I was reading a story in the Washington Post about President Obama's campaign team was met with Flintstone-esque computers and software on their first day in the White House.
It seems that the Mac-loving staffers were greeted by outdated computers running a 6 YEAR old version of Microsoft Word, no cell phones, were forbidden to use outside email addresses, forbidden to use IM, were told they couldn't use Facebook... and were basically cut off from their digital "life lines."
Yeah, that's the kind of welcome you're hoping for after running one of the most tech-savvy campaigns in history.
NOT!
I can only imagine the let down and the general de-motivation they felt (and probably still are). First of all, for a Mac user to be forced to use a PC is bad enough - but a vintage one running vintage software to boot? Oh yeah, on a DESKTOP machine (whatever that is!) - say it ain't so!
Now, I get the need for the White House systems to be secure, and for there to be processes and regulations regarding what can and casn't be done. I'm also aware that all the "official" work has to be saved under the Presidential Records Act. I have no problem there.
But, one would think that one of the technological superpowers of the world - a country in which the computer revolution was invented - a country that touts one of the most innovative hardware and software epicenters (Silicon Valley) - maybe, perhaps, could get a freaking clue.
After the moronic here's-some-money-with-no-strings-attached bank bailout (version 1.0), and the ill-conceived billions more thrown at antiquated, stupid and wasteful car companies - maybe there's no money left to update the hardware to run Vista - that part I can understand.
However, I'm sure that Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, William Amelio, or Mark Hurd could would be more than willing to cough-up some hardware - and probably Mr. Jobs and Mr. Ballmer would trip all over themselves to offer up a few gratis licenses of their current software.
Make a phone call, people! Oh, that's right - you can't. Well, borrow a quarter, drive to a 7-11 and use something called a "pay phone" ( TIP: Call collect and save the taxpayers some dough, while you're at it) - but make the call.
As for security - we have a couple of little-known agencies called the "FBI" and "NSA" and "CIA" (all with secret budgets, by the way) that just MIGHT be able to help you get some secure phones, secure laptops and can PROBABLY work out how to keep the Viagra spammers from getting the launch codes even though you use Gmail and Facebook. Call them, people!
Barak Obama is the President of the United States of America. One of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. He has promised a new era of transparency into the workings of government, into updating our national infrastructure. We're going to spend over 1 TRILLION dollars helping rescue the economy from the effects of corrupt, stupid and greedy business people - and the Chief Executive's staff can't get a laptop and a cell phone?
Yeah, America - at least we have our priorities straight...
Showing posts with label Dell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dell. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Size Matters
I just love it when big companies screw the pooch in trying to protect their profit margins. Today's case in point: Intel. You see, there are these new, cheap "mini" notebooks with stripped down size (and capabilities) that are commonly called "netbooks."
Intel supplies a large number of manufacturers with a tiny little CPU (called the Atom) for this new class of computers (as you would expect them to). However, the interesting thing - is that the marketplace really likes these little machines. They typically only have a 10" screen - so I'm not sure I could bear replacing my "real" laptop with one (yet) - but they have a long battery life and they're cheap.
Did I mention they're cheap? Like $300 cheap. Like less-than-an-iPhone cheap.
Dell and Samsung and a number of other manufacturers are going to get into the game as well - but they're going to up the screen size from 10" to 12". So, what's the big deal you're asking?
Well, for every netbook that comes out with bigger and better screens at a cheaper price point - that means that Intel is selling one less Dual Core processor it can sell. And, Dual Core processors are to Intel what Office is to Microsoft - the golden cash cow.
In fact, Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch asked Intel if they limit their manufacturers to using the Atom chip in notebooks with screens 10" or under. He got back an "interesting" reply:
Intel seems to be falling into the same trap as Microsoft - namely the one where they want to dictate to the world what form factor and hardware should take to justify the status quo. Bad move, guys.
Intel's problem here is that - big surprise - the consumer is SO DONE with being inundated with crap that doesn't work or doesn't give them control - just to maintain "the way things have always been done." To wit: there are a couple of other chip makers who are getting on the netbook bandwagon in a big way: AMD with it's just-announced Yukon processor and Via Technologies with their faster (and cheaper) Nano processor.
