Ewaste or usable – week 3

Topic

New Reply

Do I need a traditional computer in the future? Week 1 here Week 2 here So this week I’m going to pause and ponder.  I’m going to ask the question …
[See the full post at: Ewaste or usable – week 3]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

2 users thanked author for this post.

Mele20, lmacri

Reply | Quote

Replies

Needs, Wants, Desires. That’s my paradigm.

Needs are things required to exist. Biologically they include food, water, shelter, clothing.

Wants have to do with the quality of meeting my needs. Crackers or Caviar? Both are food; the quality/tastiness differs vastly.

Desires come out of what’s left over after my needs and wants are satisfied. They come from my surplus. They include a trip to Europe, a Corvette, a Cruise.

I segregate my computing needs by the hardware available to me: For work such as writing, spreadsheeting, hydraulic models, and full-scale browsing, my need is a ‘traditional computer’. That includes a keyboard, mouse, and at least two 27″ screens for my aging eyes. Nothing less meets my needs and wants. I also need MS Office 2003 and an operating system to run it. I need an operating system that just works – it launches programs, and then goes away. I control its access to the internet to keep my threat surface to a minimum. I go on the internet when I need it, and then I turn access to the internet off. While I’m on I have shields up. When I’m off, shields can go down.

For communication, a smart phone meets my needs. It is NOT a work production machine. It’s an online encyclopedia. It’s a tiny little browser that barely keeps information flowing – but it works and meets my portable browsing needs. It hurts my eyes and makes me self-conscious about my fat fingers compared to a comfortable mouse. And it is a phone. A very convenient phone. And a little black book. Pretty handy compared to what our parents grew up with.

For portable entertainment, a tablet, preferably an iPad, meets my needs. Or rather my Wife’s needs. I let her provide movies and music and podcasts and talk radio and the such while I drive. Much safer that way. Both hands on the wheel don’t you know. Eyes on the road always. Drive defensively. Let your mind serve as your monitor while you drive. I love listening to Pitch Perfect 1 while we drive. It’s glorious technicolor in my mind. And it lasts halfway through Nevada on I-80.

I suppose a typewriter, flip-phone (or pay phone), and an etch-a-sketch (google that you young-uns!) would meet my needs. But my wants are met by a traditional computer, a smart phone, and an iPad. My desires are for MS to leave it alone and get rid of the Interware it calls Windows and Office 365. Oh well, desires are rarely fulfilled.

RamRod

 

2 users thanked author for this post.

Tem, samak

Reply | Quote

“Do I need a traditional computer in the future?”

Yes. Nice big screen and nice big keyboard.

Small (8″) tablet for travel, not a large unwieldy one.

Smartphone for making phone calls, however unfashionable that may be.

Horses for courses…

 

 

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

I need a Windows PC as I use 2 apps daily that have no smartphone/tablet (iPhone, iPad) versions.
These 2 apps also block me for years from moving to Mac.

Reply | Quote

We are NOT a typical user-household, so I don’t know how valuable any of this is to the majority:

My wife is a CG/3D animation genius, as well a fine artist using traditional media for her work…but fell in love with CG (Computer Graphics) quite a while ago. She says the lack of messing about with oils, turps, cleaners and the gases they boil off…well, CG is a lot cleaner! (I do miss the smell of oils and turps, believe it or not…) As a SIGGRAPH-level 3D animator, she does some amazing things with about 20-odd $$$$$ software programs, some of which have disappeared (which is a shame)…things that years ago you could only do on a Sun Spark Workstation or the like, she does on a workstation we spec’d and had custom built years ago. AND it has a great big monitor!

As for me, I’m just a semi-retired writer, but I still want that PC for basic writing, editing, sending manuscripts and missives back and forth to editors, publishers, in different formats, etc. I use open source stuff like LibreOffice as I like “sticky” software, and despise subscription versions of anything. Scanning old typewritten (yes, I said typewriiten-aaagh!) manuscripts in when needed, contracts, NDA’s, agreements, etc, are also a big part of it.

I also confess to loving Flight Simulator, Chess, Doom, etc. ) 🙂

So between the both of us, about once a decade or so <grin> we splurge on a custom build machine that meets both our needs.

As for phones, the ecosystem for Android is so horrible, and the freedom with which Google has endowed OEM’s to dink with the basic OS to produce their own Frankensteins has resulted in some truly horrible AOS phones. Price is no guarantee-you just get new versions of the AOS crammed down your phone’s throat until it can’t handle it any more, and starts choking up, so you wind up buying a new phone every 2 years. And I’ve heard similar complaints about iPhones as well.

A phone is for talking (oh, horrors!), texting, doing simple things when you’re mobile and don’t feel like lugging along a laptop and power brick. Weather apps, car navigation apps with personalities (“Turn left in 400 feet, you missed it, you fool!”), emergency apps, some fun games, etc. They’re not up to desktop’s computing power, speed and versatility as a workstation, unless you plug in a big monitor, a scanner, a keyboard and a printer, and then what have you got?

And you can’t run Blender, Photoshop, Poser or Bryce on a phone.

At least yet, IMHO and experience. Your mileage and needs will vary.

Win7 Pro SP1 64-bit, Dell Latitude E6330, Intel CORE i5 "Ivy Bridge", 12GB RAM, Group "0Patch", Multiple Air-Gapped backup drives in different locations. Linux Mint Greenhorn
--
"The more kinks you put in the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the pipes." -Scotty

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

I’m a home user (retired) with 2 desktop PCs principally for gaming plus sundry admin needs including printing. I have a smartphone for WhatsApp messaging with family and friends  (including photos), texting for other contacts like health providers, primary email account (also on the PCs where I also access my other email accounts), and occasional browsing when not at the desktops. I also make the occasional phone call!

I have 2 desktops principally because although I now arguably only need one there was a time when family pressures on the PC for school and other things meant one wasn’t practical. Then I started working from home and one became an office machine. Since retiring I’ve kept both running but use one of them a lot more than the other. Of course, the  second machine comes into its own when the first one is getting repaired/upgraded or is simply tied up with a major download.

Although Linux has become more gaming-friendly, both desktops run Windows (10 on one, 7 with 0patch on the other) and I’m not of an age and approach where I can be bothered with looking into, let alone mastering, a new OS which may or may not offer complete compatibility for my needs. The smartphone is an android and does what I need it to perfectly well.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

I recently ran an experiment of working entirely without my PC for 2+ months. It was involuntary, sine I had damaged my back and was limited to lying fairly flat in a recliner and I was totally reliant on my Galaxy Tab.

