Now I know I have posted to the blog in close to 6 months but lets just say sometimes life gets in the way of things. Between a new puppy, work, and family there just hasn't been the time or energy one would hope to have to sit down and type out what has been going on. So after a brief vacation and a little time to recharge I am back to continue the work I left behind.
So I wanted to start fresh no more horror stories at least not to begin with, no more making fun of the techno-illiterate just some good tips tricks and reviews to help you along your way. So we are going to start back up with my top 5 pieces of advise.
Tip #1
If you currently are running any version of Windows Vista run do not walk to your nearest computer store/best buy and purchase Windows 7, Vista is probably one of the worst operating systems in the world, its UAC (permission controls) are down right terrible and get in the way of everything. Windows 7 is one of the best operating systems Microsoft has released EVER.
Tip #2
If your thinking about buying a new computer PLEASE GO 64bit. Everything in the marketing is gearing towards a 64bit platform and if your going to spend the money spend it WISELY. The key things you will need is at least a Dual Core but ideally a Quad Core processor (INTEL'S ARE BEST) and AT LEAST 8 GB of memory, now you will see a number of systems in the 6-8 GB range spend the extra to get 8GB minimum.
Tip #3
If you are running a piece of software that is 5-6 years old its time to invest in the newer version. Not only have you gotten your money's worth at this point but with all the advances in hardware, coding and operating systems you will save your self a lot of stress by updating.
Tip #4
Always update your Operating system with the latest patches, with Windows a lot of this is automated if you just turn it on and tell the system when to install, with Apples they do check as well please take the time to install these updates.
Tip #5
Please install some form of antivirus protection on your computer. Windows Microsoft has a good free one, Malwarebytes is a great free scanner or your can purchase the full blown one for $25. Its inexpensive and it will save you from losing all your data or having to take your machine in to a tech place and cost you a lot of money.
Well these are my 5 tips of the day until next time.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Let it snow, let it snow, but oh my god what if the power goes out
Don't you just love how crazy people get when the forecast is calling for snow? It is truly disturbing how crazy people get; hardware stores and grocery places are mobbed for everything people can grab. Good luck if you need a shovel, milk or bread. I spent more time in lines last night (thanks to the list my wife made), then actually shopping. I think the average was 10 minutes of shopping for every 45 minutes spent waiting in line to pay for it!
It only gets worse as the storms draw near, people forget how to drive, or park, for that matter. After hitting all of the major hardware stores (i.e. Home Depot and Lowes) in the area, I decided to go to the small store right down the street from my office. Wouldn't you know they had shovels in abundance?? They had case after case of them lined up in the parking lots. For the low price of $29.99 you can purchase your very own cheap plastic shovel which is sure to break after one use. So I bought two...
Having thoroughly exhausted all my patience, I then made my way to work. What do I walk into? A mob of people wanting laptops for the weekend, and of course they are all checked out by people who were smart and didn't wait until the day of the storm. It is pretty entertaining to see the look on peoples faces as you turn them away again and again. Just one more thing to make my day a little brighter I guess.
Now I work in an old building so the electrical wiring is a little bit questionable. When it's windy out, we have to warn the staff to save their work. So needless to say with up to a minimum of sixteen inches of snow coming people are worried once again that we will lose power this weekend. What are we going to do without email? What will we do if we can't log in from home? These are the questions that drive every IT Administrator nuts. Truthfully, my response should have been "you are going to go without email because if there’s no power in the building NONE OF THE SERVERS WILL WORK". However, one must be polite when speaking to morons, so the response usually ends up being something like this, "We will be monitoring the conditions from home and if the roads permit us driving and there is a power failure or down time we will coordinate with the building manager to make sure the down time is as short as possible".
But such is the life of an IT Administrator. Until next time, stay warm this weekend and try to stay off the roads.
It only gets worse as the storms draw near, people forget how to drive, or park, for that matter. After hitting all of the major hardware stores (i.e. Home Depot and Lowes) in the area, I decided to go to the small store right down the street from my office. Wouldn't you know they had shovels in abundance?? They had case after case of them lined up in the parking lots. For the low price of $29.99 you can purchase your very own cheap plastic shovel which is sure to break after one use. So I bought two...
Having thoroughly exhausted all my patience, I then made my way to work. What do I walk into? A mob of people wanting laptops for the weekend, and of course they are all checked out by people who were smart and didn't wait until the day of the storm. It is pretty entertaining to see the look on peoples faces as you turn them away again and again. Just one more thing to make my day a little brighter I guess.