I'm sure the "wagging" and name-calling isn't over by a long shot - but this is going to be a very interesting space to watch. In a way, it's the beginning of a "perfect storm" in terms of market needs matching technology. We're in a recession - so cash is tight. If you can spend $400 and get 75% of the functionality you need - you're going to think twice about spending $2,000 for the extra 25%.
If you access the majority of your software via a browser or some other hosted service - do you really need that extra 25% capability "that you always had?"
And what if the manufacturers bump up the screen size to 14"? And maybe add a solid-state hard drive? And still keep the price around $500-$600?
And the big question - what if Apple decides that it wants to get into the netbook game? Oh yeah, and remember Apple just bought their own chip manufacturing company...
If I were someone important at Intel - I would sure be coming up with a strategy right about now...
Intel supplies a large number of manufacturers with a tiny little CPU (called the Atom) for this new class of computers (as you would expect them to). However, the interesting thing - is that the marketplace really likes these little machines. They typically only have a 10" screen - so I'm not sure I could bear replacing my "real" laptop with one (yet) - but they have a long battery life and they're cheap.
Did I mention they're cheap? Like $300 cheap. Like less-than-an-iPhone cheap.
Dell and Samsung and a number of other manufacturers are going to get into the game as well - but they're going to up the screen size from 10" to 12". So, what's the big deal you're asking?
Well, for every netbook that comes out with bigger and better screens at a cheaper price point - that means that Intel is selling one less Dual Core processor it can sell. And, Dual Core processors are to Intel what Office is to Microsoft - the golden cash cow.
In fact, Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch asked Intel if they limit their manufacturers to using the Atom chip in notebooks with screens 10" or under. He got back an "interesting" reply:
We asked Intel if they forbid manufacturers to build Netbooks with larger than 10 inch screens, which is what those manufacturers are telling us (Dell notwithstanding). Their answer: “Intel defines a netbook as a 10″ or smaller screen size. We recommend that OEMs and netbook manufacturers use that guideline as well in order to get the best user experience.”Ummmm.... yeah... read: "We don't want them to - but we can't stop them because we want to keep selling our more expensive chips to them."
Intel seems to be falling into the same trap as Microsoft - namely the one where they want to dictate to the world what form factor and hardware should take to justify the status quo. Bad move, guys.
Intel's problem here is that - big surprise - the consumer is SO DONE with being inundated with crap that doesn't work or doesn't give them control - just to maintain "the way things have always been done." To wit: there are a couple of other chip makers who are getting on the netbook bandwagon in a big way: AMD with it's just-announced Yukon processor and Via Technologies with their faster (and cheaper) Nano processor.
I'm sure the "wagging" and name-calling isn't over by a long shot - but this is going to be a very interesting space to watch. In a way, it's the beginning of a "perfect storm" in terms of market needs matching technology. We're in a recession - so cash is tight. If you can spend $400 and get 75% of the functionality you need - you're going to think twice about spending $2,000 for the extra 25%.
If you access the majority of your software via a browser or some other hosted service - do you really need that extra 25% capability "that you always had?"
And what if the manufacturers bump up the screen size to 14"? And maybe add a solid-state hard drive? And still keep the price around $500-$600?
And the big question - what if Apple decides that it wants to get into the netbook game? Oh yeah, and remember Apple just bought their own chip manufacturing company...
If I were someone important at Intel - I would sure be coming up with a strategy right about now...
Monday, August 18, 2008
Increasing Battery Life by 80% "Instantly"
So, what if you could instantly increase your laptop battery life by 80% - AND still be able to access the web, instant message? Oh yeah, and be able to have your computer come on instantly...
Yeah, baby!
Well it seems like Dell (taking a cue from the "nettop" sub-compact notebook makers Eee PC, et al) is making it a reality on their newly announced Latitude E4200 and E4300 notebooks.