Firstly, I could not have survived and carried on my normal activities without that Tab – it was brilliant. However, there are things that a tablet cannot do, and the problems I had (which broadly mirror Susan’s comments) were as follows:

1 I desperately missed a keyboard. The onscreen keyboard on the Tab was good, but I was slower typing on it and made far more mistakes.

2 I missed the automation that I had built into Outlook, which the Tab did not have. I am talking of circulation lists, personalised shortcuts and filing automation.

3 I was cut out from legacy software. The most important was Quicken, that I use to manage my finances. Sorting that mess out when I got back to my PC was not exactly fun.

4 Dual large screens. Invaluable.

5 A full copy of Excel and Word. The cut down versions on the Tab were restrictive.

Finally, a friend of mine runs everything from his iPad, and I notice there are quite a lot of utilities that I have on my PC that he does not have (e.g. pdf writers).

My conclusion is that, much though I use and like tablets and phones, especially when I am travelling, I would not give up my PC at present under any circumstances.

Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

Nibbled To Death By Ducks wrote:

Blender, Photoshop, Poser or Bryce on a phone

You can run Blender, Photoshop, Poser on a iPad.

Reply | Quote

Alex5723 wrote:

Nibbled To Death By Ducks wrote:

Blender, Photoshop, Poser or Bryce on a phone

You can run Blender, Photoshop, Poser on a iPad.

They may “run”, but I have never seen anyone at a SIGGRAPH conference say that they created anything presentable for judgement on such.

Besides, really now-how can that compare to a large keyboard,  two large monitors, a Marble Mouse, a Wacom graphics tablet, lots of desk space and a comfortable chair?

…and I forgot the discrete advanced graphics and audio cards in the workstation case.

(Not to mention that 850 watt power supply keeping your toes warm in Winter.)  🙂

But the iPad sounds like fun to doodle on.

Win7 Pro SP1 64-bit, Dell Latitude E6330, Intel CORE i5 "Ivy Bridge", 12GB RAM, Group "0Patch", Multiple Air-Gapped backup drives in different locations. Linux Mint Greenhorn
--
"The more kinks you put in the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the pipes." -Scotty

Reply | Quote

I do a lot of fairly high-end musical composing, scoring, editing, and processing (and some video as well), and that doesn’t work too effectively/efficiency on a small device and screen.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

Hi Susan:

My old Vista SP2 machine shipped from the factory with Microsoft Money Plus and I still use Microsoft Money Sunset Plus (offered for free by Microsoft to replace expired versions of Money Plus, Money Plus Deluxe, etc.).  The Sunset version supposedly requires Win XP/Vista/Win 7 but runs fine on my Win 10 machine without needing to use Compatibility Mode. The free download was removed from the official Microsoft Download Center in 2021 but is still available on the Wayback Machine. I’ve used this software to track my investments for years and although I can export as .QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) and other common formats I’ve never been able to find replacement software – Windows compatible, web-based or otherwise – that would be a suitable replacement.

I also use Microsoft Office 2019 C2R on a laptop with a 15″ screen, and wouldn’t want to try using MS Excel or MS Word on a device with a much smaller screen.
————-
Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1706 * Firefox v100.0.2 * MS Office Home and Business 2019 (Version 2204 Build 15128.20224 Click-to-Run)

Reply | Quote

lmacri wrote:

I still use Microsoft Money Sunset Plus …

Hi Imacri,
What is the name of the .exe file for Microsoft Money Sunset Plus? I think I found it, but I want to be sure I have the right one.

Reply | Quote

I do quite a bit of video/audio editing that simply isn’t possible without a PC (preferable a Desktop with a large monitor), a mouse, and a keyboard (mine is a Ten KeyLess Corsair.)

I also regularly use an Access 97 database that would be a real PITA to convert to another format so I also use Office 97 Pro (which, despite what Microsoft would have you believe, installs/runs just fine under Win10 Pro 21H2.)

I do use a tablet (an old Nook HD+ updated to Android 6.01 using CyanogenMod 13) for reading eBooks and occasionally surfing the web or streaming videos to my Mom’s TV when I visit her.

While it isn’t that fast (takes a good 2+ minutes to boot all the way up), I keep it simply because it’s a comfortable size (9.0″), has a full 1920×1280 HD screen (unlike just about all the newer 9″ tablets I’ve ever looked at which only have 1280×800 screens), and I can stream videos to TVs using it’s HDMI adapter (which works with “any” HDMI capable TV) or via one of the many Android screen casting apps (like Miracast) if it’s a “smart TV“.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

With a desktop machine, I can have an enormous screen, and a very low profile keyboard, with lots of space on the desk around it. When something breaks on an older desktop, you generally just replace the part, whether it be screen, mouse, keyboard. When something breaks on a laptop or tablet, it’s always deemed, well, obsolete, so you replace the whole thing.

Imagine if all you could do on a desktop or laptop is what you can do on a tablet. That would be frustrating, and seems like regress…

1 user thanked author for this post.

wdburt1

Reply | Quote

I wouldn’t bother with a computer at all if it was a tortured iPhone or iPad! I have two desktop Dell computers because I want a widescreen 24″ Dell Ultrasharp monitor (or after I move soon a new computer desk that can accommodate two large monitors instead of just the one as currently). I rarely, if ever, use my iPhone XR for internet. Why would I need internet when away from home (unless I was on a long vacation and even then….why)? Internet to me is entertainment and learning. I don’t learn when I am in town running errands (other than deciding to cut Target out because they can’t keep their grocery area properly stocked)! Why would I need the internet then? Why would I have a desperate need for “entertainment” when I am in the grocery store? The internet is there for when I am at home and tired of reading a good novel or taking a break from cookie baking. Or for during the summer when there is nothing I want to see on TV. (I only like network drama series that have new seasons each year….other than those, and the occasional news special, I don’t watch TV).

Plus, how would write and print out the needed snail mail letters and documents if I had no computer and printer (love my new HP Deskjet printer)? Email does not suffice for legal documents or letters of complaint to a company that may well become vital if there is eventually a lawsuit.

If there was something I didn’t need it would easily be my Smart phone. A computer is far more important than a smart phone. Plus, one needs to also have a landline phone for safety reasons if there are small children, elderly, or single folks living alone in the house and the landline can be used instead of the smart phone.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

. why do you need a traditional computer? What specifically keeps you on the traditional desktop or laptop form? What can you not do on a tablet or mobile phone? What software do you use that will only work on the traditional desktop or laptop format?

