No, I think they're serious about the 700 users. Winnebago is not *that* large a company.. and while I can see them buying out, say, Airstream, I don't think it's gonna add that many users.
I think this can be a viable solution- and a great way to upgrade, for those who already have Massive Big Iron providing their winter heating requirements. And god knows, the Winnebago execs are going to be recieving their emails before the sender lets go of the mouse button. But I think it's overkill for a 700-user base.
-- F.S. (I can see it now... Instant messaging? Whatever for?)
A Large Governmental Organization (we're here to help, ma'am), actually. Trying to keep a system for the entire LGO running off of one Sun machine (which is working much better than expected, which is to say at all; we were in pilot status when 9/11 happened and suddenly we were a lot more "live" than we'd planned). We're upgrading soon, and while the current plan is to stay with what we got (iPlanet Mail Server/Solaris/Sun Ultra-class boxen), it's always interesting to see what everybody else is doing.
Although I doubt investing in a new IBM mainframe to run linux on will be seen as a cost-cutting measure.:)
And, well, heck, it got me a First Relevant post.:)
--F.S.
So how well does it run?
on
Linux On Big Iron
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
As someone who oversees an email system with close to a million addresses (in various states of utilization from heavy to "what account?"), I'm kinda interested in how this works out. Has anybody done high-load stresstesting of these yet?
Except that the USAF is phasing out it's programmer types- the 3C0 (used to be 491) career field is now Information Management- in other words, programmers and operators are having to compete with secretaries, er, administrative assistants for promotions, career advancement, etc. Which is unfair to both the computer guys and the secretaries; I couldn't care less what shelf the regulation for keeping my hair cut right is on, and they couldn't tell the difference between a function and a procedure. Nor should they. (I got out in '97.)
All development (and i get the feeling operations) are moving towards contracting... and so did I.:)
Strayer University [strayer.edu] is pretty generous with their "life" credit, if you're in the MD/DC/VA area (midatlantic US). I'm doing that route now- I'm a senior level consultant without even an associate's. They accept transfers easily enough, and simply req. that you complete a certain (1 yr, I think, but don't quote me on that) amount of time (which = ca$h to them) in their classes. They started out as a business college, so they have some odd prerequisites (Accounting? Intro to Business???), in addition to whatever your state makes you have for a degree (virginia, frinstance, apparently has decided that all THEIR students must have taken Logic or precalc, Communications 2 & 3, intro to art/music/lit, and other social science courses.)
The *really* cool thing is that they're a Cisco Academy (and have something similar worked out with MS, apparently), so the courses you would take in, say, Computer Networking, are also good for your CCNA.
And no, I don't work for them.:)
In any event, check some of the border colleges- those that are midway between a "full" university and a community college. You may be suprised.
Sun Ray Server Ver 1.3 supports VPNs, or so my Friendly Neighborhood Sun Rep tells me. I'm installing it tomorrow- too many things going on, including a complete tear-up of the geeks' office cubies, which has resulted in us being triple-cubed (3 people/desk, that is.) Suddenly desktop machines where you drop your smart card in and you have your desktop right there look incredibly attractive...
The biggest problem I have with most handhelds is the UI. My handwriting has been unfavorably compared to Sanskrit,(why do you think I got into computers in the first place?) and Graffiti is even worse (I tried.) I have a RIM Blackberry957, and I can touchtype (with my thumbs, would you believe) around 20-30 wpm. Plus it syncs with my email, calendar, etc... and it's got an always-on, wireless modem, and rechargable batteries (that's the big one. Little one runs off of AA's.) I've never run the battery down yet (and I've gone a couple weeks between recharges at times). And you can write your own Java programs for them, or download from Tucows or Handango.
Downers: They're expensive. Figger around $500 US for the unit (I think the smaller, pager-sized ones are about 20% less expensive), and then there's the monthly wireless service costs, which tend to vary with the ISP. Oh, yeah- get the Internet Edition. Enterprise edition is for corporate emails; and is way beyond what's needed for home use. Wireless service area is currently US/Canada only (and if you can't use a cellphone where you're at, you probably won't get reception on this, either.) Also, the screen's black-and-white only, and it's not touch-sensitive (since you have the keyboard.) And I can't telnet with it (yet), daggone it. But I can netsurf, get email, send email, and check my contacts/notes/tasks, generally faster than people can look it up in Daytimers or PC's.
