2023.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

Thanks Abby.  Looks like I can get 8.1 directly from Microsoft.  Will just need to reinstall applications.  I also have a laptop with Win 7 that I only use for email and searches so I may just try it.

 

[FDNY]

I see Amazon has 8.1 for as little as $7.20 - $37.  Getting it from Microsoft you would need the product key which was offered to me by a friend.  These seem like good options as I'm hearing 8.1 is more reliable than 10.   I use 10 on another machine and not happy with it.