The magic comes by way of a fully-dedicated, Linux-based system-on-a-chip. This low-power ARM processor and flash memory compbo run completely independently of the main CPU and storage. This means you don't have to wait for your computer to go through a 5 minute boot process just to surf or have a quick IM!
The embedded OS is based on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 and has a built-in Firefox-based browser and customer email, calendar and contacts application, a PDF viewer, a MS office document viewer and the drivers that are needed to use the wireless radio.
There is also talk of getting an IM client and making Flash and Java work in the browser - but that may come in the next release.
I think this is one more nail in the coffin in the long-term prospects for Windows as we know it today. If this concept catches on (and I really can't see why it wouldn't) - people would be getting a free test drive of Linux and I'd bet that people would use this type of browse-only functionality (if they make it EASY to boot) about 30% of the time - maybe even more.
That means as people get used to using Linux, and have confidence in it, they may just opt to give it a try on the desktop as well.
That would mean you could actually USE a computer with Vista on it...
Yeah, baby!
Well it seems like Dell (taking a cue from the "nettop" sub-compact notebook makers Eee PC, et al) is making it a reality on their newly announced Latitude E4200 and E4300 notebooks.
The magic comes by way of a fully-dedicated, Linux-based system-on-a-chip. This low-power ARM processor and flash memory compbo run completely independently of the main CPU and storage. This means you don't have to wait for your computer to go through a 5 minute boot process just to surf or have a quick IM!
The embedded OS is based on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 and has a built-in Firefox-based browser and customer email, calendar and contacts application, a PDF viewer, a MS office document viewer and the drivers that are needed to use the wireless radio.
There is also talk of getting an IM client and making Flash and Java work in the browser - but that may come in the next release.
I think this is one more nail in the coffin in the long-term prospects for Windows as we know it today. If this concept catches on (and I really can't see why it wouldn't) - people would be getting a free test drive of Linux and I'd bet that people would use this type of browse-only functionality (if they make it EASY to boot) about 30% of the time - maybe even more.
That means as people get used to using Linux, and have confidence in it, they may just opt to give it a try on the desktop as well.
That would mean you could actually USE a computer with Vista on it...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Want XP on a Dell? That'll Be $50, Please...
Well, it's the last official day to get XP installed on a Dell without paying a "downgrade" fee. If you're looking for the low-priced Vostro line of desktops and notebooks - bring your piggy bank.
It'll cost $20-$50 more to have XP Professional installed as a downgrade to Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate. Oh yeah, and if you want to downgrade to XP Home - you're S.O.L. - you can only choose XP Professional (which is better, if a little more expensive).
You could, however, choose the more expensive Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision systems and downgrade for no cost - but those machines will set you back the extra $20 to $50 anyway.
Also notice that you have to pop for Vista Business or Ultimate versions in order to be eligible for the downgrade. Those two options are the "high end" of the Vista scale in terms of price. Here's a for example:
If you add Vista Ultimate to a Vostro 400 desktop it'll cost you $149 more than the default Vista Home Basic; choosing to downgrade from Ultimate -- Windows XP pre-installed and the Vista Ultimate installation disc in the box -- costs $169, a surcharge of $20.
And, the best part is - you don't get the XP re-install disc! Hey, great move Dell! I guess this is so that when (not if) your hard drive fails, you can see the error of your ways and install themost hosed piece of crap ever invented "true" operating system - Vista.
To be fair, it's not really Dell's fault - at the end of the day, Dell is only doing what it's supposed to do according to their OEM license with Microsoft.
Microsoft will stop giving computer makers an OEM licesne for XP after June 30th (12 days from now) and will stop selling boxed copies to retailers on that day as well.
My advice? RUN down to BestBuy and get as many of these things as you can afford. Then you can charge all your friends, co-workers, in-laws and relatives cost + $75 to get XP after their hard drive fails or when they realize they need to have a four processor, 32 core system with 8GB of RAM to get Aero to work properly.
I can understand Microsoft wanting to get people on to the "new" code base. It's going to be the basis for their next OS version - and it makes life much easier for THEM - in terms of upgrading.
The interesting thing - is that Microsoft has relaxed the XP OEM licensing until June 2010 for these new subnotebooks like the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and the Eee PC.
