Apple seems to have it all figured out as far as enterprise unix is concerned. I wish a linux vendor looked at what makes OSX work visually and (without blatenly copying) at least implement whats going on. A single well thought out control panel to configure the computer and user environment. Menus using universal sets of words to describe thing instead of the thrown together menus currently used. Stuff that just works. And for godsakes get rid of 90 percent of the stuff the average home user does not need. There is way to much stuff in all the linux distros. Install a base User OS. Don't give them a million options. Don't let them choose to install all the developer stuff. The average person sees the ability to add more stuff and thinks its there I must need it. Give them a good base install. and make them do something else to get more stuff. The desktop needs One web browser, one office suite, one email program. Thats it. The computer should detect and print to most USB printers, not require the user to setup or turn on cups....
Again look at apple. What makes there products strong. Its there ability to get rid of all the crap and deliver what most people need. As long as every linux distro tries to make hackers and geeks happy there distros will never serve users.
I get asked this all the time. I do not charge family, or friends but I let them All know I do this kind of work as a side business and please refer people to me. This is an easy way to clue them in that you will not fix there friends machines for free. However. Unless they have a specific software issue that requires windows I set them on the path to getting a mac next time around. If they cheap out and buy another PC, I simply do not help them, or charge or barter.
My rate is $65 minimum 2 hours. If its a business I charge more. I do not charge for phone calls or email support but when I am called out I always round up and they have allready called me a few times.
I do not fix win95, 98 or ME. I will only install a fresh purchased version of XP if the machine can't take it then I walk them through getting a Mac Mini or a Dell if they must have windows for something. Most people seem to want more power any how, and a lot of my calls start with I just got this digital camera.
One way to get students more interested is to do something cool with a subject. Science in a lot of places is tought in a rather boring manor. Teachers do not have the time to build elaborate tests. Perhaps you could have a couple of your employees work with a some science teacher and build / design/setup some sort of entertaining science experiment that the teachers would not have the time to do. MythBusters does a lot of basic science stuff that adapts right into the text books, and some of those experiments could be duplicated.
I know there is all that fear about them finding someone else because you rock the boat... Don't worry to much about that. Even in these tough times the process of hiring a new person is a pain. Because there are so many HR has to weed through hundreds and sometimes thousands of resumes to find someone the department manager likes. They don't want to do it again. And you are asking for something small that you manager will prbably be very open to getting taken care of.
I would recomend simply not sighning that agreement just yet and returning all the other paperwork signed for them. Then going though it with your manager.
The other thing is you could look into incorperating a personal software company to protect what you have allready created.
ClarkConnect (clarkconnect.com) has a couple really good distros with wireless support. It provides a web interface to easily configure most routing issues. You can use it as a gateway, webserver, fileserfer (earn carma by distributing open office and your prefered linux distro) Plus it has wireless support so you could use a couple wiress PCI cards and tether long antena cables or use some ustra cheap Wiress Routers with all the features turned off.
There is nothing on earth that compares to the Yosemite Valley in california. You can get a wilderness permit and backpack for a couple days with no reservations. This is a must see before you die, or are to old and frail to hike
In the past year or so the fed has been blowing money on blowing up things and intangable programs that never really help people...
It's good to se them build something that you can at least see....
Even if it probably cost twice as much as the original bid...
If you have never been on one of these ships, you should really take the opertunity the next time one docs near you or near where you are vacationing to see it. I have taken the oportunity to visit a aricraft carier of this class when it was docked here in the bay area and it is truly an amazing peice of engineering. Even if you understand water displacement and physics its still amazing to think these things float.
Those of you thinking powerschool is to expensive or requires a lot of work need to look at what we currently have to use to manage student data. The other programs are not platform independent. Many features are PC only and the software often very buggy and hard to use. SASI for example is a nightmare to manage and scales up to SQL very poorly. And every little featue is a so called Module that cost 15 to 30k a piece. Want web based attandence 15 grand, want web based grades 30 grand want the grade book software for the teacher workstations $100.00 a seat.
Powerschool offers alot. It is truly platform independent. Though there is a gradebook programs all that work can be done on a web site its just not as quick. 5-6 bucks per student is not bad when you look at what we pay in liscensing to other software manufacturers for student systems. If I could get support for student stystems for less than $6,000 a year it would be a huge cost savings.
And Powerschool is based on web objects. Web objects can scale up quite easily.