I need a a traditional computer since they last longer  and are supported longer. Even after support ends, the computer will still work. I used Windows 98 for many years into 2010’s. There were open source code that modified it to allow to use apps that would not normal work on it Plus using agent switches fooled many sites into thinking that had a new OS that Windows 98. Until it finally failed. Still using Windows XP now since it works with a few modification and open source programs and user agent switch. Still have not used Windows 10 spyware much. My Windows 7 is waiting to be used once XP stopped working. It should not get infect by Windows 10. I never had a cell phone or tablet. They are too expense and a replaced and outdated to soon. There is very limited what you can do. Friend asked for help with an old Iphone but nothing could be done. None of the sites or apps worked on it. Another friend had a an android phone that suffered the same fate. It could not be used. Things stopped working and could not get it to work.

I use a lot of software that keeps me tied to computer. Much of that software needs DOS. Emulators and VM do not work as well as the real thing. Windows 10 and 11 do not work well with DOS any more. MS has no clue what real users need from an OS.

….Any update if you will send me the laptops with original OS once you are done?

Reply | Quote

I’m not done with them, and as long as you are an anon poster, I won’t be able to tell who you are.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

Reply | Quote

A bluetooth almost full sized keyboard works great with my 10″ and 8″ Galaxy tabs. I use that when I plan to type a lot. I also have a foldable bluetooth keyboard that I could take when I travel. The thing that was holding me back was the ability to print things! It took me over 2 years and a nudge into looking at the correct app to finally be able to print.

On the other hand, printing on my Chromebook was so easy I didn’t have to jump through hoops.

So why am I composing this on my aging Windows 7 desktop computer? Screen size. I eventually will look into getting a display port monitor because the two USB C ports on my Chromebook are both charging and display ports. I don’t surf on my phone. I prefer not to use the mobile sites and want more than a 6 1/2″ screen and a lot of scrolling to see a site.

We still use our computers because we both receive information as xlxs and docx files from Boards that we serve on. I convert to pdf so I can view them on another device. In fact, I received something yesterday which I moved to my 10″ tablet and will take that to a Board Meeting on Tuesday. I have a few files docx and xlxs which I “print” as pdfs and will move those to my 10″ tablet for a Committee Meeting on Wednesday. It is easier than printing out pages and pages of info. If anyone wants a copy, I send the pdf by email.

Got coffee?

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Years ago, as I transitioned from a lawyer with a fancy office and a secretary/para-legal to a simple country lawyer working out of my home. I had a desktop PC at my office running Win 98. I took it home with me because I needed a computer to prepare documents, etc. I learned how to use it but basically as a word processor.

When I finally quit working at age 62, I transitioned from Quick Books to Quicken and from a CPA to Turbo Tax (Both applications require Windows.) I also started reading newspapers, journals and magazines, online and started visiting this forum to learn more about computers so I wouldn’t have to rely on repair shops when I had an issue with my computer. (My contemporaries are clueless if a computer issue arises.) I am not a gamer. I read real books and stream videos, using a Fire Stick, for entertainment.  The internet, for me is a true information highway.

I have never owned anything other than a desktop PC with a good sized screen. I have no desire to own a smart phone, a tablet or laptop.  I own an old cell phone that I keep in my car for emergencies that costs about $75/year to maintain service.

When I was married to my second wife I had a step son who always had to have the latest and greatest of everything. He constantly asked why I didn’t seem to care about those things but my answer never satisfied him. Today, he’s almost 50 and I’m approaching 80. I have what I need and he still has a hole in his life that he will never be able to fill with things.

I know that I have wandered from the topic. I am truly a simple person who, thankfully, underwent years of therapy to better understand myself and to learn better coping mechanisms. I am satisfied with meeting my needs. I want for nothing except a better memory. And, I use the computer to improve my memory playing online games on memory sites for that purpose.

As I have said in the past, this site, and the people who populate it, have offered me invaluable insight and information. Thank you all.

Peace, CAS

 

2 users thanked author for this post.

Steve, SueW

Reply | Quote

I use a laptop as a desktop, with an external keyboard and full size monitor.  It, including the monitor, uses maybe 40 watts.  Many old desktops use 200 watts.  If each was left on 24 hours a day, this would save $200 a year if your cents per KWH is 15.  Even only 6 hours of use saves $50 a year.

Reply | Quote

Even if just browsing the news I want a real computer.  I control-click the headlines of the articles I want to read so they load behind the scenes in other windows while I continue to look at the headline page for more.  That way, when I am ready to read the article, it is all there are ready to go.  My iPad is just not as fast; articles have to continue loading once you have switched to their window.

Also, since I write for a living, a real keyboard is essential.  I have a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad but it is not as good as a laptop keyboard, and I have to watch more carefully for mistakes.

3 users thanked author for this post.

wdburt1, Cybertooth, WCHS

Reply | Quote

I’m not a living fossil yet, but I am old.

I started using a computer with a Qwerty (UK) keyboard, because there was no belgian Azerty keyboard available then. Lacking any typing training I stayed with Qwerty throughout my entire 40 year computer era.

Meanwhile I’ve stopped using subscription type software (Acronis imaging, Nero Premium), kept using the older versions and ignored the cloud.

I’m sure my traditional computer (Windows 11 tweaked to look and behave like Windows 95) and traditional software will keep me going for the smallish remainder of my life.

Oh yes, I do use a 10 year old iPad for webshop screenshots (when I need visible proof), a recent Samsung tablet for my shopping list and a cheap smart phone with fingerprint sensor for 2FA.

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

2 users thanked author for this post.

EricW, Fred

Reply | Quote

I have been doing the same thing over the past 20-30 years, with various “current-at-the time” versions of Windows and various “current-at-the-time” laptops. My habit has been to use the laptop for accessing online accounts; for e-mail, whose calendar utility communicates with my laptop and my very old iPad; for composing letters every now and then, which I print out and send via snail mail; for creating Excel spread sheets to keep track of personal finances and expenses; for preparing state and federal taxes and e-filing my federal taxes with Turbo Tax (I print and mail in my state taxes) , and for a file cabinet for such things as pdf account statements, recipes, photos, filed taxes, and all kinds of Word-composed “how-to’s”, all of which I would otherwise store in paper-form. I also print some things so that I will have a hard-copy, if digital retrieval should become impossible for some reason.

I use my very old 16-GB wireless Air 2 iPad for iMessages to those with iPhone; for Apple news; for the clock utility which keeps me in line for medications no matter where I am; and for a very useful weather app from my local TV station. I can also access my e-mail and calendar, but I find it more difficult to navigate and to read and compose messages that way.

I do not have a smartphone and have yet to see the need for one, since I am not away from home very often.

I am beginning to wonder what I will do next.  It won’t  be that long before Windows 10 is no longer supported.  And my Win 10 machine may give out around that time, too.

