Davesbs Blog

Hooray, it’s finally here…the news we have all been waiting for…drum roll please………………………………..

Yes it’s that announcement. Microsoft have been fined again!

News headlines everywhere: ‘EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn’

You didn’t think I was going to blog about, what is it, Windows Server 2008 or something like that?

How can this happen on a day that quite rightly should change the corporate computing world like nothing since Windows NT? That’s my take on it.

Now, it’s not Microsoft’s fault that this news comes out on the very same day that Server 2008 is launched, just like it is not altogether Microsoft’s fault that some parts of Vista don’t work because other companies haven’t written new drivers or updated their software.

IT IS Microsoft’s fault that this launch has been, well not even a sideline but a non-entity. Where is the reasoning, the business case, the techie explanation, the fanfare, the ticker-tape parade, Steve Ballmer saying something remotely eye-catching?

Whilst a Server OS is never going to capture the hearts and minds of average Joe users, it should get techies and business people/press excited.

Fact is however, unless you are extremely geeky or work for Microsoft, this launch has (I will repeat) been a non-entity. Even most techie people have not really bothered to keep up with the news. Anecdotal evidence from my very small straw poll I grant you but none the less there has been no huge groundswell of interest or fanfare.

Microsoft have been criticised for years that their software is insecure, bloated, badly written, over-priced etc etc etc…. yawn.

Well here is (was) a chance to show that they have changed. Server Core, self-healing NTFS, Virtualisation and Powershell to name a few things that really should get businesses as well as techs frothing at the mouth over.

What do we get instead: ‘EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn’

Why oh why?

We will miss her!

Beautiful, a strong adjective. This is reserved for the most attractive amongst us!

Susanne is one of those.

Let me explain!

Apart from the obvious (unless you are hard of seeing or asexual, Susanne is a very attractive girl ), Susanne ‘attracts’ people with her obvious knowledge and enthusiasm. 

The SMB market can be a tough nut to crack but Susanne has been trying and supporting people who have tried for many years.

Many thanks to Susanne and I hope she has a great time whatever she is doing around the world, thanks for all the support you have given me!

Love ya babe!

Dave

Whilst I service and integrate Apple Mac’s with PC’s, I am coming to the horrible conclusion that the operating system religious argument has come full circle.

Whilst a few years ago, it was almost amusing to compare XP with Tiger, now it is derigeur to make Vista appear like Leopard!

Why?

Each has their own ‘religious zealots’ but not so many independent commentators. Well now I am one!

Surprise surprise, each to their own, some love/hate/like Vista whilst others do the same with OSX Leopard.

When you look at the facts, the reason people in the Windows world are so up in arms is because of change.

Mac people put up with and/or love, change. Well you might think that but, OSX hasn’t ‘really’ changed for years.

If Windows stayed in the same time-line as OSX, we would all be using XP, and whilst nothing wrong with that, at least Microsoft has tried to move forward and got rid of some old baggage. What do they get for their trouble?

A lot of bollocks that’s what.

All I want to know is:

1. what do you think makes Vista so unusable
2. why is XP better
3. why is the 5% market share Apple Mac better
4. why is XP so much of an attractive proposition, and if it is, why do all these people suddenly want a MAC? (even though they don’t)!

Off my soapbox,

Cheers,

Dave

After doing an all nighter and a Server down/restore from first thing this morning plus a 6.45am BNI meeting where I did my 10 minute presentation, usual networking, quotes, quotes, qoutes and more paperwork……..

I do appreciate the thought of an extra pair of hands. Wage bill alone doesn’t bear thinking about even if it was a part time student to do some techie stuff. I would have to treble monthly contracts income overnight to contemplate getting help onboard!

It makes me wonder how others in my shoes get on? It must be a very common problem.

Anyone?…

Hi all,

One of the problems of being a single person company (or SPF: Single Point of Failure as Vlad puts it) is the time/work ratio.

This is the only thing that I sometimes have issues with. Not being able to delegate to someone else. It is the good and bad part of running your own (not OWN ) company. I am the SPF; the techie, the business promoter, the net-worker etc etc etc!