And no, I'm not a RIM employee.:)
Agreed. I've got BB down to where I can stand up a new version in 6-8 hours. We're sending two techs and a clueless manager type to Unicenter training for 14 classes so they canlearn how to get things running. BB is a) freeware (By and large. If you're reselling the monitoring capabilities, they charge a license fee, but if you're using it for your own internal network it's free.) and b) Easy to use, extend, and understand. http://www.bb4.com
Personally- I'm holding down a US$70K/yr+ job on nothing more than experience I got while in the USAF- got Uncle Sam to send me to some Oracle classes, and some Sun classes. After I got out, I went and taught Solaris for a Sun Value Added Reseller for a year or so; now I'm a contracting scum.
Total credits: ~60 (I went to night school during the AF days)
Total non-credited hours: ~30 or so
On the job experience: Priceless.:)
And personally- I'd hire someone who's figured stuff out on their own faster than someone with an MCSE or other acronymmed cert. Oh, and I'm with you on the hating math. I failed Calc twice. But I'm a sysadmin; I don't use anything much above algebra these days. (figuring out the optimum amount of partitions in a RAID set and what level to raid at, for example.:P )
And adding insult to injury, the Register notes here that the Intel P4 compatible motherboards don't support the AGP 3.3V standard- which knocks out, among other possibles, the 3dfx Voodoo 3 3500 & Voodoo 5 5500 cards (the 4's seem to be OK.) Reg says that they don't know of any other makes/models with this problem, but it's something to keep an eye on. Basically, if the video card has 2 guide notches in the connector edge, it should be ok, but if it's only got the one, it's no good. Dang, and I was hoping to upgrade my MB soon...
-- F.S.
And don't forget Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomnicon, in which Turing pops up occasionally. The Diamond Age, or a young lady's illustrated primer, also by Stephenson, has info on Turing machines as well.
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No, I think they're serious about the 700 users. Winnebago is not *that* large a company.. and while I can see them buying out, say, Airstream, I don't think it's gonna add that many users.
I think this can be a viable solution- and a great way to upgrade, for those who already have Massive Big Iron providing their winter heating requirements. And god knows, the Winnebago execs are going to be recieving their emails before the sender lets go of the mouse button. But I think it's overkill for a 700-user base.
-- F.S. (I can see it now... Instant messaging? Whatever for?)
A Large Governmental Organization (we're here to help, ma'am), actually. Trying to keep a system for the entire LGO running off of one Sun machine (which is working much better than expected, which is to say at all; we were in pilot status when 9/11 happened and suddenly we were a lot more "live" than we'd planned). We're upgrading soon, and while the current plan is to stay with what we got (iPlanet Mail Server/Solaris/Sun Ultra-class boxen), it's always interesting to see what everybody else is doing.
:)
:)
Although I doubt investing in a new IBM mainframe to run linux on will be seen as a cost-cutting measure.
And, well, heck, it got me a First Relevant post.
--F.S.
As someone who oversees an email system with close to a million addresses (in various states of utilization from heavy to "what account?"), I'm kinda interested in how this works out. Has anybody done high-load stresstesting of these yet?
-- F.S.
Except that the USAF is phasing out it's programmer types- the 3C0 (used to be 491) career field is now Information Management- in other words, programmers and operators are having to compete with secretaries, er, administrative assistants for promotions, career advancement, etc. Which is unfair to both the computer guys and the secretaries; I couldn't care less what shelf the regulation for keeping my hair cut right is on, and they couldn't tell the difference between a function and a procedure. Nor should they. (I got out in '97.)
:)
All development (and i get the feeling operations) are moving towards contracting... and so did I.
-- F.S.
I think she does by now. :)
-- F.S.
Tell me, when you talk to someone in person, do you put their ear in your mouth? :)
:)
Depends on the person, depends on the situation.
-- F.S. (She enjoys it, I tell you!)
Oh, well, then you could always call your keys and track it down by the ring.
One ring to hold them all and in the darkness find them!
-- F.S.
Strayer University [strayer.edu] is pretty generous with their "life" credit, if you're in the MD/DC/VA area (midatlantic US). I'm doing that route now- I'm a senior level consultant without even an associate's. They accept transfers easily enough, and simply req. that you complete a certain (1 yr, I think, but don't quote me on that) amount of time (which = ca$h to them) in their classes. They started out as a business college, so they have some odd prerequisites (Accounting? Intro to Business???), in addition to whatever your state makes you have for a degree (virginia, frinstance, apparently has decided that all THEIR students must have taken Logic or precalc, Communications 2 & 3, intro to art/music/lit, and other social science courses.)
