Support for Indie Authors discussion

So I love my tiny 2.8 lb. Acer, but it's slow as Christmas, and with a seven-month-old who doesn't sleep by herself, I need something that wakes up quickly and allows me to get the most out of my limited writing time. I often have only three or four minute segments of time, and I want to milk those for all they're worth...hard to do when your computer freezes up constantly and deletes documents randomly, restarts itself often, and updates multiple times a month.

I'm looking at the Microsoft Surface series, the MacBook Air, or something similar. I'm treating writing as a business now, so I'd like to invest in something reliable, but still not ridiculously expensive. (It is my business, but the business still has limited funds at the moment...lol.) I use Scrivener and MS Word (to format my Createspace books).

So what are your recommendations? I'm curious to see what other people use for their writing.

Im still using an old hp pavilion from 6 years ago :) its still running windows 7 but it has been a good one. I had a Dell also but i have heavy graphics use and the pavilion just outperformed. I will replace this with another Pavilion soon it has been very dependable.

You don't really need a lot of computer for writing. Just make sure it has plenty of memory. If speed is really that much of an issue, look for one with a Solid State Drive. They're about 10 times faster than a hard drive.
Other than that you should be good to go. I myself am writing on a $200 walmart special. It's more than enough for writing, and with windows 10, it starts up very quickly from a sleep.

I use notepad and then word.
But I don't think it matters. I mean, writing doesn't strain the computer. Games destroy computers. I got a lenovo cause its build pretty solidly and because the astronauts use it on the ISS. Its Just about three years old now. At the time I got it, it cost $800 but that was because I wanted Windows 7 on it, the windows 8 version actually cost less at $400. You'll want windows ten but you want something reliable that will last years. Lenovo was just behind mac -I hate macs- but it Looks like Dell and HP is where its at right now, Acer is way at the bottom.

I used to use dells at work and their workstations ate awesome for graphic design work. their laptops however give me fits. I used compaqs to write on for years until hp bought them and made them crap so changed to hp proper. I tend to use elite and pro books because I'm always out and about and my laptops go through hell. it's not uncommon for me to burn through 4-6 in a year (with upgrades ). I hate the new latitudes and elitebooks the body design is horrible.
I'm saving up for a panasonic. I need my laptop to hold up to abuse.

I still use 7 ultimate (my software works) and have no intention to upgrading to 10 until my software is caught up. I used 98se for a long time then xp. I can wait some more with 7 lolz

Thanks, everyone! I went up to Best Buy today to fiddle with the "toys" in person. Lol. I'm pretty impressed with the MacAirs, but my only reservations are the dreaded switch from PC to Mac. I send files a lot between my laptop and my desktop.

I could bever get into Macs, they're overpriced in my opinion.

Hi Brittany, I've used a PC my whole life and bought a mac for writing. I also bought microsoft office 365 which comes with one terabtye of storage on Onedrive. I synced my mac to this drive and then when I want the file on my PC all I have to do is get it from Onedrive.

I've had no issues with opening/editing/saving Office files on my mac on my PC (except PC fonts are different)

Hope this helps in your decision. I love my mac and have no regrets.

Personally, after switching over to Windows 10, my older slow machine has a bit more pep. I've got a tiny little Asus that I love. If you like smaller devices and want something that will zip, you might try something like a Transformer by Asus.

While I love the specs on the surface pros, they don't work for me because i need a stable clamshell design (I can't write at a desk). So keep things like functionality of design in mind, not just the hardware specs.

Riley wrote: "I could bever get into Macs, they're overpriced in my opinion."

I will never go back to Windows. Yes, they are cheaper but they break down far quicker and need knowledge of how to fix them. I am a heavy user of PC's for my "real" business (8-14 hours a day) and had problems with Windows every two years. My MAC has lasted over 4 years and when there's a problem it fixes itself - and that has saved me money and hassle... In fact, I do have Windows in a virtual hard drive on my MAC and it's STILL Windows that gives me problems.

Well... we all need a computer that holds up and works for us, but Mac or Windows, HP or DELL isn't the point. As a couple have said, ANY computer is enough for writing, unless you're doing a graphic novel, or, as I do occasionally, trying to use Dragon Naturally Speaking, which I use constantly for my editing work. Dragon will, curiously, eat all your memory and resources (is that where they got the name?) but Word and Scrivener-- no problem. I heartily endorse Windows 10 and see no need to pay the premium for a Mac. BTW, I have a laptop but I work on a desktop with a 27" monitor. :-)

Hey everyone. Please feel free to give your suggestions as Brittany asked, but please refrain from turning this into a Mac Vs. PC fight. Just like the cola wars of the 1980s, there's no point. Everyone is going to have their preference and everyone is going to have their reasons/convictions on why they chose one over the other. We are not here to make converts of those with a difference of opinion.
Thanks.