Things are now changing here at 101 Digital Services though.

Can’t talk about a few of them yet but mostly it is the realisation that I need help with certain things. Business processes must change so in that respect the following are being made;

1. Make more use of the tools I already have without spending too much time away from running and more importantly promoting the business. MOA with Outlook and BCM for one. Use ShockeyMonkey/Kaseya etc to my full advantage. Make time to do this by….
2. Passing off business processes that I have no inclination or skills to cope with. Bookkeeping is one example I have been struggling with since the start. I thought because I was in computers, that I should be able to do it myself. It’s like database and programming stuff, have tried to learn a few times but just don’t have the type of mind to do it. I know people who do though.
3. Making use of existing and new networking/word of mouth marketing opportunities. BNI works for me but need to leverage existing clients and their networks. Join other networking groups. Partner with other providers who can do what I can’t and vice versa.
4. Make use of my time to actually be the business rather than work in the business being the techie etc. If that is all I am seen as by clients then that is all I will be and the same I presume for any other SMB single person IT company.

Having a more productive time lately after a slow start to the year. (Is it me or did anyone else find it especially difficult to get motivated after New Year this time? )

Blogging took a bit of a hit but I am back now. All focused and that….

P.S. I have had some technical difficulties recently and therefore apologise to anyone who had commented on any of my blog posts but didn’t see them until now. Feel free to comment and these will be shown in a more timely fashion. Thanks to all who have read, tracked back to and commented on my posts! It is very much appreciated.

Apple Macs are Greeeeeat, as Tony the Tiger might say!

Except they aren’t. Not if you need any work done on their internals.

Case in point, a three year old Power Mac G5 dual processor Tower. Perfectly decent with enough ram etc to whip through even huge Photoshop tasks.

Client phones to say his machine came out of sleep, made a loud cracking noise and died.

Fairly obvious to even PC Worlds Colin that the power supply was goosed. I went round just to confirm with multimeter in hand and that’s where the problems started.

Firstly, just an aside to the usual refrain from Mac evangelists; ‘Macs look brilliant and never crash or get a virus unlike those PC things people always want me to buy’. Well, they may look good they may not it depends on your personal opinion. A Subaru whatever may look good to some people where as others love their Alfa’s. Chicken is nice to eat if you like it… see where I am going.

As for they never crash/go wrong etc or get a virus. It is pretty obvious again that as Apple has a much smaller share in the computer market that it will not be targeted as often. Most offices even if they are creative types have PC’s doing the admin stuff, the stuff mostly targeted by crims and basically PC’s are more prevalent so therefore it makes sense to target them with mass spam bots etc.

But, never go wrong or crash…. HA Fu**ing HA. That is the biggest li.. eh, mistruth that I have ever heard.

I have been using/servicing/installing/integrating Apple products as long as I have PC’s and although Apple have a distinct advantage when they make the OS and hardware, things do often go wrong.

back to the story…

Here is the rub. Basically this G5 is on the verge of being PC-ised in that it has standard SATA hard drives and other bits but many parts are still proprietary. This includes the power supply. Made for Apple by various suppliers to fit in the case, to get it out meant disassembling half the machine including the processors.

As I am not an Apple Authorised Service Provider, I cannot just order these parts from apple. I also can’t get apple hardware diagnostic tools. So to a third party provider. Cost of said part £200…for a Power Supply!!!!!!

Two things to be aware of if you are doing this kind of job.

1) If you upgrade or replace any processor, you must get an AASP to thermally calibrate the Mac.

2) If you replace a faulty motherboard, again it is a trip to an AASP (of which there are only 2 in Scotland)

If I were to try to become AASP I would have to jump through so many financial and time consuming hoops that I just will not do it. I therefore do not want to touch any more Apple hardware problems.

As much as people love their Mac’s, please stop the deluded ‘Mac is so much better than PC arguments’ and look at the hard facts.

Thank you PC is all I can say!