I am getting ready to replace the iPad Air 2 with the newest wireless one available in 256 GB. My biggest question is whether I will be able to do all the laptop Window things that I have been  able to do (see above for the jobs that Windows has been doing), but with an iPad instead.

 

Reply | Quote

Why I need a traditional PC

1. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
2. Running ArgyllCMS for photo color management apps
3. Excel for doing financial analysis and tracking household expenditures
4. Turbo Tax for paying taxes
5. Atom for website design and maintenance as well as Python programming
6. email is much easier
7. document storage

3 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Nibbled To Death By Ducks, WCHS

Reply | Quote

I would only add to that list that I have to archive my email messages, due to having a disability and having to report to Social Security on my financial activities yearly. Also, there are investments in my Trust Fund (inherited wealth) which are much better managed with a full-service spreadsheet application (LibreOffice Calc) than with some Cloud App. Local storage and retention (archiving) of data from these activities is essential for me. I can’t rely on Cloud Storage or limited-function apps or subscription software for my reporting needs.

I also handle documents sent by email, and printing, form filling and PDF conversion and management are essential. Some of these documents are or relate to legal and financial documents, so again, local storage is necessary.

I use Linux, so paying subscription prices and seeing hardware requirements escalate are not concerns of mine. I have choice words for what Microsoft and Apple can do with their subscription-based Windows and Mac OSes.  And their software and Store Apps.

I do own an Android Phone, but I don’t try to do any work on it.

I also own an Intel-based Chromebook, but ever since I put Linux onto it that’s all I use when on the road. Also allowing local storage and archiving.

Yeah, Linux is sometimes a pain to use, but once the learning curve is surmounted, I have much better control over my devices and software than I can have with any other OSes. I have yet to find anything I did under Windows which I simply cannot do using Linux.

Now I am starting to teach others how to get going with Linux. Lately I’ve had quite a few people asking me how to do things in Linux, so there has to be something changing with ordinary PC and Mac users.  Chromebooks and iPads are simply not cutting it with many of my friends and associates. And Windows 11 is really scaring off a lot of ordinary home PC users.

-- rc primak

1 user thanked author for this post.

Fred

Reply | Quote

As I understand it, turbotax, which you keep mentioning, will only keep past years info (as available to next years filing) IF you are running it on a PC (or, I assume, mac, but don’t know). Online version will not. BTDT. This means if you carrying gain or loss forward, as many folks do, it is much easier if you are using it on a computer. Else you would have to manually enter lots of info.

The problem with giving advice occurs when you don’t realize the ramifications. People follow and get screwed.

Reply | Quote

TurboTax online rolls over the information from year to year as well.  You honestly don’t need a PC to run TurboTax, you just need a device to get online to get to it.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Very interesting – when I tried to do it this year it said it couldn’t, even though I was also logged in online.

No matter where truth is, I was unable to get last years capital loss/gain info.

Reply | Quote

How do I access a prior-year return? (intuit.com)

I would see if there is another user account out there?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

For turbotax to input the previous year’s capitol gains/losses, you have to have been running the PC based turbotax for that year. The previous year (2020) I did it online, so I had no “.tax2020” file on my computer, and, according to intuit chat, no way to create one.

So they must have been lying, and the 2021 turbotax PC app must have been in error.

?

Reply | Quote

1. Go to turbotax.com and log in to the account you already started a return in.
2. In TurboTax Online, My Account, then click Tools, and then select Save your 2016 return to your computer.
3. Browse to where you can easily find the saved file, such as your Desktop.
4. (Optional) Change the default name to something more meaningful, for example J Doe 2016 Tax Return.
5. Click Save.

Now, open the .tax2016 file in TurboTax for Windows:

1. Open your TurboTax 2016 program.
2. From the File menu, select Open Tax Return.
3. Browse to where you saved the .tax2016 file, and then click Open.
4. (Optional) Review, edit, or delete the info that transferred over.

 

2016 instructions but the same rules apply for 2020.  Go to the online turbo tax and export out and then import into desktop.  Bottom line the chat person was wrong, you can go back and forth between the versions.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

This is silly. There is no “My Account” There is an “Intuit account”.

 

If I click on that I do not see “tools”.

Reply | Quote

Log into turbo tax

On tax home, scroll to the bottom. expand the section called Your tax return and documents. See that Download .tax file?  download it and then import it into Turbotax desktop.  Trust me I did this last year when I realized that the online TurboTax could not handle LLC filing .  The only thing you cannot do is export from Turbo tax to the bigger accounting industry software of Lacerte (owned by turbotax as well).  I know this from personal experience – there we HAVE to key the information in.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

Reply | Quote

Bottom line the chat people were wrong. You can go between online and desktop.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

As someone who is a secretary of a bowling league, I need specialized League software. I use BLS by CDE Software ( I have been using this software since 1998) that only comes in a Windows flavor.

I also run bowling tournaments, and use an old DOS based program called Tournament Coordinator, that has been out of support for about 15 years. CDE makes a tournament program, but it does not do some of the things I need but can do with Tournament Coordinator.

On my desktop I use the subscription version of Quicken, but on my laptop I use the 2013 version as I have no need to download things from the bank.

I still have an old WinBook laptop that I bought new in 1998 running Win 98 SE that still boots up. I can use it to run Tournament Coordinator and run a tournament if I had to. I light this one up once a year to make sure it still works and to sometimes get to some old bowling files that I haven’t yet gotten off of it, and to use the 3.5 floppy drive to read some old diskettes.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Steve, Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

Yes, we will continue to need traditional computers in the futures because:

• We do qualitative and quantitative analysis;
• We track and map North American oil and gas production at the well level;
• We download and retain energy flow volumes, weather data, and prices from more than 6,000 data points daily;
• We aggregate our data into “logical” geographical units;
• We report our findings in text, maps, graphs, and images;
• Our data files require more than 2 TB + of storage;
• We communicate with our clients via our website, email, and video conferencing.

In addition to Microsoft Office and WordPerfect Office we use the Corel PaintShop Pro Bundle, Corel PhotoMirage, Corel VideoStudio Pro, Corel DVD MovieFactory, MATLAB, esri mapping software, Nuance Dragon Professional, etc.  And we are frequently working in multiple apps at any one time.

All or our workstations have at least two monitors, web cams, speakers, headphones, keyboards, and mice.

Haven’t found a way to productively use a tablet for analysis. But then again, in the past we resisted moving to new operating systems.

We remember Y2K and the problems we had with dates beyond December 31, 1999.

Thus, we are guided by the thought of letting the pioneers get the arrows in their backs while the settlers settle the land. Our job is to analyses data not experiment with new technology.