Ah, so I get it. Those low-cost, ultraportable notebooks don't come with four processors and 8GB of RAM! So for those people, XP is the ONLY alternative (short of Windows Mobile!) that Microsoft has for them.
Good thing Dell also offers Ubuntu Linux right out of the box - NO extra charge... no downgrade B.S....
It'll cost $20-$50 more to have XP Professional installed as a downgrade to Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate. Oh yeah, and if you want to downgrade to XP Home - you're S.O.L. - you can only choose XP Professional (which is better, if a little more expensive).
You could, however, choose the more expensive Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision systems and downgrade for no cost - but those machines will set you back the extra $20 to $50 anyway.
Also notice that you have to pop for Vista Business or Ultimate versions in order to be eligible for the downgrade. Those two options are the "high end" of the Vista scale in terms of price. Here's a for example:
If you add Vista Ultimate to a Vostro 400 desktop it'll cost you $149 more than the default Vista Home Basic; choosing to downgrade from Ultimate -- Windows XP pre-installed and the Vista Ultimate installation disc in the box -- costs $169, a surcharge of $20.
And, the best part is - you don't get the XP re-install disc! Hey, great move Dell! I guess this is so that when (not if) your hard drive fails, you can see the error of your ways and install the
To be fair, it's not really Dell's fault - at the end of the day, Dell is only doing what it's supposed to do according to their OEM license with Microsoft.
Microsoft will stop giving computer makers an OEM licesne for XP after June 30th (12 days from now) and will stop selling boxed copies to retailers on that day as well.
My advice? RUN down to BestBuy and get as many of these things as you can afford. Then you can charge all your friends, co-workers, in-laws and relatives cost + $75 to get XP after their hard drive fails or when they realize they need to have a four processor, 32 core system with 8GB of RAM to get Aero to work properly.
I can understand Microsoft wanting to get people on to the "new" code base. It's going to be the basis for their next OS version - and it makes life much easier for THEM - in terms of upgrading.
The interesting thing - is that Microsoft has relaxed the XP OEM licensing until June 2010 for these new subnotebooks like the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and the Eee PC.
Ah, so I get it. Those low-cost, ultraportable notebooks don't come with four processors and 8GB of RAM! So for those people, XP is the ONLY alternative (short of Windows Mobile!) that Microsoft has for them.
Good thing Dell also offers Ubuntu Linux right out of the box - NO extra charge... no downgrade B.S....
Friday, May 23, 2008
Vista Sucks
The main reason I didn't post on Thursday is because I got my first experience using Vista. Mind you - I'm a diehard XP user - and I'm not about to EVER install Vista on my own personal machine - but I set out to help a colleague who needed a print driver installed.
It was easy enough - or so I thought. Just go to the Dell site, download the driver, double-click, put in the printer IP address and done.
OK - so finding and downloading the driver took about 10 minutes (not bad). The instructions from the Dell site for the 1710n print driver installation:
These directions are very specific, and on the surface, look very helpful. Until you actually try to follow them.
First of all - it assumes you're using a circa 1998 OS that doesn't have the built-in .zip utility that treats the file like a folder. Second of all there IS NO "Setup.exe" in the download. Instead, there are two .exe files with stupid names that mean nothing to a person that doesn't work at Dell.
OK - so I do what any self-respecting geek would do - pick the first one, and double-click and see what happens. This is where the glory of the Vista experience starts to play out.
As soon as I double-click - Vista gives me a warning dialog that verifies I want to run an installer. It helpfully suggests that installers can "install applications" and those applications can do bad things to your computer - so don't blame us if you hose yourself.
With a chuckle, I murmur "cute" under my breath and proceed to install. As soon as that dialog is dismissed there is another one from "Windows Defender". I need to click to give this program access to install itself - because, you know, installers can install applications, and applications might hose your computer, so don't blame us!
Slight chuckle again.
