>There are many reasons to dislike Windows. Reliability, however, is not one of them
Can't comment on XP, but for the previous OS's... I have the misfortune to be working in tech support for an ISP. You simply would not believe how often parts of windows simply stop working (eg networking) and have to be reinstalled from CD to get them working.
I've seen dial up connections with correct auth info suddenly refuse to authenticate.
TCP/IP suddenly decides it doesn't want to send data anymore anymore. Needs networks reinstalled.
And then you got really fsck'd up things such as Windows-will-only-boot-to-safe mode if you uninstall comms before disabling those nifty firewall programs that dial up lusers seem so enamoured of these days.
Now, I'll admit I'm seeing the worst of it, but still... Something is wrong when something in the OS spontaneously stops working on a fairly regular basis.
I graduated last semester here in Aus, and I was having a LOT of problems finding a job. Talking to a guy next to me at my graduation and it would quite common as well. I'll admit I'm at a disadvantage, I failed a few units in my final year, but still... Similar problems as others have described, everyone except the formal graduate programs were wanting experience. Or a very particular skillset (seriously, I've seen adverts kept up longer than it would have taken for a recent grad to pick up the extra skills on the job, it's just insane).
Anyway, I lucked out, I got one response to my graduate program applications, got called out to Sydney for assesment centre and second interview (phone interview first), and finally found I got the job (although it doesn't start until next year *sigh*). Graduate positions this year have been tight though, word is that Ericsson halved the number of new graduates they took in from ~50 to ~25. Optus were only taking 15. These figures are nation-wide recruitment figures.
One method a friend had success with was cold calling. Phoning up and not asking for a job, but asking if they'd mind showing you around the premises, then while you're there hand them your resume. This guy was going after a junior sysadmim position, he claimed about 70% of places he called were happy to show him around, and he got a job fairly quickly that way. He wasn't solely targetting computer/tech companies, and ended up working for a large jeweler from memory:)
Not terribly constructive I know, but these issues should have been brought up as a matter of course during the design process. Usability and Accessability should have been where your website was constructed from, not made to comply with later. Not only access for the blind, but other visual problems such as colour blindness.
If people actually put some thought into their website design this would be a non issue. Compliance isn't hard if it's built in from the start.
And to whoever said that this is basically a load of BS for the govmt to do this, you really want to turn those with disabilities into second class citizens? Because that's what happens when you deny them informational resources about the workings of their government and it's agencies.
I know I'm repeating myself, but this burden, wouldn't be a burden if someone with a freaking clue in interface design had done the websites in the first place.
I used to be on the PIOS mailing list, from what I remember the PIOS 1 project was put on the back burner about a year ago, for a number of reasons, some of them financial. The company was (last time i checked) working on some set top box units that were going to be used in germany for some funky data over TV spectrum thing (I forget the details) IIRC they ran linux;)
The main problems were that a) Apple dumped CHRP b) At this point the future of BeOS PPC started looking a bit iffy c) money
Their current project is paying them, working out the problems in the PIOS system wasn't, and without the prospect of MacOS (at least officially) and with doubts being thrown on BeOS PPC either continuing or having an official port, it left Linux as the only real OS that would run, which still isn't such a smart idea to bet on for a small company that's short on cash.
Forgive the vagueness, as I said, it has been a while since I checked, and my memory is shite at the best of times:)
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>There are many reasons to dislike Windows. Reliability, however, is not one of them
Can't comment on XP, but for the previous OS's... I have the misfortune to be working in tech support for an ISP. You simply would not believe how often parts of windows simply stop working (eg networking) and have to be reinstalled from CD to get them working.
I've seen dial up connections with correct auth info suddenly refuse to authenticate.
TCP/IP suddenly decides it doesn't want to send data anymore anymore. Needs networks reinstalled.
And then you got really fsck'd up things such as Windows-will-only-boot-to-safe mode if you uninstall comms before disabling those nifty firewall programs that dial up lusers seem so enamoured of these days.
Now, I'll admit I'm seeing the worst of it, but still... Something is wrong when something in the OS spontaneously stops working on a fairly regular basis.
I graduated last semester here in Aus, and I was having a LOT of problems finding a job. Talking to a guy next to me at my graduation and it would quite common as well. I'll admit I'm at a disadvantage, I failed a few units in my final year, but still... Similar problems as others have described, everyone except the formal graduate programs were wanting experience. Or a very particular skillset (seriously, I've seen adverts kept up longer than it would have taken for a recent grad to pick up the extra skills on the job, it's just insane).
:)
Anyway, I lucked out, I got one response to my graduate program applications, got called out to Sydney for assesment centre and second interview (phone interview first), and finally found I got the job (although it doesn't start until next year *sigh*). Graduate positions this year have been tight though, word is that Ericsson halved the number of new graduates they took in from ~50 to ~25. Optus were only taking 15. These figures are nation-wide recruitment figures.
One method a friend had success with was cold calling. Phoning up and not asking for a job, but asking if they'd mind showing you around the premises, then while you're there hand them your resume. This guy was going after a junior sysadmim position, he claimed about 70% of places he called were happy to show him around, and he got a job fairly quickly that way. He wasn't solely targetting computer/tech companies, and ended up working for a large jeweler from memory
Not terribly constructive I know, but these issues should have been brought up as a matter of course during the design process. Usability and Accessability should have been where your website was constructed from, not made to comply with later. Not only access for the blind, but other visual problems such as colour blindness.
If people actually put some thought into their website design this would be a non issue. Compliance isn't hard if it's built in from the start.
And to whoever said that this is basically a load of BS for the govmt to do this, you really want to turn those with disabilities into second class citizens? Because that's what happens when you deny them informational resources about the workings of their government and it's agencies.
I know I'm repeating myself, but this burden, wouldn't be a burden if someone with a freaking clue in interface design had done the websites in the first place.
I used to be on the PIOS mailing list, from what I remember the PIOS 1 project was put on the back burner about a year ago, for a number of reasons, some of them financial. The company was (last time i checked) working on some set top box units that were going to be used in germany for some funky data over TV spectrum thing (I forget the details) ;)
:)
IIRC they ran linux
The main problems were that
a) Apple dumped CHRP
b) At this point the future of BeOS PPC started looking a bit iffy
c) money
Their current project is paying them, working out the problems in the PIOS system wasn't, and without the prospect of MacOS (at least officially) and with doubts being thrown on BeOS PPC either continuing or having an official port, it left Linux as the only real OS that would run, which still isn't such a smart idea to bet on for a small company that's short on cash.
Forgive the vagueness, as I said, it has been a while since I checked, and my memory is shite at the best of times