Technology In Check

Many people have slagged Windows Vista for a variety of reasons. New PC’s that normally would have Vista installed can be bought with a Windows XP “downgrade”. And now that Vista Service Pack 1 is out the playing field will once again be covered in a foggy glow, and we can expect a rash of fresh calls to continue buying XP in favour of Vista (more about the Vista service pack next week).

However Vista has been available for over a year, and XP sales are due to stop soon. So what happens when you simply can’t buy XP any more? What are you supposed to to do then? Here’s the breakdown, and why business managers should care. Continue Reading »

Got an iPod? Now you’re getting Safari too.

Apple is joining the ranks of malware installers everywhere by installing software on your computer whether you want it or not. In this case, it’s their Safari web browser.

The installer is piggy-backing along with an iTunes/ Quicktime update. It shows up in the list of available updates even if you don’t have it installed already. If you let the Apple Software Update run without looking at what’s going on… BAM! You have new software on your computer. If you de-select the Safari instal, it comes back after you install your iTunes update.

I haven’t yet found a way to disable the installer other than just not running the Apple Software Updater. There are reports on Slashdot that you can kill the installer by hitting ‘Cancel’ at some point during the Safari installation. Me? I’m not trying it. I just won’t let it run in the first place.

Apple should know better.

Let’s spend a few minutes looking at something which is tangent to working from home… managing software licenses. Now I’m sure many business managers read that phrase and say “What’s to manage? You buy software and install it!”. End of problem, right?

Not so much. Especially for organizations over 50 machines, license management can become a bit of a bugaboo. And when you hit the magic 50-mark, you also start showing up on the radar of auditing companies.

Here’s why caring can save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Continue Reading »

Much has been said over the years about the pros and cons of telecommuting, and yet for some reason many business managers still feel a great deal of resistance toward the notion. As a professional geek this is something quite baffling to me. Especially in light of a recent article that reported on findings of several studies on the subject.

Managers know how to do the cost analysis, so I won’t go into that here. Instead, I’m going to spend a few minutes discussing some of the variables affecting remote users from a technology perspective, so that business managers can make a decision from a more informed position.

Continue Reading »

In looking back over the last couple posts I’ve written here, it occurs to me that I’m a bit guilty of breaking my own rules. Specifically, I’ve introduced some technical jargon without explaining it, which for business-minded folk definitely does not contribute to the idea of keeping it simple (the Kiss principle).

So I’d like to spend few moments explaining some of the terms I used in my post from last week. If nothing else, it should offer some clarity to business managers, and possibly help you understand what some of the fuss is all about.

Continue Reading »