However, from time to time we do use tablets to read the news, journals, and even an occasional digital book.

Reply | Quote

For me, computing is editing files and refiling. To me, the last 2-3 years have reinforced my perspective.

To me, computing can not be avoided. But at the same time, much of the internet is not of interest to me. The environment and players are more interesting to me than the apps.

Therefore, I have avoided smart phones, but due to variations in phone reception, I carry two flip phones from two different providers – TMobile and Verizon. It’s seems to be lower cost.

Why no smart phone? Mainly because of the touch interface and what I want to do on a computer. First touch interface was an HP Stream 8. Both my laptops have touchsceens and touchpads, but after trying to change for over two years, I’ve gone back to the Logitech thumballs. At work, to be compliant, I use the company-provided mouse.

I was on pager 24×7 365 days (except for vacation) for more than 10 years. To me, mobile telephony is like a pager. Mainly because I am not much of a telephone person.

So I need a laptop or desktop – adult-size display and workman’s keyboard and fine-tuned mouse and local storage, to find, edit, rearrange, and restructure my digital things. It’s what I want to do 85% of the time.

For that, the touch interface is too hard.

Thank you. Happy Sunday.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Nibbled To Death By Ducks, wdburt1

Reply | Quote

I use Legacy Family Tree genealogy software; it only runs on Windows or on a Mac with emulator software. Having many windows open on two large monitors is a big help with correlating data.

Reply | Quote

Try Gramps as recent are very polished.  https://gramps-project.org

Completely free and open source with all the source code at  https://github.com/gramps-project/gramps

Supports any modern Linux, Mac and Windows OS.

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Tried going the tab route when I was away from home for about a month.  Just couldn’t do without a keyboard.  I have no use for touch.  Then, the tab couldn’t upgrade past Android 4 so it became e-waste (I guess I could root it and try to set up some hacked ROM, but just not worth it for the experience).  I’ve built all my desktop machines.  I have a lot invested in flight sim and while the latest msfs 2020 runs on XBox, see no reason to do so.  I also use VS Code and VS 2017 as my build environment and while I could build on other platforms don’t see any advantage in taking the learning curve.

 

I’m also a hold out, built an htpc around an ITX ff motherboard.  I could get by with a Droid stick, but too much hassle IMHO.  I still think NVidia is king, at least for what I do, in graphics (though thanks to miners, a GTX 3070 is kind of out of the ballpark at this point).

 

As far as my “normal” productivity software, most is open source and I could get versions for about any platform but see no advantage.

Reply | Quote

It’s good to be computer fluent — different computer types for different tasks.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

well, by posting this you have gotten a lot of attention and gotten some people upset and concerned.

I personally do not believe for a second that either PCs (or macs) or windows, for home use, will be going away any time soon. By advising folks who don’t know any better to rely on tablets and phones, and appearing as a knowledgeable source,  I believe, is doing them a grave disservice, and costing them time and money. But it creates conflict which is the advertisers’ dream. Like current network TV news programs. The aim is to get folks upset rather than to provide factual information. Get conversations/arguments going so the channel seems worthy.

Is this the direction you choose to go?

Reply | Quote

Do you see any ads on the site?  Please. I just asked a question.  My 93 year old Dad uses his ipad and iphone on a daily basis and only uses his Windows computer for a specific purpose.  His iphone, iwatch and ipad are on my ATT cellular account to make it cheaper. We have the version of the iWatch so that should he fall, we get an emergency alert. My point is that we all need to decide why we are using Windows devices and then purchase accordingly. I see many people in the forums reacting to the Microsoft account mandate and saying “over my dead body” so I’m just asking the honest question of why do you use Windows.

I don’t see people “upset and concerned”, I see people answering questions.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

7 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, bowled845, jburk07, SueW, RamRod, Seff, DrBonzo

Reply | Quote

I think it’s a great question. It’s encouraging people to think about what they need and to act accordingly, rather than simply succumbing to some marketing scheme. More people should do more of this sort of thing whether it’s about computing devices, cars, clothes, washing machines, etc.

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Seff

Reply | Quote

So if we’re all not buying Windows 11 – because honestly as a home user Windows 11 brings not much to the table…. what should I buy?  We all don’t have to answer that until 2025 and even then I’ll bet there is an extended patching for 10, but start thinking… what’s my next computer?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

4 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Steve S., DrBonzo, WCHS

Reply | Quote

That question is relevant today. I just bought a new Win10 Pro machine from Lenovo precisely because the major players are getting rid of their remaining win10 machines and soon you won’t be able to buy a win10 machine from the major vendors. Choice is definitely narrowing as they hew to MS contracts that require them to push Win11.

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, WCHS

Reply | Quote

Don’t buy. Reuse. With Linux and open-source software. There are some titles which don’t have Linux versions — yet — but there are usually open-source alternatives. You sometimes have to get creative and think outside of the box to find and apply alternatives to your particular use cases, but that’s what open-source is all about — thinking outside the box.

If Linux gets to M1 and M2 platforms soon (which I think it will do) we’re in for a wide-open future for open-source alternatives.

-- rc primak

1 user thanked author for this post.

Fred

Reply | Quote

Weekly articles with intent to upset and increase readership.

FUD.

Reply | Quote

Dear anon.  This is not fud.  I honestly am asking questions to better understand so I can tailor articles for the site and specifically for the readership of the forums.   If  you don’t like the weekend articles you can skip them.

This post was inspired by helping a girlfriend to purchase a laptop and what she needed her computer for. We were asking her… what do you use your computer for… what exact Windows applications are key? The youngsters in the office all have Apple computers at home, no Windows devices.  One receptionist only has android tablets.  I’m just relaying of how people are using technology these days.

 

 

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

3 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, bowled845, DrBonzo

Reply | Quote

“what do you use your computer for” oh come on! A more useful question would have been – “what might you need this computer to do”. Of course, the target individual can not know this completely and is relying on your experience to help her not buy a device, tablet or whatever, that would simply be quickly outgrown in a year.

That I would have to say this at all, I feel,  points to a major problem.

Reply | Quote

We decided on a laptop with a full keyboard including 10 keypad because she uses spreadsheets. She does not have the space for a traditional desktop in her house. I don’t see a problem. We did a needs analysis.  End of discussion.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

The youngsters

Ahhh…! So, are you deliberately moving AWAY from your majority readership? The majority of folks who love this site are NOT “youngsters” and we are proud of that and proud to have a great technical site that has talked to US not the ignorant youngsters who have tons of sites they can fit with.

This is the core of the “dispute” in this thread.

