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Check out DELL small business I got one a year ago with everything for $800. I think they even have better deals now. get all the ram and gigs you can get.

Thanks.  Something to think about.

 One question I get from adjusters buying new laptops is will ??? work on it, many times they have an old laptop with working software and wish to move to a new laptop with little to no down time.

Here is a table of some of the minimum requirements I always try to go the recommended requirements or better, you can click on the product name for additional information.

 Recently I wanted to test some estimating software but did not want to use my work laptop so I walked into Walmart and got an Acer for around $450.00 that exceeded all of the requirements.  Also It has worked well so far. 

Gather 'round, children.

Some years ago, when I was actively drag racing, a "friend" of mine, a fellow racer, just had to have the latest and greatest "trick of the week".  He would endlessly brag about how much faster, smoother, better, quicker, etc this "trick" made his car.  My wife and I would share a smile when I trailered his bragging ass with my ol' Vega. 

I just made sure that the carb was carbing, the spark was sparking and the pistons were  ...................... uh ............. going up and down.

My point here is that you don't need the "budget-buster" machine that was just introduced and that has a steep price tag.  All you need is a quality computer that will do what is asked of it.  Durable is one of the considerations that folks usually don't think about.  In and out of the car/truck at least twice a day, sitting in the sun on the desk in the car, sitting in the car when the air temp is 10 degrees and the heater's not on because if you leave the truck running, someone will steal it..

My current laptop has a 17" screen because I'm old and feeble and can't see.  It has enought hard drive to store the entire contents of the Library of Congress and enough RAM that I don't have to wait on it to do what it should.  My patience has gone the way of my eyesight.  And, it still works after all the abuse it has had in several years.  I look at the ads every Sunday but ol' shakey here will suffice. 

I'd rather spend my money on speed parts.  You know, the "trick of the week".

Like I said ladies and germs, under $500.00.  Don't think that will be a budget buster, just a kick in the seat of the pants.  Thanks to Mr. Roy for his input regarding minimum requirements.

I only use my laptop in the field for more complex losses that require a lot of sketches.  I find it to be a lot faster to do rough sketches by hand and sit in the a/c and comfort of my own office or hotel to input everything in Xact.  I used to be a staff adjuster and was required to settle losses in the field.  However, I now write most estimates when I return to the office. 

One thing to always remember when writing estimates in the field is that if your computer crashes or Xactimate freezes, you will loose your sketch and have to start over.  Always save and exit frequently and back up your computer to prevent return trips. 

I have an HP with  a large screen.  It has an i5 processor and works great.  If you have not used Xactimate a lot, get a large screen laptop.  The extra screen helps a lot when sketching.

As for all of the bells and whistles, I have no use for them.  You can get a great laptop for under $700-$800 that should last for several years.  Just make sure it can run Xactimate and you should be fine.

You can get a great laptop for under $700-$800 that should last for several years.

Posted By ihammerhands on 02/21/2014 7:26 PM
This thread has sat dormant for a while. What specs are people finding work well with Xactimate 28? The recommended 7200 rpm hard drive spec seems hard to find below a $800 price point. Does anyone use a touch screen or tablet? If so, what is your process, carry with you indoors and or roofs? Only in vehicle? Something else?
Does screen size matter much? Currently I have a 17" but not sure how car Adjuster friendly it is compared to 15.5" or even smaller.
Does anyone use a laptop in vehicle and larger laptop or desktop back at "home"?
Price point for a i7 processor, 15.5" screen, 8 gigs RAM, and 500 gig hard drive seem to be $5-700 range

As I'm new and un-tested adjuster waiting for his first deployment, I will first upgrade my existing RAM from 4 to 8 gigs, and await wiser comments here.

Cheers,

Millard

Specs:

Toshiba Qosmio X870

i7 3630 (2.4GHz)

8GB RAM

1.5TB hard drive

17.3" screen

Might be a bit much for what we do, but I do not ever want for speed or storage. Has a bunch of other bells and whistles, but cant use for work since Xact does not offer true 3d yet hehe. It is a big beast, aluminum case, barely fits in a laptop backpack, 3x heavier than the new Sony flip screen that just came out, but it will be relevant and faster than most for at least another 5 years. I use it when we have to set up an on site CAT office, and a desktop for day to day ops. 

If you intend to adjust full time for a living, don't penny pinch when it comes to your gear. You will use it every single day, and if you are even somewhat competent, you will have so much work that you will use it more than you use your bed (33% of your life...). You don't necessarily need to go drop 5 grand on an Alienware gaming rig, but don't let a few hundred dollars or an arbitrary price point stand between a throwaway laptop and one that will withstand years of abuse and advances in tech. The same goes for your tools. Yes, you can buy the el-cheapo sonic tape measure for $20 (does not accurately measure anything.. ever) at any big box home improvement retailer, or on the opposite end of the spectrum you can get the Disto D8 for $700 (the Alienware of laser measuring devices), or you can disregard the hyped high end and the low end that will ultimately cost you money and spend a couple hundred on a decent Bosch, Ryobi or a lower end Disto.

With regards to screen size, bigger is better (especially if you are generating complex sketches), and a couple of inches of screen size will not change the "car friendliness" of your laptop. You can always get a Jotto Desk (nice pro desk that mounts to the seat mounts, swivels, tilts, telescopes and extends for ease of use.. easily detachable for when you are not deployed.. fits up to 23" screen size)

Posted By Jud G. on 02/24/2014 11:47 AM
I'm happy to admit that I don't carry around a checkbook, so I don't keep my laptop in my car. My personal preference is to simply write my claims in an office that day for those that I see. Exception only applies to my large losses that will take a few days to write up.

I used to keep my laptop in my car since it doubled as a GPS tool years ago. AA, do you know if your adjusters still use a Jotto Desk (or similar tool) in their cars or do you see this as becoming obsolete?

1. Run and write.. I wish you did not live where you did.. we could use more people who understand the run and write mentality. 

For daily claims I know a bunch of our guys still have desks in their trucks , and they do get a little use out of them. A "what's the status" or "where is my money" call can be handled on the road by making sure you have your gear with you, making it so that you do not have to try to answer the same questions twice.

For catastrophe work, working in your truck is almost required if you wish to run efficiently. You may or may not wish to have a desk for this, but I highly recommend one.. you will use it a LOT.

I am currently signed on with several companies including Crawford. Crawford has there own Xactimate, does anyone else write for them also? Will I need 2 computers? I really do not want to buy 2. Any help would be great.

Thank you

Buddy,

That was the same question I had when working for Crawford.  Here is the long and short: they Crawfordize the Xactimate with features that are adaptable for the many different carriers they use. I spoke directly to Xactimate at the time during Hurricane Sandi, "there is no way to possibly run Crawford and your own personal Xactimate. Sorry for the bad news. The good news is maybe you will get some work out of it!

Hope this helps, All the Best!

Hutch Roberts

It's a good idea to have two laptops anyway, in the event one of them fails.

I use DropBox to store my data and configurations, so that I can restore a new or repaired computer quickly.

A cheap basic computer with minimal software is a great backup/Crawfordized machine.

Dale