Now I work in an old building so the electrical wiring is a little bit questionable. When it's windy out, we have to warn the staff to save their work. So needless to say with up to a minimum of sixteen inches of snow coming people are worried once again that we will lose power this weekend. What are we going to do without email? What will we do if we can't log in from home? These are the questions that drive every IT Administrator nuts. Truthfully, my response should have been "you are going to go without email because if there’s no power in the building NONE OF THE SERVERS WILL WORK". However, one must be polite when speaking to morons, so the response usually ends up being something like this, "We will be monitoring the conditions from home and if the roads permit us driving and there is a power failure or down time we will coordinate with the building manager to make sure the down time is as short as possible".
But such is the life of an IT Administrator. Until next time, stay warm this weekend and try to stay off the roads.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Ipad vs Netbook
Ipad vs Netbook
A lot has been said about the debut of the Apple IPad. There have been
many that said the IPad marks the death of the netbook, much like they
said the Iphone would kill the blackberry. In this post I will expand on
both the Ipad and the Netbook, their differences, and give you my
opinion on which is better.
Up first is the Ipad: http://www.apple.com/ipad/
Starting price of the Ipad is $499, which might seem high but if you
consider a 32GB Iphone was about $400, it's not so far fetched. The Ipad
is, for lack of a better comparison, a larger Iphone without the ability
to make phone calls. The screen is beautiful and very responsive to the
touch, with just under a 10" viewable area.
The Ipad comes in two configurations, strictly WiFi, or WiFi and 3G
compatible. Given the choice, I think it would be pretty stupid to buy
the Ipad without the 3G compatibility, however this will add $130 to the
cost of the model you decide to buy. Here is a link to the pricing break
down based on the size of the hard drive you want:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/pricing/
By itself, the Ipad seems a little clumsy to hold, and there isn't to
much room to grip the sides. This can make for an uncomfortable
experience. But for the low price of $69.00 look at what apple has made
just for this expensive product, your very own Ipad Keyboard dock. And
wait there's more, for the low price of $39.00, you can get a nice case
that folds and makes your Ipad easier to handle. So let's say these are
essential, because really, who is going to always type on a big pad with
the on-screen keyboard?? The starting price for the smallest Ipad just
went from $499 to $739. So already it is not so good, and if you want a
bigger one, you're up to $939.
So its first bad move, you guessed it - the price! Now, I believe if
apple really wanted to make a splash in the market, items such as the
keypad and the case would be included since you get a keyboard and case
with pretty much any laptop/netbook you purchase. While I don't want to
just point out the negative, cost is definitely going to be a driving
factor behind the success of this product.
The second and third bad moves with this product have to do with its
capabilities. You cannot install any software on this that you already
own. You have to purchase everything from the App Store, much like you
do on the Iphone. This can be an annoyance to say the least. The third
thing I dislike most about Apple products - they do not support Adobe
Flash player. This is a big mistake because guess what you can't do
without flash player? About a thousand things on the internet. You can't
play games on facebook like farmville or poker. You can't go to some of
the sites and watch anything that was created in flash format. It
simply kills a lot of the fun out there you could have on a device like
the Ipad.
Let's look at some of the good things the Ipad brings to the table.
Apple was smart enough to make a deal with AT&T so that you could use
your Ipad much like your Iphone. You can get the 3g Unlimited Data plan
for the Ipad for $29.99/month. This will allow you to use this anywhere
you have a 3G connection. The WiFi connection goes all the way up to N,
which gives you a faster and wider connection area if you are not using
the 3G plan.
The battery life is another great feature, you get a whopping 10 hours
of usage which is nice no matter what device you are using. The Ipad
also has some cool video playing features, such as captions for videos.
You can find all the cool specs here http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/.
All in all, I think the Ipad could be a useful tool to simply browse the
internet and check email. However, I think the price is a little skewed
on this one.
Now let's look at the Netbooks:
There are a number of netbooks out there, you can usually get one at a
cell phone company with a data plan for around $200. The netbook I am
going to use for this example is the HP Mini sold by AT&T.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?q_sku
=sku4170226
For $199 and a 2 year commitment you get a HP Mini 110. The data rates
for the 3G data plan are $35/month for 200MBs or $60/month for 5GB. Out
of these two, you should definitely go with the 5GB plan, because if you
go over the 200 you will pay alot in over-limit fees. The netbook has a
160GB Hard drive compared to the 16 Gb in the Ipad. That's 10x the space
for 1/3 the price. Score: Netbook-1, Ipad-0.
The battery life of the netbook is just under 4 hours. Here is where the
Ipad rules: 10 hours of usage is just unheard of and it definitely puts
a notch on the board for the Ipad. The Netbooks are also generally
heavier, which is something people do take into consideration when they
are mobile. Score: Netbook-1, Ipad-1
As far as screen size and resolution both have about the same viewable
area, and are well suited for the needs of the mobile user. However,
here's what the Netbook has that the Ipad doesn't. USB Ports. How on
earth could they release a product that's supposed to take down a
netbook and not put USB ports on it?? The netbook gets 2 points for
this, for the simple fact that it has 3 USB ports and should make if far
superior. Score: Netbook-3, Ipad-1
The next thing the Netbook has going for it is Windows 7. Microsoft for
all of the infinite wisdom, finally got an Operating System RIGHT.