So this beast installs itself and opens the "Add printer" wizard. Of course there are no Dell print drivers on a Toshiba machine, but the "Have Disk" option isn't there (like on the old Win 2000 and below wizard). Then I notice that Dell helpfully launched an instructional window with instructions that include the admonition to click the "Have Disk" button and follow the prompts.
Ummmm... there is no "have disk" button. So, I clicked the "Cancel" button to exit the installer (so I could Google and find where the "Have Disk" button went in Vista.
Then, Vista helpfully tells me it appears as if the installer didn't finish all the way and do I want to re-launch it. Ummm... NO. That's why I clicked "cancel." Thanks for trying to be helpful, but if you don't know what I intentionally did (click "cancel") - then don't try to "help" me.
OK - so I found out that you have to click "local printer" (even though this was a network printer), and then when it can't find anything, you click "Next" and then you have the "Have Disk" button.
Right. That's intuitive.
So, I relaunch the installer - get the same helpful warnings as before, get to the "Have Disk" button - specify the directory the driver is in... everything says it's ready - and I print a test page.
Or try to. Nothing happens.
Then the print queue errors. The good news is that I get a helpful Vista dialog telling me that there was an "unknown" print error. HEY! Thanks! Wow! Helpful!
Now, I'm not the most geeky geek ever, and I only have a novice understanding of Windows (after 10 years using it) - but I know how to go into the printer control panel and muck with the port settings. So I go to the control panels - try to open the Printers - and Vista gives me yet another "warning" and asks if it's OK to modify the resource.
Slightly cursing under my breath now - I click yes, and muck with the port setup, etc.
So it now works - and printing is fine.
Then there was an issue with the wireless network - it wasn't connecting. So, I went into the wireless connection panel, and simply wanted to check the settings for the wireless setup. Guess what? Yep, Vista helpfully informed me that WiFi is dangerous and people can steal your crap and don't blame us if you hose your computer.
Ok. The connection settings were correct - then it showed a "Wireless connection troubleshooter" link. Finally! This is helpful! In context! When I actually need help! Click...
The help loads - cursor spins, the "Wireless connection troubleshooter" help topic appears... then... a message:
"The help file you requested cannot be found because you are not connected to the Internet."
I am NOT kidding. If I were able to connect to the Internet, I wouldn't need this help topic!
I get the fact that Microsoft is getting its ass kicked for being a leaking toxic tank of security flaws, patches, fixes, bubble gum and bailing wire - but if they take 6 years to "re-write" their operating system - you would think it would be better, not worse.
If you want to include these "helpful" dialogs and wizards - make DAMN SURE that:
I finally got everything working in SPITE of Vista, not because it helped, nor was easy, nor guided me through the process. I got it (and everything else I tried) to work because I'm a bit geeky and generally know what to touch and what not to touch - after 10 years of experience.
I just absolutely SHUTTER at the thought that new computer users - or people who upgrade - or people like my parents will be assaulted by this utterly confusing, dialog-laden, piece of crap as their main way of trying to get their work done (or just surf the net, or whatever).
I'm going to recommend both Macintosh and Ubuntu Linux to all my friends, neighbors, in-laws, and family the next time they ask for OS advice... in fact, my next box just might be a Mac...
It was easy enough - or so I thought. Just go to the Dell site, download the driver, double-click, put in the printer IP address and done.
OK - so finding and downloading the driver took about 10 minutes (not bad). The instructions from the Dell site for the 1710n print driver installation:
- Double-click the new icon on the desktop labeled R147083.zip.
- The Self-Extracting window appears and prompts you to extract or unzip C:\DELL\DRIVERS\R147083. Write down this path so the executable (I.e. Setup.exe) file can be found later.
- The Self-Extractor window appears.
- Click OK.
- After completing the file extraction, if the Self-Extractor window is still open, close it.
- Click the Start button and then click Run.
- Type C:\DELL\DRIVERS\R147083 in the Open textbox and then click OK.
- Follow the on-screen installation instructions.
These directions are very specific, and on the surface, look very helpful. Until you actually try to follow them.
First of all - it assumes you're using a circa 1998 OS that doesn't have the built-in .zip utility that treats the file like a folder. Second of all there IS NO "Setup.exe" in the download. Instead, there are two .exe files with stupid names that mean nothing to a person that doesn't work at Dell.
