Suggest for The TaxBook for next year

[Snaggletooth]

Status Quo

Consider the upside and downside of the three-ring.

The current publication of the books is extremely high-calibre for a ringed version. I noticed that TTB in its second year altered the rings such that the contents are much easier to keep from falling out when the book is bent or flexed. The flat-flanged loops also allow more room for the written material, as they can be placed at the very outside of the margin. Three-ringed punches invade the left margin, meaning our choice here is to have the holes drilled through words, or else moving the verbiage further inward. If we prefer the latter then this means a choice between less writing, a bigger book, or smaller print. These are some of the factors to be dealt with if a three-ringed version with binder is provided. I'm not saying it is a bad idea, and certainly if the constituency prefers this, TMI should be listening with both ears.

A little reality rears its head. Erchess, would you really pay $300 for this? I doubt there are many that would. If so, Brad and his associates could plan to retire after one year, buy farmland in Pennsylvania, and prepay their kids Harvard tuition right now on the spot. Ridiculous.

The three-ring binder from [Office Max, Staples, Office Depot - choose one] would not suffice. We are talking about a very, very tough product, often subjected to continuous usage for four months. And yes, TMI would spend a little extra money to put attractive stuff on the binder and not leave it drab white or black.

Then TMI would have to pay for extra inventory costs. This ALWAYS happens when multiple products are sold. They would have to order enough binding material AND 3-ring versions to accommodate both requests. It is unavoidable that they would have to order more than they use. Remember also that the attractive stuff on the binder would change year-to-year, so that precludes them from using excess binders in the succeeding year. The extra costs of designing, ordering, and storing additional inventory often stops large companies from adding new products -- so when new products are added they want to make sure they are successful or the whole idea can go bust.

I'm thinking a break-even proposal for a three-ring product would be in excess of $100, plus delivery cost. And they would have to sell it to someone else, because I'm quite happy with the way it is.

[veritas]

Quandary

I like the CD too, but now that I've printed off the updates & taped them to it, I can't get it to fit in my computer drive.

Maybe if you zipped the pages first?

[SunTaxMan]

Keeping people happy.

You can please some of the people some of the time...

You can please some of the people all of the time...

etc., etc., etc.

It appears obvious that no matter what is published, some will...., some won't....

A "generic" binder from Staples? If I were The Tax Book management, this is not something I would prefer. I would want my product to look as professional as it can - a "blank" binder is not that look!

As it came out of the box this year - looks great. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Don't you wish CCH would learn this?

My suggestion, keep up the good work. I print the updates and tuck the page into the book. If it gets confusing, I can note on the various pages that there has been an update.

[Lion]

3-Ring Binder

I too like the idea of a 3-ring binder. It can be from TTB with their name and year and all the usual cover stuff. Or, I could buy my own; although, I'm pretty busy this time of year. Besides, I like the color coding and the year identification that's always been on my various books. Then, I'd just print the updates as usual, but be able to punch them and put them in the correct places in TTB. (Now, I just have them clipped inside the front cover since I don't have the time to cut them down to tape them to the currect pages.) The current format slides if I try to stand it up on my bookshelf, or I smash the tabs if I store it in my file drawer. Binders aren't my favorite format, but I think it might be best for this book.

[RJM]

3-hole punch the current TTB

If TTB came in its existing binder, but with all the pages already pre-punched with the 3 holes, the purchaser could just decide to unbind TTB and put it in a 3-hole binder, and 3-hole punch the updates, downloaded. I like the e-mail reminders that updates are available, then downloading the updates. I usually just write in the changes in my existing TTB, but for larger notes will cut and tape.

Another method- the purchaser takes TTB, puts it in a vise, drills holes in the approriate spots, and voila ! ready to insert in a 3-ring.

[erchess]

My Price

Anything is possible, for a price. If the Deluxe book in comb bound format with free website updates is sold for around $65, then how much would you pay to have it in a 3 ring binder with replacement pages mailed every so often?

I would want the 1040 Book and the Business Book and the All States Book with replacement pages mailed every so often and the pages reinforced with metal reinforcement. (I would also prefer pages of paper to the plastic currently used.) For all that I would pay $300 in total but I might economize and not buy the CD unless its price came way down like to under $15.

I appreciate TTB's willingness to even consider the matter. It would be so easy for management to simply assume that they know what can and cannot be produced and sold at a profit.

[Jesse]

Clearly 50% like the book as is and 50% would like a 3 ring binder. Quite franklly if you printed the pages for a 3 ring binder and shipped them I would go to Staples or Office Max and buy a binder. This would save money for everyone. I see no need to mail updates. You publish updates on the web site. We print them out and use a 3 hole paper punch to ready them for the binder.

I like this idea. Then I can buy my own 3 ring binder with my own file pockets or add in any other info as I wish.

[Kram BergGold]

Is doing both impracticle

Clearly 50% like the book as is and 50% would like a 3 ring binder. Quite franklly if you printed the pages for a 3 ring binder and shipped them I would go to Staples or Office Max and buy a binder. This would save money for everyone. I see no need to mail updates. You publish updates on the web site. We print them out and use a 3 hole paper punch to ready them for the binder.

[Jiggers]

updates by internet

Anything is possible, for a price. If the Deluxe book in comb bound format with free website updates is sold for around $65, then how much would you pay to have it in a 3 ring binder with replacement pages mailed every so often?

I wouldn't mind paying more for a 3-ring binder. However, the updates can come like they are now. I can print and punch my own holes.

[Bees Knees]

Anything is possible, for a price. If the Deluxe book in comb bound format with free website updates is sold for around $65, then how much would you pay to have it in a 3 ring binder with replacement pages mailed every so often?

[BOB W]

I order both the books and the Web CD. I don't plan on updating the books because I use the Web CD mostly. But I do use the books for quick lookup to find the area of interest and do my final search on the Web CD because I know that it is most current.

The Web CD gives me a lot of versatility to copy/past or print as needed. The books slows me down when I'm busy.

I'm a one man show and don't travel to any clients, so other may have different needs.

[taxfun]

3-ring a dings

I too would prefer a 3 ring binder.

[erchess]

I would prefer

a three ring binder format too and failing that I at least want the book exclusive of the binding to be larger than a standard sheet of paper because I do not think I should have to trim my page to fit. However for the three ring binder format to work I would need the holes reinforced with metal and I would need replacement pages printed by the company and mailed to me. It would be convenient if they were also available on the website for downloading and printing of temporary pages. Then the mailings could be done monthly instead of whenever a new page was done. I realize the book price would go up and I would pay double for such a book. If the book format is the same next year I will order only the web cd and the All States book.

If the offer to refund purchase prices on the printed books is still good I would like the address to mail in the front pages of my books. I am that tired of dealing with the current update system.

[JohnH]

I like the CD

I like the CD too, but now that I've printed off the updates & taped them to it, I can't get it to fit in my computer drive.

[veritas]

the answer to the problem

is buy the CD version. Just download the updates. I have found the navigation excellent this year.