Laugh of the day...

[kathyc2]

New client is receiving 17K W-2 income to care for disabled adult child. Child also receives 18K in Social Security benefits.

While chatting she indicated that it's pure socialism that she can't buy a computer with Windows 7 instead of 8.

Say what?????

[DaveinTexas]

I agree

I think it is pure Communism that it takes my Windows based computer (2 years old) 20 minutes to fully boot up and it takes my Mac (5 years old at this point) about 30 seconds to boot up. I want to hit the start button (on button) on my Mac and surf the internet in 1 minute or less...done. I'm not even a Mac fan, because most programs run on Windows and no, I will not partition my hard drive on my Mac and install Windows....that is Socialism.....darn near Marxism!

I think Windows based computers and software designed to operate on the Windows operating system should be confiscated, burned alive at the stake, and buried deep in the ocean......not to sound cruel about it or anything.

[Black Bart]

New client is receiving 17K W-2 income to care for disabled adult child. Child also receives 18K in Social Security benefits.
While chatting she indicated that is pure socialism she can't buy a computer with Windows 7 instead of 8.
Say what?????

I think it is pure Communism that it takes my Windows based computer (2 years old) 20 minutes to fully boot up and it takes my Mac (5 years old at this point) about 30 seconds to boot up. I want to hit the start button (on button) on my Mac and surf the internet in 1 minute or less...done. I'm not even a Mac fan, because most programs run on Windows and no, I will not partition my hard drive on my Mac and install Windows....that is Socialism.....darn near Marxism!

I think a more appropriate term would be Neo-Luddism (see last paragraph of the following link). I previously believed all this machinery started around 1980 with Radio Shack's TRS80, but it actually began in the 19th century with the "Jacquard loom" (named after its inventor who, by the way, was almost lynched). And after phone-rasslin' for 1 1/2 hours yesterday with a Dell tech in Asia (don't ask) about the new computer I just bought, I kinda feel like he had it comin'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

I think Windows based computers and software designed to operate on the Windows operating system should be confiscated, burned alive at the stake, and buried deep in the ocean......not to sound cruel about it or anything.

A bit overdone, isn't it? Maybe just drawn and quartered?

[TAXNJ]

ism and machines

I think a more appropriate term would be Neo-Luddism (see last paragraph of the following link). I previously believed all this machinery started around 1980 with Radio Shack's TRS80, but it actually began in the 19th century with the "Jacquard loom" (named after its inventor who, by the way, was almost lynched). And after phone-rasslin' for 1 1/2 hours yesterday with a Dell tech in Asia (don't ask) about the new computer I just bought, I kinda feel like he had it comin'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

A bit overdone, isn't it? Maybe just drawn and quartered?

There is a way out to help yourself. Sounds like the "isms" and machines are getting the best of some of you. Save yourself and go back to paper, pencil, eraser, envelope and stamps, but no adding machine. Also, get rid of those telephones that are annoying and always interrupting you. Otherwise you'll be back in the same situation. Have faith that you can go back to the former ways and be happier.

Stay away from the isms and machines. You can send your posts and responses to the TTB Forum via U.S. Mail (send certified return receipt requested) to make sure it got there. This would help also. So good luck and look forward to your letters. Oh, have a beverage once in awhile.

[dtlee]

I am far from a Microsoft Lover...

I think it is pure Communism that it takes my Windows based computer (2 years old) 20 minutes to fully boot up and it takes my Mac (5 years old at this point) about 30 seconds to boot up. I want to hit the start button (on button) on my Mac and surf the internet in 1 minute or less...done. I'm not even a Mac fan, because most programs run on Windows and no, I will not partition my hard drive on my Mac and install Windows....that is Socialism.....darn near Marxism!

I think Windows based computers and software designed to operate on the Windows operating system should be confiscated, burned alive at the stake, and buried deep in the ocean......not to sound cruel about it or anything.

...but I would like to offer an alternate opinion to this.

While I have never liked Microsoft (my family knows that I use Logitech keyboards and mice and that I prefer WordPerfect and Quattro Pro to their Microsoft equivalents), I think it is only partly their fault for the problems we accuse them of. My old XP machine (over 10 years old) will boot in 2 minutes and 15 seconds (including loading Norton Internet Security). My Surface Pro boots in under 15 seconds (including the time it takes me to enter my password). Not every Windows machine makes you die a slow death waiting for it to boot.

Apple controls everything. There are no "cheaply" built versions of their equipment. They seem to protect their operating system better, requiring fewer add-on products. Windows Defender (or whatever it is called today) is an adequate security program that Microsoft includes now to be more like the Apple environments. Apple would likely never allow us to install a product like TaxWorks on our machines (I still have been unable to remove every trace of that product from my Windows 7 machines....it would require a complete reinstall of the operating system) because they would never allow something so poorly designed (you had to turn off part of the operating system security to run it). QuickBooks loves to load tons of "helper" programs to fill up time and memory when your machine starts so if you happen to click on their product, it will load in a reasonable amount of time.