OK - so I do what any self-respecting geek would do - pick the first one, and double-click and see what happens. This is where the glory of the Vista experience starts to play out.
As soon as I double-click - Vista gives me a warning dialog that verifies I want to run an installer. It helpfully suggests that installers can "install applications" and those applications can do bad things to your computer - so don't blame us if you hose yourself.
With a chuckle, I murmur "cute" under my breath and proceed to install. As soon as that dialog is dismissed there is another one from "Windows Defender". I need to click to give this program access to install itself - because, you know, installers can install applications, and applications might hose your computer, so don't blame us!
Slight chuckle again.
So this beast installs itself and opens the "Add printer" wizard. Of course there are no Dell print drivers on a Toshiba machine, but the "Have Disk" option isn't there (like on the old Win 2000 and below wizard). Then I notice that Dell helpfully launched an instructional window with instructions that include the admonition to click the "Have Disk" button and follow the prompts.
Ummmm... there is no "have disk" button. So, I clicked the "Cancel" button to exit the installer (so I could Google and find where the "Have Disk" button went in Vista.
Then, Vista helpfully tells me it appears as if the installer didn't finish all the way and do I want to re-launch it. Ummm... NO. That's why I clicked "cancel." Thanks for trying to be helpful, but if you don't know what I intentionally did (click "cancel") - then don't try to "help" me.
OK - so I found out that you have to click "local printer" (even though this was a network printer), and then when it can't find anything, you click "Next" and then you have the "Have Disk" button.
Right. That's intuitive.
So, I relaunch the installer - get the same helpful warnings as before, get to the "Have Disk" button - specify the directory the driver is in... everything says it's ready - and I print a test page.
Or try to. Nothing happens.
Then the print queue errors. The good news is that I get a helpful Vista dialog telling me that there was an "unknown" print error. HEY! Thanks! Wow! Helpful!
Now, I'm not the most geeky geek ever, and I only have a novice understanding of Windows (after 10 years using it) - but I know how to go into the printer control panel and muck with the port settings. So I go to the control panels - try to open the Printers - and Vista gives me yet another "warning" and asks if it's OK to modify the resource.
Slightly cursing under my breath now - I click yes, and muck with the port setup, etc.
So it now works - and printing is fine.
Then there was an issue with the wireless network - it wasn't connecting. So, I went into the wireless connection panel, and simply wanted to check the settings for the wireless setup. Guess what? Yep, Vista helpfully informed me that WiFi is dangerous and people can steal your crap and don't blame us if you hose your computer.
Ok. The connection settings were correct - then it showed a "Wireless connection troubleshooter" link. Finally! This is helpful! In context! When I actually need help! Click...
The help loads - cursor spins, the "Wireless connection troubleshooter" help topic appears... then... a message:
"The help file you requested cannot be found because you are not connected to the Internet."
I am NOT kidding. If I were able to connect to the Internet, I wouldn't need this help topic!
I get the fact that Microsoft is getting its ass kicked for being a leaking toxic tank of security flaws, patches, fixes, bubble gum and bailing wire - but if they take 6 years to "re-write" their operating system - you would think it would be better, not worse.
If you want to include these "helpful" dialogs and wizards - make DAMN SURE that:
- They actually work
- The user has the ability to turn them off in an EASY way
- Make them smart enough to know what the user intended to do (or has intentionally done)
I finally got everything working in SPITE of Vista, not because it helped, nor was easy, nor guided me through the process. I got it (and everything else I tried) to work because I'm a bit geeky and generally know what to touch and what not to touch - after 10 years of experience.
I just absolutely SHUTTER at the thought that new computer users - or people who upgrade - or people like my parents will be assaulted by this utterly confusing, dialog-laden, piece of crap as their main way of trying to get their work done (or just surf the net, or whatever).
I'm going to recommend both Macintosh and Ubuntu Linux to all my friends, neighbors, in-laws, and family the next time they ask for OS advice... in fact, my next box just might be a Mac...
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