Comments on: What Should A Real Estate Agent Look For In A Desktop Computer?

By: Walter Whitehurst

Walter Whitehurst — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:16:38 +0000

Sam, I would recommend 4 gigas too, but they need to be aware that Vista 64-bit comes with that and not everything works with Vista 64-bit yet

By: Sam Chapman

Sam Chapman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:30:54 +0000

I would go with 4 Gigs of RAM. Vista just seems to wake up at 2 Gigs.

By: Simplifying Real Estate Agent Laptop Purchases | MyTechOpinion.com

Simplifying Real Estate Agent Laptop Purchases | MyTechOpinion.com — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:39:28 +0000

[...] my real estate agent desktop buying guide article, I wrote that “purchasing a new desktop computer can be a confusing experience”. [...]

By: Chad A. Johnson

Chad A. Johnson — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:24:00 +0000

Up until the Intel “Core” series processors were released, I was a huge AMD fan. While the Intel chips are a bit more expensive, benchmarks tests have shown as much as a 40% performance advantage of the Core 2 Duo chips over the AMD competitors.

AMD is working on a new processor architecture that will hopefully bring them back in line with Intel for 2008. Strong competition in the processor arena will also mean price reductions for consumers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:55:00 +0000

I wouldn;t throw away the AMD just yet. I will say that the core 2 duo is faster but it doesn’t give me the speed to justify the price. I have been building PCs for 9 years now and ever since the battle of the two began I have tested both and come to two conclusions. Intel is faster. AMD is quite, cooler and more stable. In my opinion AMD understands what makes a good processor. They are not all about speed because no matter how fast your processor is you are always going to be bottle necked by something else like memory, graphics card or your mother boards chipset. I would recommend AMD for longevity but to all his own.

By: Reggie Nicolay

Reggie Nicolay — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:46:00 +0000

We do believe backup is very important. Check here for a few of Chad's posts on the subject: Backup Posts

By: dlender

dlender — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:14:00 +0000

The computer is irrelevant. What’s really important is HOW THEY BACKUP THEIR DATA.

By: Chad A. Johnson

Chad A. Johnson — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:23:00 +0000

David made some great points. Determining Vista compatibility of your software ahead of time is crucial to your success in running Vista.

I worked with a real estate agent who purchased a new Vista laptop and installed her older Canon inkjet printer using the original driver CD.

Those drivers weren't Vista compatible. Once the printer software was installed, her computer no longer was able to access the internet or receive emails.

Luckily, the fix was as simple as removing the incompatible software and downloading and installing the Vista compatible drivers from Canon's website.

It pays to thoroughly investigate if a program is Vista compatible before putting it on your Vista machine.

By: Andy Piper

Andy Piper — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:57:00 +0000

Hello, thanks for the good article. I buy a new desktop everythree years or so for my Ann Arbor Michigan real estate business. This time I am thinking about going for a mac. I use several programs that require Windows and Internet Explorer 6.0. Now that the Macs can run duel operating systems, I think it is time to give one a try.

Anyone have experience with an Imac and duel operating systmes?

By: David Pinkard

David Pinkard — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:51:00 +0000

As a consultant specializing in desktop technology, I would suggest that exercising care before immediately adopting Vista may be wise. A computer running XP Service Pack 2 with all the updates installed is, at this point, a fairly stable operating system with most flaws fixed. Also, with Microsoft expecting to release a major upgrade in early 2008 and with many software packages, particularly specialty applications like some of those those used in real estate, not yet been ported to Vista,it might be wise to wait.

Having said that, any desktop (or laptop) you buy should be powerful enough to run Vista. XP will go away and you should have a machine capable of handling Vista so follow the configuration suggestions for a Vista-capable computer.

Before you move to Vista, now or later, test your applications. If there is not a Vista version being offered by the software manufacturer, see if you can find a way to test run your existing critical applications on Vista. Some may work, others will not, even in "emulation mode" (where Vista will try to act like XP to allow you to run software).

The same recommendation holds true for moving to a Mac from a Windows system: Test your applications first unless there are Mac OS versions available. If you are moving from Windows to Mac, make sure you hae time to get trained or familiarize yourself with the computer. Mac's aren't hard to learn but they take some getting used to.

By: Chad A. Johnson

Chad A. Johnson — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:41:00 +0000

Sean,

I am currently working on a similar article relating to purchasing a laptop computer. Check back for it.

By: Sean Remington

Sean Remington — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:19:00 +0000

Any laptop recommendations?

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:42:00 +0000

I like Macs myself, but Windows allows my “flexibility” when it comes with software. More things available, plus I can personally build my own computer compared to Apple (nothing personal against it, just preference).

Although the biggest issue for me will always be COST, and PCs are just more economical in price compared to Macs…Apple simply overprices its products, ala, Sony.

- Michael
http://www.PropertySolutionSF.com

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 13:31:00 +0000

I have a Mac desk top and a windows, I leave my window unguarded hoping some one will steal it so I can get a mac book.

By: Andy Norton

Andy Norton — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 01:06:00 +0000

Yes, by all means bag Windows and go with a Mac. In most cities there is an Apple store with free classes in Mac software. The included software called iLife will revoluntionize the Realtor’s business as it relates to the internet. Pay $99 extra for .mac, and you can upload your website and blogs, simply by hitting the “Publish” button. I now have both desktop and laptop Macs.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:43:00 +0000

Or, you could save yourself a lot of headache and pick up a Mac. : )