There are several Environmental Disposal and Recycling Services out there that have some good, no cost programs in place. If you were in Canada for instance, I'd recommend contacting the Electronic Recycling Association (link provided below). ERA for instance can collect old computers for donation and recycling in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, and across Canada. They have different programs setup depending on whether it's a private individual or a business that is making the donation.
I'm certain that most provincial or state governements in North America can provide many other options or contact information for other such organizations.
If you believe that you are ready to take on the responsibilities of IT Management, then you have to ask your current organization for the opportunity to be considered for the position. Being ready though, isn't simply a matter of experience. It is also the commitment to growth you've demonstrated through training and certification that you've persued on your own and without being coerced by the organization. Volunteering to take the lead on high profile internal projects or committees, even those that aren't necessarily IT related such as Employment Equity or Health and Safety, will get you noticed as a leader.
Should you not be successful, regardless of the reasoning, it's a sign that it's time for a change. Within the next couple of months, either look for new opportunities to develop the skills you believe were lacking to be taken seriously or look for an appropriate IT Management position in another organization.
If they simply didn't feel that you're the person for the job, then it's a perception issue that you'll likely not overcome. Thank them for their consideration and look upon the experience as an opportunity for growth.
Step 1: Call the manufacturer and explain the issue. Omit the fact that you have Linux on the system. It's irrelevant to the fact that you have a physical component defect that needs to be repaired. Should they ask about the OS, LIE!
Step 2: Create an image of your system, using Ghost or some other clone utility. All workorders, even when no work is being done on the HDD have a limitation of liability clause concerning lost data. All it takes is for a tech who has pulled the system apart to replace the part to accidentally put the hard drive on a disk eraser or large magnet.
Step 3: Reload the original OS using the restore CD, or do a quick and dirty install of Vista. It'll only be on there long enough for you to receive your laptop back.
Step 4: Bring it in for repair.
Step 5: Call the manufacturer and ask them about how the warranty is affected by the install or update of an OS other than what was on the system. I'll bet they have no problem with it. Then explain to them the experience you had with their warranty service location.
Step 6: Pick up your laptop and let the service provider know that you've filed a complaint with the manufacturer.
Step 7: Re-load your backed up image to the system and enjoy!
I've done this a few times. It seems to be a problem when the service facility has no knowledge of or confidence in touching a Linux installed system. Never has it had anything to do with "policy" or "warranty".
Why not simply create your own custom.dic file and use it with a text editor. Although my work is not with programming languages, I've found that having a 'legal.dic' containing legal terminology and 'audit.dic' containing auditor terminology has been invaluable with my work. I can't imagine not being able to do the same for program code, since much of the codes are predefined in a lexicon and easily transferred to a dictionary file.
I've personally been using SyncBack for years with tremendous success, both as a general use and as a data manager. The basic features are usually enough, however the expert mode really shows the usefulness of the utility.
http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/
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There are several Environmental Disposal and Recycling Services out there that have some good, no cost programs in place. If you were in Canada for instance, I'd recommend contacting the Electronic Recycling Association (link provided below). ERA for instance can collect old computers for donation and recycling in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, and across Canada. They have different programs setup depending on whether it's a private individual or a business that is making the donation.
I'm certain that most provincial or state governements in North America can provide many other options or contact information for other such organizations.
http://www.era.ca/
If you believe that you are ready to take on the responsibilities of IT Management, then you have to ask your current organization for the opportunity to be considered for the position. Being ready though, isn't simply a matter of experience. It is also the commitment to growth you've demonstrated through training and certification that you've persued on your own and without being coerced by the organization. Volunteering to take the lead on high profile internal projects or committees, even those that aren't necessarily IT related such as Employment Equity or Health and Safety, will get you noticed as a leader.
Should you not be successful, regardless of the reasoning, it's a sign that it's time for a change. Within the next couple of months, either look for new opportunities to develop the skills you believe were lacking to be taken seriously or look for an appropriate IT Management position in another organization.
If they simply didn't feel that you're the person for the job, then it's a perception issue that you'll likely not overcome. Thank them for their consideration and look upon the experience as an opportunity for growth.
Good luck!
Georges
Step 1: Call the manufacturer and explain the issue. Omit the fact that you have Linux on the system. It's irrelevant to the fact that you have a physical component defect that needs to be repaired. Should they ask about the OS, LIE! Step 2: Create an image of your system, using Ghost or some other clone utility. All workorders, even when no work is being done on the HDD have a limitation of liability clause concerning lost data. All it takes is for a tech who has pulled the system apart to replace the part to accidentally put the hard drive on a disk eraser or large magnet. Step 3: Reload the original OS using the restore CD, or do a quick and dirty install of Vista. It'll only be on there long enough for you to receive your laptop back. Step 4: Bring it in for repair. Step 5: Call the manufacturer and ask them about how the warranty is affected by the install or update of an OS other than what was on the system. I'll bet they have no problem with it. Then explain to them the experience you had with their warranty service location. Step 6: Pick up your laptop and let the service provider know that you've filed a complaint with the manufacturer. Step 7: Re-load your backed up image to the system and enjoy! I've done this a few times. It seems to be a problem when the service facility has no knowledge of or confidence in touching a Linux installed system. Never has it had anything to do with "policy" or "warranty".
Why not simply create your own custom.dic file and use it with a text editor. Although my work is not with programming languages, I've found that having a 'legal.dic' containing legal terminology and 'audit.dic' containing auditor terminology has been invaluable with my work. I can't imagine not being able to do the same for program code, since much of the codes are predefined in a lexicon and easily transferred to a dictionary file.
I've personally been using SyncBack for years with tremendous success, both as a general use and as a data manager. The basic features are usually enough, however the expert mode really shows the usefulness of the utility. http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/