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Apple seems to have it all figured out as far as enterprise unix is concerned. I wish a linux vendor looked at what makes OSX work visually and (without blatenly copying) at least implement whats going on. A single well thought out control panel to configure the computer and user environment. Menus using universal sets of words to describe thing instead of the thrown together menus currently used. Stuff that just works. And for godsakes get rid of 90 percent of the stuff the average home user does not need. There is way to much stuff in all the linux distros. Install a base User OS. Don't give them a million options. Don't let them choose to install all the developer stuff. The average person sees the ability to add more stuff and thinks its there I must need it. Give them a good base install. and make them do something else to get more stuff.
The desktop needs
One web browser, one office suite, one email program. Thats it. The computer should detect and print to most USB printers, not require the user to setup or turn on cups....
Again look at apple. What makes there products strong. Its there ability to get rid of all the crap and deliver what most people need. As long as every linux distro tries to make hackers and geeks happy there distros will never serve users.
I get asked this all the time. I do not charge family, or friends but I let them All know I do this kind of work as a side business and please refer people to me. This is an easy way to clue them in that you will not fix there friends machines for free.
However. Unless they have a specific software issue that requires windows I set them on the path to getting a mac next time around. If they cheap out and buy another PC, I simply do not help them, or charge or barter.
My rate is $65 minimum 2 hours. If its a business I charge more. I do not charge for phone calls or email support but when I am called out I always round up and they have allready called me a few times.
I do not fix win95, 98 or ME. I will only install a fresh purchased version of XP if the machine can't take it then I walk them through getting a Mac Mini or a Dell if they must have windows for something. Most people seem to want more power any how, and a lot of my calls start with I just got this digital camera.
One way to get students more interested is to do something cool with a subject. Science in a lot of places is tought in a rather boring manor. Teachers do not have the time to build elaborate tests. Perhaps you could have a couple of your employees work with a some science teacher and build / design /setup some sort of entertaining science experiment that the teachers would not have the time to do. MythBusters does a lot of basic science stuff that adapts right into the text books, and some of those experiments could be duplicated.
I know there is all that fear about them finding someone else because you rock the boat... Don't worry to much about that. Even in these tough times the process of hiring a new person is a pain. Because there are so many HR has to weed through hundreds and sometimes thousands of resumes to find someone the department manager likes. They don't want to do it again. And you are asking for something small that you manager will prbably be very open to getting taken care of.
I would recomend simply not sighning that agreement just yet and returning all the other paperwork signed for them. Then going though it with your manager.
The other thing is you could look into incorperating a personal software company to protect what you have allready created.
I will joing the rest of the chorus
Get A Lawyer!
I am looking into this for a friend.
ClarkConnect (clarkconnect.com) has a couple really good distros with wireless support. It provides a web interface to easily configure most routing issues. You can use it as a gateway, webserver, fileserfer (earn carma by distributing open office and your prefered linux distro) Plus it has wireless support so you could use a couple wiress PCI cards and tether long antena cables or use some ustra cheap Wiress Routers with all the features turned off.
I am using it a home nice little product.
There is nothing on earth that compares to the Yosemite Valley in california. You can get a wilderness permit and backpack for a couple days with no reservations. This is a must see before you die, or are to old and frail to hike
In the past year or so the fed has been blowing money on blowing up things and intangable programs that never really help people... It's good to se them build something that you can at least see.... Even if it probably cost twice as much as the original bid... If you have never been on one of these ships, you should really take the opertunity the next time one docs near you or near where you are vacationing to see it. I have taken the oportunity to visit a aricraft carier of this class when it was docked here in the bay area and it is truly an amazing peice of engineering. Even if you understand water displacement and physics its still amazing to think these things float.
Those of you thinking powerschool is to expensive or requires a lot of work need to look at what we currently have to use to manage student data. The other programs are not platform independent. Many features are PC only and the software often very buggy and hard to use. SASI for example is a nightmare to manage and scales up to SQL very poorly. And every little featue is a so called Module that cost 15 to 30k a piece. Want web based attandence 15 grand, want web based grades 30 grand want the grade book software for the teacher workstations $100.00 a seat.
Powerschool offers alot. It is truly platform independent. Though there is a gradebook programs all that work can be done on a web site its just not as quick. 5-6 bucks per student is not bad when you look at what we pay in liscensing to other software manufacturers for student systems. If I could get support for student stystems for less than $6,000 a year it would be a huge cost savings.
And Powerschool is based on web objects. Web objects can scale up quite easily.