Reply | Quote

My Dad has mostly apple devices these days.  He’s 93.  PK has apple devices for their main computing platform.  It’s not just the youngsters, it’s home users that don’t have as much ties to the Microsoft platform these days due to how Microsoft is treating home users.  The use of the “youngsters” was used because… well I’m no longer a youngster myself and I’m  talking about what I see in my own office.  Even the readership of AskWoody is using more devices than just a plain Windows computer.    The core of the dispute in this thread is one anon poster who clearly not being civil.  Take away that poster (*) and there is no dispute in this thread, just a bunch of respectful people having a valid discussion of why they are using a Windows computer on a multi week post about how I’m trying to figure out if there is still life in old hardware.

 

(*) anon posters is not necessarily the readership of Askwoody I want to be catering to.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

6 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, bowled845, jburk07, SueW, Seff, Fred

Reply | Quote

I use a “traditional” (aka “real”) computer because I game, I develop applications using various languages, MySQL databases, I use excel and other office applications extensively as well as working with videos for the local basketball club. I still use optical media and my PC also runs Kodi. Web browsing and email are after thoughts. The former is used for banking and buying food, and the latter, not much.

I am old, so small screens are out. I will never voluntarily own a cell phone or use anti-social networking.

I don’t think my usage needs would work on a device that is under-powered and impossible for me to see, and where I live, costs almost as much as a significantly more powerful desktop anyway.

I have a laptop that gets used maybe once a year, when I want to do some tests with my ISP when they have outages because my NTD is downstairs and PCs are upstairs. Other than that, my laptop is a paper weight.

I had a 11″ tablet – I gave it to my son – too small, essentially a useless device that couldn’t do anything other than slowly run a browser, and I spent a lot to get a “top of the line”.

 

Reply | Quote

agreed. tablets and phones have their very important niche uses. BUT…

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

If you learned computers with punch cards, the answer is a resounding YES I need a computer.

7 users thanked author for this post.

Steve, EricW, Phil F, SueW, RamRod, Just another Forum Poster, Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Reply | Quote

good stuff Hollerith code.

Reply | Quote

But, if you use some online source that has software for your use and possibly storage space for the output, then all you need is a device a) to access the online software source and b) to feed the data to the software.  I remember that when the only stat programs available were large packages on a mainframe, we punched the data on cards, but depended on the mainframe to run the job, using the software there and the data on the cards.   As PCs became more powerful and developed more space, the software became locally housed on the at-home machine (PC or whatever).  But, now it seems to me that things are trending back to the early days … the cloud/server/online source is like the mainframe of old.  The PC (or whatever at-home device you might use) is the intermediary that brings the software and the data together.  And, of course, the reams of paper of yore are the scrolling screens of today.

The main difference is where the software is — is it local [and you don’t even need to be online)? or is it off somewhere else(and you need to be online)?

Is there more to it than this??

1 user thanked author for this post.

Just another Forum Poster

Reply | Quote

Yup!

The “dumb” terminals of the ’70s are definitively making a comeback.

Thankfully they don’t use “green screen” displays.

1 user thanked author for this post.

WCHS

Reply | Quote

Just another Forum Poster wrote:

The “dumb” terminals of the ’70s are definitively making a comeback.

WCHS wrote:

Is there more to it than this??

It seems, from what I read here, that another piece of the pie is how “manageable” or “suitable” the device is for the intended use — how easy to provide the device/software with the data, how easy to read the output, how accessible the software and data are, how much space you need (both physical and digital space), whether you actually do any computing, …

Susan, I wonder if you could put together here, a checklist of all of the facets that go into the needs analysis you mention, and a view of how phones, tablets, machines, watches, etc stack up?   (or maybe this has already been done somewhere?)

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Susan Bradley

Reply | Quote

I think I’ll do that at the end/wrap up.  Good idea.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

“You had ones and zeros? Ha! We only had ones!”

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

wavy

Reply | Quote

If you give me a tricycle, I will quickly outgrow it and then be disappointed in wasted time/effort/money. If you give me a $6K racing bicycle, I may never outgrow it, but it presents a great opportunity to challenge me at length. With electronics and chips changing so rapidly I would suggest that a middle ground of perhaps a device that I might not outgrow for 4 years, whether new or used, would be much more fruitful and economically appropriate.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Mele20

Reply | Quote

very agreed.

Reply | Quote

I need a computer for many things, but most are the usual things that regular users do too. Email, browsing, gaming, stuff like that. The games I play do not have phone or tablet versions, so there’s that, and both of my daily-use PCs (both Dell laptops, an XPS 13 and a G3) have 2TB of storage that’s closer to full than empty, with all of my personal stuff on there (and encrypted with a strong, non-brute-forceable passphrase). If that 2TB ever proved insufficient, I can expand it more. That’s more than any phone or tablet I have seen.

But even for all those other things, the PC is far better suited than a phone or small tablet. I’ve tried to use a phone or 7″ tablet to browse, and it’s so frustrating that I give up and wait until I have access to a more suitable device. It’s not about the website having a mobile version, but about the tiny screen on a mobile device.

I’m not a youngster anymore… I can’t hold a phone a foot from my face and have it seem like a big screen. It’s a blur at that distance, no matter how many dots per inch it may have. Even large tablets are small compared to my 15.6 inch G3 or even my 13.4 inch XPS, let alone when I have my G3 hooked up to my 48 inch TV. A large tablet like a full-size iPad isn’t much/any more portable than my XPS, but it doesn’t have the benefits of the hardware keyboard and discrete pointing device (touchpad).

Right now I am sitting in my recliner with my XPS in my lap typing this. The 13.4 inch screen is a bit closer than arms’ length, close enough to where my middle-aged eyes can focus on it without reading glasses, but still big enough at that distance to allow me to easily read what is on the screen. It doesn’t need any additional things to prop it up so I can easily look at it, and the keyboard is right at the comfortable distance for my hands to use it. I wouldn’t want to try to be typing a message of this length with a touch keyboard obscuring much of the screen and with no tactile feel to assist in the task.

I could muddle through typing on an on-screen keyboard, but why? I have devices that work brilliantly for the desired task that already have actual physical keyboards and pointing devices.

I could add a keyboard to a tablet, or use one that has a detachable keyboard, but in the latter case it would essentially just be a laptop anyway, just with poor balance (the heaviest part should be the keyboard/base, not the screen), an inferior OS, and far less onboard storage. I don’t see why I would ever detach the keyboard/touchpad part and go out with just the tablet itself, given how useful the keyboard is (and that it does not increase the footprint of the unit, just the thickness), so I may as well just stick to a laptop.