Asus are pretty sturdy and though I personally don't use them I know many who do and I never heard them complain. they tend to be too small for me but if you prefer mini notebooks they are cheap and hold up quite well.

I dunno about upgrading to windows 10. I keep seeing the popup in the right hand corner. Windows 7 is solid for the moment (knock on wood). But definitely when I get a new laptop. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I switched my 6-year-old HP PC to Windows 10, and had to work out quite a few bugs. After less than a month, it still does a few things I don't like, such as switching off the number lock when I shut down (I always have to remember to push that button before signing in), but at least it has stopped turning off the sound (which i had to troubleshoot intensively).

My verdict? I could have kept Windows 7 and would've been just as happy. No noticeable effect on the machine, and I've had to get used to a whole new setup with a lot of superfluous junk getting in the way. I liked the old one better.

Another vote for the MacBook Air. Mine is 3+ years old, and is the smallest size they sell, although I wish it were even smaller. The solid-state drive really does make a difference in terms of speed. It even feels faster than my much newer desktop (iMac), which has a conventional hard disk and a more powerful processor.

Whatever you get, make sure to max out the RAM. You can never have too much RAM :)

Ken wrote: "Whatever you get, make sure to max out the RAM. You can never have too much RAM :) "

Amen. I've been very lucky in that none of the comps I've owned in the last two decades ever blew up, got a virus, etc, but most had to be replaced simply because I maxed out the RAM and they could no longer keep up.

I hate the newer os that are limited to 8 gb ram. since you're just writing that's fine. on my graphic intensive work (yay cover art) since I can't afford a nice graphic card more ram has to suffice. 32 gb was tolerable if I wanted to spend a smoke break rendering lolz

Riley wrote: "I could bever get into Macs, they're overpriced in my opinion."

Yep.

My dad's an Apple evangelist and would probably buy me a Mac, but I just really dislike thier philosphy of upscale pricing for no really significant performance boost.

Moving from PC to Mac is really not a problem, though. Mac's do some things a bit different, but it's not a big deal for most users. In fact, the people who would have the biggest problem with the switch are power users who are used to messing with deeper layers of the OS than typical users.

Macs are fine products, but you pay a premium for the company's prestige focus. Apple's not a tech firm, they are a lifestyle company. Which means you shell out for their bling and are expected to be thankful for that privilege.

Ahem...

May I direct your attention to comment 13...

I'd strongly suggest you try before buying. For me, the most important thing for a writing tool is that the ergonomics be right. Most laptops and especially tablet like devices have crappy keys that aren't really designed for a writer.

So it's important to spend as much time typing on a device as you can before committing to buying.

Solid State Drives will boot way faster than normal HDs, but they are more expensive for the same size.

Make sure you have several malware and adware programs loaded and get in the practice of using them. This will help keep your computer from being bogged down.

Also, try as much as possible to buy from a manufacturer that doesn't force a bunch of bloatware on you. I've sworn off HP because of that. My last laptop from them was ridiculous. Not just bloatware, but also proprietary drivers. They may not be like that anymore, not sure.

Christina wrote: "Ahem...

May I direct your attention to comment 13..."

Saw it only after. But let me reiterate: Mac vs PC...same thing by function, no real problem switching between.

I switched to a MacBook Air two years ago, and I still love it.

I use Scrivener for my writing. Scrivener is developed on the Mac platform, and the Windows is behind on features. I also use Evernote extensively, which is also designed for the Mac OS and then ported to other operating systems. So I figured it was worth giving Mac a try.

Instant start-up
Small enough to carry with you everywhere
Multiple workspaces
Long battery life

The only limitation I have run into is the size of the hard drive. If I was buying again, I would get a larger drive. Evernote and Scrivener are both space hogs, especially if you have 20+ books in Scrivener with research, making 5 backup copies...

Just as an aside, the place to set up your numlock to stay on is in the CMOS before Windows boots. Then it will stay on--or off...

I had to do a clean boot in order to successfully load Windows 10, so that might have disengaged the numlock.

Had a Dell for nearly 7 years, and it served me well enough until the last two years. I used the desktop at work (after hours) for a year. Now I have a Lenovo and think it is amazing (especially compared to a 7-year-old Dell).
Notebooks and pencils are great, too.

Just a note, I dislike the small laptops because they don't have a "home" key, which I use a lot. I have considered Scivener, which PD mentioned.