I have also seen things that indicate that some of us are our own worst enemy. I have a friend who runs Internet Explorer. Typically, she has 4 or more search toolbars and other junk in her browser. Many of these things load up something at boot to track her activity. I have another friend who brags that he loads 3 free Antivirus Products whenever he boots his machine (is that supposed to be good?). Each of these takes time to load and steals CPU cycles. However, it makes him feel safe. Boot his machine, make coffee, unload the dishwasher, make your lunch, come back and in just a few more minutes, the machine is ready to use.

My computer guy refers to a lot of this stuff as "crapware" and he does not understand why anyone would load so much of this stuff on their machine.

In my humble opinion, if this were communism, I do not think we would waste resources this way. Most of the delays we see are part of the free enterprise system that we know and love. We paid for QuickBooks and TaxWorks through their sales and marketing campaigns, not because it was deemed in the interest of the people. We use "free" internet security products and PC speedup programs not because they are supplied by the government but because we accept their marketing approach as a loss-leader and/or an advertising medium.

I am not saying that I am not suffering from the same disease. I do have a laptop (5 years old) which takes 7 minutes to boot. It loads a ton of utilities to make the laptop easier to use that I promised myself I would figure out how to use 5 years ago when I bought it. It loads some Intuit utilities of dubious value. It loads update notifiers for every "free" piece of software I have installed on it. It loads printer drivers for printers I have discarded years ago. It loads SugarSync and Norton Internet Security because I think I need those. It loads products to give me animated wallpaper and an enhanced taskbar because of some marketing hype I fell for a bunch of years ago. I should clean this out and remove most of this stuff. However, 90% of the time, I do not shut down this laptop, I only put it into a sleep mode (similar to what Apple does with their products). The battery lasts for more than a week in that mode, so I rarely actually boot this machine.

Just my 2¢. YMMV

[Black Bart]

There is a way out to help yourself. Sounds like the "isms" and machines are getting the best of some of you. Save yourself and go back to paper, pencil, eraser, envelope and stamps, but no adding machine. Also, get rid of those telephones that are annoying and always interrupting you. Otherwise you'll be back in the same situation. Have faith that you can go back to the former ways and be happier.

Stay away from the isms and machines. You can send your posts and responses to the TTB Forum via U.S. Mail (send certified return receipt requested) to make sure it got there. This would help also. So good luck and look forward to your letters. Oh, have a beverage once in awhile.

Thanx for the "support". No, it isn't the machines and "isms," it's people like you (the post was meant to be humorous) and the outsourced technician (try one for a couple of hours) who are "getting the best" of me. I'm confident that everything is going swimmingly for you and no doubt all your equipment has dual exhaust. Why don't you have a drink and calm down?

[TAXNJ]

DTLEE post

Your post is the best describing the "machines" affects on some.

Very well written detail of what many are responsible to doing to the machines and not owning up to that resonsibility.

But just think of the marketing strategy one can use by the hours you detail as to the machine start up time.

That strategy is to schedule clients appointment and while clients and you are waiting for the machines to start, you can make and serve the clients dinner. Food and drinks may win the client over.

[TAXNJ]

Was

Thanx for the "support". No, it isn't the machines and "isms," it's people like you (the post was meant to be humorous) and the outsourced technician (try one for a couple of hours) who are "getting the best" of me. I'm confident that everything is going swimmingly for you and no doubt all your equipment has dual exhaust. Why don't you have a drink and calm down?

Bart. Was humorous post and thought similar to yours. Don't take it personal. Don't want to get on your bad side so I'll buy you a beverage when in Arkansas. Not "dual exhaust" but "turbo charge" equipment, by keeping current, and not swimming because equipment would short out by water.

Let's raise our glasses.

[Roberts]

Just my 2¢. YMMV

Yep. My computer can take 2 minutes to boot and it feels like an eternity. If it's taking a long time to boot, they need to clean their system and adjust what software is starting up with a new boot. Software programs will routinely run auto updates and search to see if anything is available - that can take forever. If you've got 3-4 years of tax software on there - they each might be checking to see if an update is available to download (depends on the company). Adobe, Java and Quickbooks might be doing the same thing. QB has something like 3 programs running with a boot - turn them off.

Also, I turn off automatic Windows updates - drives me NUTS when Windows bogs down my machine doing an update and I don't want it to happen at that moment. or the 30 minutes update when you are wanting to get to an appointment or go home at the end of the day.