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.
Friday, February 5, 2010
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.
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