Windows 7 isn't a memory hog, its management is much easier and its
blazing speed puts ANY APPLE O/S TO SHAME. The other thing is the
Netbook not only has the 3G and WiFi capabilities of an Ipad, but it
also has a network jack. So, when you really want to run it fast, you
can plug it straight into your router. Sorry Ipad this is where you
lack, Score: Netbook-4, Ipad-1.
All in all, while the Ipad is a nifty gadget to carry around and use to
watch YouTube videos or look at email, I would rather spend my money on
a netbook which will let me do a lot more for a lot less.
A lot has been said about the debut of the Apple IPad. There have been
many that said the IPad marks the death of the netbook, much like they
said the Iphone would kill the blackberry. In this post I will expand on
both the Ipad and the Netbook, their differences, and give you my
opinion on which is better.
Up first is the Ipad: http://www.apple.com/ipad/
Starting price of the Ipad is $499, which might seem high but if you
consider a 32GB Iphone was about $400, it's not so far fetched. The Ipad
is, for lack of a better comparison, a larger Iphone without the ability
to make phone calls. The screen is beautiful and very responsive to the
touch, with just under a 10" viewable area.
The Ipad comes in two configurations, strictly WiFi, or WiFi and 3G
compatible. Given the choice, I think it would be pretty stupid to buy
the Ipad without the 3G compatibility, however this will add $130 to the
cost of the model you decide to buy. Here is a link to the pricing break
down based on the size of the hard drive you want:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/pricing/
By itself, the Ipad seems a little clumsy to hold, and there isn't to
much room to grip the sides. This can make for an uncomfortable
experience. But for the low price of $69.00 look at what apple has made
just for this expensive product, your very own Ipad Keyboard dock. And
wait there's more, for the low price of $39.00, you can get a nice case
that folds and makes your Ipad easier to handle. So let's say these are
essential, because really, who is going to always type on a big pad with
the on-screen keyboard?? The starting price for the smallest Ipad just
went from $499 to $739. So already it is not so good, and if you want a
bigger one, you're up to $939.
So its first bad move, you guessed it - the price! Now, I believe if
apple really wanted to make a splash in the market, items such as the
keypad and the case would be included since you get a keyboard and case
with pretty much any laptop/netbook you purchase. While I don't want to
just point out the negative, cost is definitely going to be a driving
factor behind the success of this product.
The second and third bad moves with this product have to do with its
capabilities. You cannot install any software on this that you already
own. You have to purchase everything from the App Store, much like you
do on the Iphone. This can be an annoyance to say the least. The third
thing I dislike most about Apple products - they do not support Adobe
Flash player. This is a big mistake because guess what you can't do
without flash player? About a thousand things on the internet. You can't
play games on facebook like farmville or poker. You can't go to some of
the sites and watch anything that was created in flash format. It
simply kills a lot of the fun out there you could have on a device like
the Ipad.
Let's look at some of the good things the Ipad brings to the table.
Apple was smart enough to make a deal with AT&T so that you could use
your Ipad much like your Iphone. You can get the 3g Unlimited Data plan
for the Ipad for $29.99/month. This will allow you to use this anywhere
you have a 3G connection. The WiFi connection goes all the way up to N,
which gives you a faster and wider connection area if you are not using
the 3G plan.
The battery life is another great feature, you get a whopping 10 hours
of usage which is nice no matter what device you are using. The Ipad
also has some cool video playing features, such as captions for videos.
You can find all the cool specs here http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/.
All in all, I think the Ipad could be a useful tool to simply browse the
internet and check email. However, I think the price is a little skewed
on this one.
Now let's look at the Netbooks:
There are a number of netbooks out there, you can usually get one at a
cell phone company with a data plan for around $200. The netbook I am
going to use for this example is the HP Mini sold by AT&T.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?q_sku
=sku4170226
For $199 and a 2 year commitment you get a HP Mini 110. The data rates
for the 3G data plan are $35/month for 200MBs or $60/month for 5GB. Out
of these two, you should definitely go with the 5GB plan, because if you
go over the 200 you will pay alot in over-limit fees. The netbook has a
160GB Hard drive compared to the 16 Gb in the Ipad. That's 10x the space
for 1/3 the price. Score: Netbook-1, Ipad-0.