:)
The *really* cool thing is that they're a Cisco Academy (and have something similar worked out with MS, apparently), so the courses you would take in, say, Computer Networking, are also good for your CCNA.
And no, I don't work for them.
In any event, check some of the border colleges- those that are midway between a "full" university and a community college. You may be suprised.
-- F.S.
Sun Ray Server Ver 1.3 supports VPNs, or so my Friendly Neighborhood Sun Rep tells me. I'm installing it tomorrow- too many things going on, including a complete tear-up of the geeks' office cubies, which has resulted in us being triple-cubed (3 people/desk, that is.) Suddenly desktop machines where you drop your smart card in and you have your desktop right there look incredibly attractive...
Careful here. The original poster did NOT write the article him/herself; it's a copy & paste from a Jordanian newspaper (probably an editorial).
Aside from that, I agree with Anthony's sentiments.
-- F.S.
The biggest problem I have with most handhelds is the UI. My handwriting has been unfavorably compared to Sanskrit,(why do you think I got into computers in the first place?) and Graffiti is even worse (I tried.) I have a RIM Blackberry 957, and I can touchtype (with my thumbs, would you believe) around 20-30 wpm. Plus it syncs with my email, calendar, etc... and it's got an always-on, wireless modem, and rechargable batteries (that's the big one. Little one runs off of AA's.) I've never run the battery down yet (and I've gone a couple weeks between recharges at times). And you can write your own Java programs for them, or download from Tucows or Handango. Downers: They're expensive. Figger around $500 US for the unit (I think the smaller, pager-sized ones are about 20% less expensive), and then there's the monthly wireless service costs, which tend to vary with the ISP. Oh, yeah- get the Internet Edition. Enterprise edition is for corporate emails; and is way beyond what's needed for home use. Wireless service area is currently US/Canada only (and if you can't use a cellphone where you're at, you probably won't get reception on this, either.) Also, the screen's black-and-white only, and it's not touch-sensitive (since you have the keyboard.) And I can't telnet with it (yet), daggone it. But I can netsurf, get email, send email, and check my contacts/notes/tasks, generally faster than people can look it up in Daytimers or PC's. And no, I'm not a RIM employee. :)
Agreed. I've got BB down to where I can stand up a new version in 6-8 hours. We're sending two techs and a clueless manager type to Unicenter training for 14 classes so they canlearn how to get things running. BB is a) freeware (By and large. If you're reselling the monitoring capabilities, they charge a license fee, but if you're using it for your own internal network it's free.) and b) Easy to use, extend, and understand. http://www.bb4.com
Didn't Buzz Aldrin actually have a cold at some point? Or am I getting confuzzled with "apollo 13" again? Mmm, Tang. -- F.S.
So people may actually start READING again. Wow. I like it...
Total credits: ~60 (I went to night school during the AF days) :)
Total non-credited hours: ~30 or so
On the job experience: Priceless.
And personally- I'd hire someone who's figured stuff out on their own faster than someone with an MCSE or other acronymmed cert. Oh, and I'm with you on the hating math. I failed Calc twice. But I'm a sysadmin; I don't use anything much above algebra these days. (figuring out the optimum amount of partitions in a RAID set and what level to raid at, for example. :P )
-- F.S.
And adding insult to injury, the Register notes here that the Intel P4 compatible motherboards don't support the AGP 3.3V standard- which knocks out, among other possibles, the 3dfx Voodoo 3 3500 & Voodoo 5 5500 cards (the 4's seem to be OK.) Reg says that they don't know of any other makes/models with this problem, but it's something to keep an eye on. Basically, if the video card has 2 guide notches in the connector edge, it should be ok, but if it's only got the one, it's no good. Dang, and I was hoping to upgrade my MB soon... -- F.S.
Cool. Pioneer's a Stones fan.
And don't forget Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomnicon, in which Turing pops up occasionally. The Diamond Age, or a young lady's illustrated primer, also by Stephenson, has info on Turing machines as well.
www.sunfreeware.com has a mozilla build.. sposed to work with Sol. 2.6, 7, and 8, IIRC. 2.5 is ?able. -- F.S.
Yahoo doesn't want you to ask, maybe?