Davesbs Blog

I recently opted to scrub my four year old laptop with Vista Business from the Action Pack and reinstall XP Pro.

Vista had been running very well (without Aero as the graphics chip couldn’t cope) however some dodgy Vista wifi drivers put me off slightly. The old adage about buying hardware that is designed for Vista is true.

I had now done what many people seem to be doing and gone back to XP. Good old solid, working XP!

Unfortunately, I have a deflated feeling now. It all just seems so bland. It’s exactly like the days of early (Early, Vista has been out for over a year!) XP and Win98. People moaned about new ways of having to do things, couldn’t find menus etc. What do these same people say about XP now? They love it and think it was the best OS MSFT ever made!

The major reason people do not like Vista is because a certain bit of software will not work with it. Well why not? Is it MSFT’s fault?

It’s like my favourite technology analogy: cars. When Unleaded petrol came out, some cars could be retro fitted, others just had to stay with 4 star and all new cars were able to take Unleaded.

Just like PC’s today. Some like my old laptop can be retro fitted, some are too old and all new ones should be able to run Vista just fine.

What about software that helps run businesses though. By now, over a year on and especially with SP1, EVERY bit of Windows software should be able to run perfectly well on Vista. Some can be retro fitted with patches others have to have complete overhauls with new versions etc but they ALL should work.

Why then are there still software vendors who don’t or won’t support Vista. Imagine in the Mac market if some software was still stuck at OSX version 10.2! I know what would happen then. It really angers me that some software companies cannot or will not help their own clients with updated modern versions of their own software to keep up with technology and then blame it on Microsoft! L

Hi all,

You may have noticed, if you were interested, that I haven’t blogged for a while.

The reason…basically I haven’t been really passionate about anything much in the last month or so. Don’t know if it is to do with a slowish start to the year, being a one person business working in slight isolation or just one of those things.

Although Windows 2008 and Vista SP1 have arrived, I still didn’t feel the enthusiasm of earlier launches as I blogged about before.

Thinking about this though, the one thing I am very passionate about is helping my clients. Helping them run their businesses better by getting to know how and why they run the business. How technology and especially the right technology can help run their business better. Becoming a trusted partner to their businesses. Basically, everything that myself and many many other single person or small IT businesses can/should provide to their clients. Something I think the big (PC World/BT/Dell etc) service providers cannot, although they claim local presence etc.

The credit crunch may be beginning to hit with some clients looking at leasing instead of buying outright. However, I haven’t detected companies not wanting a focused, personal, local, trusted IT provider to become their outsourced IT department and business partner.

Roll on SBS 2008…now that is something I am enthusiastic about

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!

I was at an Edinburgh SBS user group meeting last night with a presentation about Microsoft Office Accounting.

I have been on the beta test of Microsoft Office Accounting since the beginning and hoped it would kick the traditional accountancy software market up the bum! 

Looks like it has.

Apparently, double the expected amount of accountants have signed up since the November launch and the official consumer launch is in early March.

It really looks to be a Sage and Quickbooks killer. It is somewhat in between the two of them regards ease of use and functions but is so much more intuitive if you use Outlook 2007, BCM and MOA together.

Many thanks to Duncan from Icelantic for the excellent presentation.

He has been using MOA (with BCM and Outlook 2007) for over a year in a production environment and is having excellent feedback from clients regards MOA. Many are accountants who say they will swap from Sage.

Also Angus from Amber Computing has been installing the Express version and again getting very good responses from clients.

I use Quickbooks 2003 at the moment but will be swapping over to MOA in April for the next tax year.

All we need now are some bookkeepers to really get to learn MOA and offer accounts setup services etc and I think this will really take of in the UK.

There has been a lot of chatter in the newsgroups recently about Microsoft licensing and what to do if you think the legality of clients software is suspect.

Here is my opinion. Funny that, it being my blog

Simple, get them to become legitimate (or legal) or walk away.

Let’s clarify this. Why I said legitimate or legal is because these can be two seperate things. Why? well frankly, just because Microsoft and it’s lawers say something should be the case, it doesn’t mean that it is the law.

It is Microsofts opinion, in their favour, of what it’s lawers interperit the law to be. For it to be seen as legal, it must be put through the proper judicial process. Yes, a court case. Some Microsoft license agreements have been through this process whilst others haven’t.

As a responsible business partner of your client (and business partner of Microsoft), you sell them the product and should do everything in your power to make sure they are buying and using it in a legitimate and/or legal fashion. Simple. You are not the Microsoft police like some have suggested and no-one really expects you to be so… but you also have to be a proper business partner to the client.

Would a solicitor or accountant turn a blind eye to a bit of ‘you didn’t see that did you’? Some might but I don’t want to do business with them and neither do I want to do business with clients who expect me to go against my own advice and potentially leave myself and the client open to legal action. That’s why I said walk away. The slight loss in revenue from this now grade c or d client is not worth the hassle.

Choose the right clients who want your advice for a reason, who see the value in their IT infrastructure and see you as a businees advisor and you can build on this.

Then again, Microsoft have to look at simplifying their licensing………Oh god don’t start that one