As such, the question is not what I need a computer for that a tablet or phone could not do. It’s what a phone or tablet brings to the table that would make me restrict myself to such a device rather than a proper PC. For me, the answer is “nothing.” I have a “degoogled” AOSP phone that I carry around in case of emergency, but it’s just a phone to me, and I would go with a dumb phone with a mobile hotspot if I could find one locally that had that feature. I only ever use it to make calls, to be a clock, and to be a mobile hotspot for my XPS to connect to. If my phone carrier had not thoughtfully disabled the mobile hotspot feature in the version of the flip phone I bought from them initially, I’d still be using that. My plan allows all data as tether/mobile hotspot data, but the flip phone still won’t create a mobile hotspot, even though the same phone from other carriers will.

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon 6.2
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/32GB & GTX1660ti, Kubuntu 24.04
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, Kubuntu 24.04 (and Win 11)

5 users thanked author for this post.

wavy, CAS, jburk07, Cybertooth, WCHS

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

So if we’re all not buying Windows 11

Who says we are not? I always buy a NEW COMPUTER NOT a new OS. I expect a new OS on a new computer as I have been buying a new one about every 4 years. My current computer with Windows 10 will be four years old in November. Dell seems to be making them more resistant to rust so I may be able to go 5 years before I buy a new one….with whatever is the current OS at that time.

I have an iPhone XR and the Apple watch series 6 but my next computer will be a Windows one. My iPhone and watch in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM replace my Dell Windows 10 computer. I would NEVER expect them to do that. If I gave up any of them, due to rising cost and my limited income, it would be the watch or cell phone NOT my desktop computer which is ESSENTIAL. I have Fall Protection on my Apple watch and it is NOT what Apples advertises it to be. It’s actually a big hassle and everyone I know with an Apple watch has eventually turned it off because the false alarms are way too often (and if there is a REAL fall, the watch does not detect it…it seems to only detect falls that are not potentially dangerous where paramedics need to be summoned).

There is ONLY one useful reason to have a Smart watch IMO and that is the ease of purchasing stuff in any store except Walmart. Plus, it keeps good records of your exercise routines and you don’t have to also wear the cumbersome phone when you exercise to have a good record. I only wear it (due to the high radiation risks) when I am away from home and I am at home the vast majority of the time so it’s fun but not worth the price and radiation risk. (I failed to do my homework before I bought it and was not aware of the radiation problem or I would never have purchased it in the first place).

As for the XR cell phone, it is big, surprisingly HEAVY in my small hands, and useful primarily for Face ID. I’m not rude so I never answer or make a cell phone call in public so it is almost always in my purse not in use. I have an extra expense now because I have to have a landline for safety reasons but even at home I tend to use the landline to make calls as reception on the cell is only two bars and sometimes just one.

Reply | Quote

“Do I need a traditional computer in the future?”

A smartphone or tablet can replace a desktop or laptop computer for some things, but at what cost in convenience and ease of use?  I could hook up a wagon to my riding lawnmower and drive to the grocery store, but I have better ways to bring home the groceries.

For me it is about “flow.”  The technology should get out of the way.  No obstructions, no distractions.  The user interfaces–keyboard, monitor, mouse–should be not just adequate but satisfying to use.  When I write, I need total immersion in the subject.  I don’t create spreadsheets as often as I once did, but if I do it is often to make sense of a complex subject, often so I can return to writing armed with some figures.  When I work on photos, I need a display capable of showing the nuances.

None of which sounds like a smartphone.

Lurking behind this topic is the question of how a change in devices shapes how we communicate.  Email has been criticized for unintentionally conveying an impression of harshness, to the point that people in business are often advised to pick up the phone when an email exchange starts to go south.  Yet for better or worse email permitted people to put some thought into what they wanted to say, at whatever length was necessary, before it was sent.  How much of today’s polarization arises from knee-jerk texting and limits on the length of texts?  Personally, I think that relying so heavily on texting has silenced the more reflective voices–the things we might have said had we taken the time and could communicate without limits.

 

11 users thanked author for this post.

Steve, wavy, Ascaris, Steve S., CAS, SueW, RamRod, Phil F, Susan Bradley, WCHS, Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

All I know is that since my Sister no longer does random surfing on her Windows machine and instead does it on her ipad I don’t have to remove browser hijackers.  🙂

She does need a keyboard for her ipad.  The fingers only method of communication (i.e. the texting you are referring to) is indeed changing how we communicate.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

3 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, wdburt1, WCHS

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

She does need a keyboard for her ipad.

She could bypass the keyboard and dictate the text, right?

Reply | Quote

Both she and I came after the dictation era and honestly I don’t compose well like that.  I have to type/see it.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

The area of the brain for composing and processing language visually (for writing and reading) is a different area of the brain than for composing and processing language auditorily (for speaking and listening), so it’s not surprising that those growing up in a literate culture, having had more practice in reading (seeing) and writing (typing), favor the visual. So, the keyboard becomes essential.

But, it’s quite possible that oral cultures, using smart phones and their icons, favor the microphone, especially if there is no keyboard (or a difficult keyboard) for the native language.

Even today, school curricula include many more opportunities for speaking and listening than years ago. Today’s youngsters, by virtue of being youngsters and thus less skilled in reading and writing, probably use the microphone on their devices more often than do us oldsters, who are  more skilled in reading and writing.

4 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, wavy, Cybertooth, wdburt1

Reply | Quote

I use and have, since I bought my first very own computer in 1998, always used a laptop. I have always used one, because what I do requires something with a reasonably large screen for me to see what I am doing, with a keyboard, and either a mouse, a stick, or a touch pad (which I prefer to the other two possibilities.) Besides the laptop 15″ screen, I now have also an external 27″ monitor.

What I do:

Email, browsing for news, information, commentary, commenting on things of interest. Watching movies and shows by streaming them online or playing their DVDs.

Searching online, sending or receiving to and from collaborators articles on topics that interest me professionally, usually as part of research on matters relevant to my work.

Writing technical papers for publication and reports on the progress of my work. Often with mathematical formulas in them.

Writing software to investigate some idea further, or to process actual data to get results.

Billing for consulting work, and doing other necessary business paperwork, as well as my taxes.