The battery life of the netbook is just under 4 hours. Here is where the
Ipad rules: 10 hours of usage is just unheard of and it definitely puts
a notch on the board for the Ipad. The Netbooks are also generally
heavier, which is something people do take into consideration when they
are mobile. Score: Netbook-1, Ipad-1
As far as screen size and resolution both have about the same viewable
area, and are well suited for the needs of the mobile user. However,
here's what the Netbook has that the Ipad doesn't. USB Ports. How on
earth could they release a product that's supposed to take down a
netbook and not put USB ports on it?? The netbook gets 2 points for
this, for the simple fact that it has 3 USB ports and should make if far
superior. Score: Netbook-3, Ipad-1
The next thing the Netbook has going for it is Windows 7. Microsoft for
all of the infinite wisdom, finally got an Operating System RIGHT.
Windows 7 isn't a memory hog, its management is much easier and its
blazing speed puts ANY APPLE O/S TO SHAME. The other thing is the
Netbook not only has the 3G and WiFi capabilities of an Ipad, but it
also has a network jack. So, when you really want to run it fast, you
can plug it straight into your router. Sorry Ipad this is where you
lack, Score: Netbook-4, Ipad-1.
All in all, while the Ipad is a nifty gadget to carry around and use to
watch YouTube videos or look at email, I would rather spend my money on
a netbook which will let me do a lot more for a lot less.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Admin's wife
IT wifey - a rare breed of wife who is knowledgeable about IT, but still doesn't understand why her husband refused to acknowledge her intelligence.
Convo 1
wifey: i hate the new excel program! i hate excel! why can i not save my file??
IT administrator: select 'file', then 'save as'
wifey: yes, I know...but where is 'file'????
IT administrator: at the top honey.... (exasperated)
wifey: i see a weird colored icon...is that what you mean by 'file' IT genius????
IT administrator: oh yeah, that's what I meant...duh!
wifey: BUT THAT'S NOT FILE!!!! it's a WEIRD....
IT administrator: but...
wifey: COLORED
IT administrator: it's....
wifey: ICON!!!!!!!
IT administrator: love you...
End Result: We're still married...
Convo 2
wifey: my internet has died!
IT administrator: did you plug in the network cable?
wifey: yes
IT administrator: did you check the internet connection?
wifey: Yes.
IT administrator: did you check the router?
wifey: YEs.
IT administrator: did you restart the router?
wifey: Yes
IT administrator: ok, I'll look at it when I get home
wifey: (simmering with anger) WHAT??!!! i need to farm!
IT administrator: Try unplugging the cable modem and router
wifey: Its not working
IT Administrator: Ill be home in 5 minutes
wifey: But my crops
End Result: I saved the farm.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The IT Geek's 2010 New Year's Resolution
Ok, so I've been to thousands of sites recommending various solutions to many different problems. Some are incredibly helpful while others are a waste of time. I'd like to help you sort through the mass of information out there and highlight new insights into the world of IT.
A little bit about my background: I currently have a BS in Computer Science and Information Systems. I have also completed my MCSE certifications. I am one of the Experts on Experts Exchange with a Master level Certification in Microsoft Operating Systems and Exchange Email Servers. You can take a look at the website here: http://www.experts-exchange.com. This is a great site to find a ton of useful information. If you are an IT administrator, I would highly recommend joining this site. The knowledge you gain by helping others is truly worth it in the long run.
My IT environment currently consists of mostly windows with a dash of Apple and Novell in the mix. I work on everything from cell phones to SAN storage devices, and the staff at my office ranges from people who don't know how to print a web page all the way up to users who are smarter than some of the IT staff. This definitely makes each and every day unique and interesting to say the least.
1)I would like to share my expertise in the IT field by answering your questions or posting useful information
2)I would like to share some of the funnier aspects of my day-to-day life as an IT administrator
Let’s be honest, I don’t know everything. Nor can I truly know the precise pains your currently facing in your IT environment or your experiences with computers. My goal is to provide assistance with everything from setting up a computer to setting up a complete domain infrastructure. I can basically give anyone my general insight and recommendations based on my previous experiences and your current issues.
Let’s be honest, I don’t know everything. Nor can I truly know the precise pains your currently facing in your IT environment or your experiences with computers. My goal is to provide assistance with everything from setting up a computer to setting up a complete domain infrastructure. I can basically give anyone my general insight and recommendations based on my previous experiences and your current issues.
I've been fortunate to have a pretty diverse back ground in IT thanks to my current employer. I've kind of become the "go-to" expert in any field that has to do with anything remotely electronic in our office. I am sure that some of the stories I share will either remind you of one of your experiences, while others may remind you of something you have asked your own IT admin from time to time. This should be a fun experience, both for me writing and expressing my side of the IT world, and for you as the reader for your insights and comments.
So please subscribe and lets get the conversations going. Hopefully we can all learn a thing or two from each other, or at least share a couple of laughs together!!
So please subscribe and lets get the conversations going. Hopefully we can all learn a thing or two from each other, or at least share a couple of laughs together!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)