I prefer laptops, because they are the same as desktops for what I need to do — and they are portable. They rarely leave the house these days, but even so, it is nice to be able to move them around my place, to use them at my desk or in bed, particularly when I have some physical problem (such as while recovering after pulling a muscle) that makes sitting at my desk for prolonged periods of time uncomfortable. Or just because I am feeling lazy.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

Reply | Quote

After thinking about this for a while, I’ve concluded that what I need as a 73 year old retired nerd (not a geek, just a nerd) is a minimum 10.1 inch screen, minimum 128 GB internal storage for personal files and folders, minimum 12 GB system memory, ability to connect to the internet via either wi/fi or cell connection, an operating system that doesn’t “take over” the device for half an hour every month for updates/upgrades, and the ability to optionally connect via cable interface or bluetooth connections external devices like a keyboard, mouse or second display, plus whatever usb connection is available for flash drives. And it needs to not cost more than a desktop PC with similar features. It seems to me that a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 inch tablet running Android 12 would meet these specs just fine. I would keep an old desktop PC around as well, but only for offline use and to run Microsoft Money Sunset Edition and for backup storage. I’ve used Google Sheets on a tablet in the past and don’t see any problem using a tablet for spreadsheets for personal finance purposes.

 

Reply | Quote

I am coming at this from a different perspective. How secure is it? Lets say I can get past the screen size, keyboard, CPU speed and application availability so I could use it as a suitability substitute.

If you are not sure you can secure it, don’t log into any site with this device / platform, browse only. If it is a search for something personally private, don’t do it because sometimes, it can be tracked back to you.

With enough good information, I can feel somewhat secure using Windows (although it might not true). If I can get enough awareness information, then I think I can be safer on Windows. So the same would with apply with any other platform: iOS, iPadOS, Linux, MacOS and Chrome OS.

Currently there are things I would not do, on a non-Windows PC subject to a change of opinion in the future. That change of opinion would involved confidence, getting enough awareness information to use it securely.

Reply | Quote

I need a host (of some kind) to run Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, and which will also connect to a large color-profiled wide gamut display.  That constrains me to either Windows or macOS.  I’ve been Windows since v1.0 and familiarity has kept me there.  I’ve settled on hp 14-inch business-class notebooks, which then also serve the other usual purposes.  I upgrade only when forced to (hardware obsolescence and/or end of O/S support).

I have an iPhone, and I second RamRod’s comments regarding phones at the top of the thread.

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

I’m not done with them, and as long as you are an anon poster, I won’t be able to tell who you are.

I am the only anon asking for it as far as I see it.

Reply | Quote

I see several anons posting in this and the other posts.  Register on the site or I won’t be able to know who you are.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

3 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, bowled845, SueW

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

I see several anons posting in this and the other posts. Register on the site or I won’t be able to know who you are.

Seem my earlier post was not approved. I can’t register since would be tracked. Woody would understand that since he was in country that put users at risk for registering. This was one of the main reason why he allows anon users. I am very much appreciate that since it keeps me safe.

Reply | Quote

Actually it was approved, you posted on another thread.  Given that you are not posting with a registered account, you aren’t realizing that you are posting in two threads.   This server is in the USA  and thus I am bound by those rules.  If any agency came to ask for firewall logs and other evidence, I would be turning them over because I have to abide by the rules and laws of my country.  They would then go back to the ISP logs and track back to you.   You are consistently posting in from Verizon business IP address that ultimately can be tracked.

I will not approve any more of your posts as it consistently takes moderation time and time away from me working on the ewaste series.  If you really want these devices after I am through with them, you will need to register on the site.  I live in the United States, users are not at risk on this site merely for registering.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

I live in the United States, users are not at risk on this site merely for registering.

This is quite a bold statement. Not everybody will agree to this. The US wissleblowers on NSA and CIA etc tell different

* _ ... _ *

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Can’t be that bad, you are registered.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, wavy

Reply | Quote

If you truly think that merely registering on this site will put you in some sort of CIA/NSA database when we have a zillion other more important things to track, that’s too extreme of a view to keep in this world of ours.  I recommend more realistic review of Internet risks.  If you truly are concerned about someone tracking you on this site, given that it’s not a site like 4chan, it’s not an extremist site, it’s merely a tech help forum, then I wouldn’t be on the Internet at all.  I do forensic analysis and want the ability to investigate when computers do their thing.  The idea that a person wants no tracking with computers, one should not be using computers in the first place.  Computers leave behind trails.  It’s expected.  It’s normal.  We all actually want trails to be left behind.  Acceptable trails, not abusive trails.  But this idea of absolute anonymous access?  No one truly wants this.  I don’t want this as a law abiding citizen. We all want to know why our computer systems do what they do. And as part of that process, acceptable tracking is normal.

What is that acceptable tracking?  That is where the decisions need to be made, not on a lack of tracking.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, DrBonzo

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

And as part of that process, acceptable tracking is normal.

What is that acceptable tracking?

I disagree. No tracking is acceptable.

Reply | Quote

There are firewall logs on this site.  It’s tracking your IP.  Should an attacker gain access I need to have evidence of who attacked the site.  Do you agree that that tracking is acceptable?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, DrBonzo

Reply | Quote

Susan Bradley wrote:

It’s tracking your IP.

This site is tracking my IP across the Internet or just logging locally my IP, which isn’t the same thing.
What if I am using VPN which changes my IP with every access ?

Reply | Quote

I still define that as tracking.  If one has subpoena powers, you would then go to the vpn provider and be able to determine who logged in.  My point is absolute anonymity is not available, and we honestly don’t want it in a law abiding world.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

rc primak

Reply | Quote

Could this “tracking” discussion information be a separate Newsletter topic?

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, DrBonzo

Reply | Quote

I thought that the heading on this topic was, “Ewaste or usable – week 3”.

And the question being posed was, “… do you NEED a traditional desktop or laptop to fit your needs?”

The conversation has evolved to one on tracking and has nothing to do with the need for a desktop.

So why are you filling my inbox with what I consider to be spam?

The conversation on tracking should be moved to another part of the AskWoody site.

Reply | Quote

Apologies.  Ideally I’d like respond directly to the poster regarding his/her concerns on the handling of the site but all I have is their IP address and no legal ability to contact him directly.  I’ll plan on making this into a newsletter topic in the future.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

2 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, Kathy Stevens

Reply | Quote

So my question to you is…. why do you need a traditional computer? What specifically keeps you on the traditional desktop or laptop form? What can you not do on a tablet or mobile phone? What software do you use that will only work on the traditional desktop or laptop format?

I often use Word or Excel when I am on the computer. I could not maintain my sanity if I had to work without a traditional keyboard and mouse. In fact, I would have a hard time working with anything other than an IBM Model M (“clicky”) keyboard, IBM’s 2nd greatest contribution to humanity.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

3 users thanked author for this post.

rc primak, OscarCP, WCHS

Reply | Quote

Though I use LibreOffice under Linux, I have similar concerns and needs.

-- rc primak

Reply | Quote