...and for 90% of the call outs you're going to face, that won't matter: the *vast* majority will be DDR, with some SD and some DDR2. For the other 10%, you may need to take the machine away.
Oddity: IT staff don't eat their own dog food, and everyone uses FF whilst telling the users they can't have it because intranet apps "don't work with firefox".
As an IT guy in a big organisation, via the marvels of SMS2003 I've been shown to have Firefox on my machine. I've been asked to remove it on grounds of security...sigh.
(There is *kind* of a point to this in that we're ultralocked down for most stuff - can't change proxy in IE etc, and FF isn't centrally managed the way our standard software is. In this case it's just a particularly amusing example..)
my definition of a "simple" ram fix would be that if in doubt, you swap out the RAM for a spare stick and see if it cures it. Takes 30 seconds to do plus some burn testing. If it doesn't, you swap it back. You don't charge the customer for the new RAM unless it's actually needed - pretty simple.
hell yes. Add to this list the joy of having to cannibalise your own rig for parts for testing purposes at 2.30am, and having the customer's machine burn out your $300 video card - which you obviously can't charge them for...
...next time you see random BSODs, that persist with a fresh install, you're going to check the RAM first, right? Repeat this experience for a year or two, and you're experienced enough to know how to diagnose and fix based on probability as well as specific hardware knowledge. First thing I'd do is swap out the RAM for some of my spare stuff - if it fixes it, they're billed for the hardware as well as my time. If not, it's another datapoint to help with the diagnosis.
most common causes of faults on Wintel home boxes:
1) software: spyware, malware, viruses, build up of shovelware
2) hardware: cheap power supplies and bad ram are the FIRST thing a competent PC tech should be checking for if they come across general stability issues. Memory can be checked easily with memcheck or similar, and a PSU is a $20 generic part that can be swapped out in minutes.
You worked in IT and are still prepared to recommend Sony and Acer?
Sony are consumer-hostile: they restrict driver downloads, they don't sell spares, and they're generally pretty much the worst for aftersales in the industry. Pretty much, however, because there's someone worse: Acer.
Acer don't do spares or support. As an example: their laptops are rebadged by a lot of other companies for sale to the public. Acer will quote a price for, say, a thousand laptops to the OEM. They will then supply 1000 + 6% to cover hardware failure, and supply 1060 laptops to that OEM. The OEM are then on their own when it comes to support and hardware break/fix. Once they've used their stock of "spares" then you *cannot* get spare parts.
I would be writing gushing prose about using two tin cans and a length of string to communicate after a year of using a RAZR. I think you should get some sort of award for being able to use it for an extended period without throwing it out of a window..
1) That's because the loader's screwed, making it unrecoverable. In the iPhone, the fact it still boots fine suggests the loader's perfectly OK, meaning that it should be trivial to offer an "restore iPhone to factory defaults" option within iTunes.
2) Well, that's job done by Jobs, isn't it? Everyone now knows that if you mess with your iPhone, they'll kill it. I wouldn't be rushing to buy a second one if that happened to me.
From memory, the "success rate" of males vs females was something like 20% vs 80% (ie: 80% of women received a positive answer to their attempt, only 20% of men did Can you guys just do without me for a couple of minutes? Got to go and ask five women in the office something...
They'd receive a mangled wheel lock back that they have photo evidence of being attached to your car, with a matching serial number on the lock. They'll have your licence plate and so they'll know who/where you are.
They'd bill you for a new one, and maybe prosecute for damage.
There is hardly anything more frustrating than having to convince an ignorant, two-bit, power starved, user that buying some shiny new "solution", that they've been brainwashed into buying by QVC/an in-flight magazine/their brother in law who "knows all about computers"/a sales call etc, is a waste of resources and doesn't have a valid business case
How's that for you?
I am sick of this IT-as-a-janitorial-service view. It's not the case in any well-run organisation, and hasn't been for years: IT should now be working with and on behalf of the business: looking at business workflows and suggesting new technology or applications that might improve things, bringing down the cost of operations by merging data from systems to give the users what actually adds value to the company, etc.
We're not just digital peons anymore, ranking somewhere above the guy who waters the office flowers and below your secretary...
"this technology is usable for torture"
I think the point is that you don't have to torture the person being interrogated. You can simply tell whether or not they are lying to to you.
Surely this is the problem?
Interrogate suspect. Your machine is able to give a "truth" or "lie" indicator. Ask them a question. If it comes up with "lie", the rubber hose is applied. Repeat ad nauseaum.
Horrible...
...for *really* high value (read: specialist software, written to give your business enough of an advantage to be worth paying a lot for) then there's not usually much of a market for illegal copies. Joe Punter at home doesn't have much use for an Enterprise Resource Planning application, for example. The corporates are terrified of using unlicenced software, and so possibly in these situations you don't need any protection.
Things are very different if you've just written a really cool app that home users would like, though...
Slashdot Mirror
Same here. You in the UK? In Cheshire?
...and for 90% of the call outs you're going to face, that won't matter: the *vast* majority will be DDR, with some SD and some DDR2. For the other 10%, you may need to take the machine away.
...except, um, this one goes up to eleven.
As an IT guy in a big organisation, via the marvels of SMS2003 I've been shown to have Firefox on my machine. I've been asked to remove it on grounds of security...sigh.
(There is *kind* of a point to this in that we're ultralocked down for most stuff - can't change proxy in IE etc, and FF isn't centrally managed the way our standard software is. In this case it's just a particularly amusing example..)
my definition of a "simple" ram fix would be that if in doubt, you swap out the RAM for a spare stick and see if it cures it. Takes 30 seconds to do plus some burn testing. If it doesn't, you swap it back. You don't charge the customer for the new RAM unless it's actually needed - pretty simple.
hell yes. Add to this list the joy of having to cannibalise your own rig for parts for testing purposes at 2.30am, and having the customer's machine burn out your $300 video card - which you obviously can't charge them for...
...next time you see random BSODs, that persist with a fresh install, you're going to check the RAM first, right? Repeat this experience for a year or two, and you're experienced enough to know how to diagnose and fix based on probability as well as specific hardware knowledge. First thing I'd do is swap out the RAM for some of my spare stuff - if it fixes it, they're billed for the hardware as well as my time. If not, it's another datapoint to help with the diagnosis.
A spare PSU
A crap PC tech, that's who.
most common causes of faults on Wintel home boxes: 1) software: spyware, malware, viruses, build up of shovelware
2) hardware: cheap power supplies and bad ram are the FIRST thing a competent PC tech should be checking for if they come across general stability issues. Memory can be checked easily with memcheck or similar, and a PSU is a $20 generic part that can be swapped out in minutes.
Sony are consumer-hostile: they restrict driver downloads, they don't sell spares, and they're generally pretty much the worst for aftersales in the industry. Pretty much, however, because there's someone worse: Acer.
Acer don't do spares or support. As an example: their laptops are rebadged by a lot of other companies for sale to the public. Acer will quote a price for, say, a thousand laptops to the OEM. They will then supply 1000 + 6% to cover hardware failure, and supply 1060 laptops to that OEM. The OEM are then on their own when it comes to support and hardware break/fix. Once they've used their stock of "spares" then you *cannot* get spare parts.
I would be writing gushing prose about using two tin cans and a length of string to communicate after a year of using a RAZR. I think you should get some sort of award for being able to use it for an extended period without throwing it out of a window..
You should suggest this to FakeSteve - I'd love this to come true...
2) Well, that's job done by Jobs, isn't it? Everyone now knows that if you mess with your iPhone, they'll kill it. I wouldn't be rushing to buy a second one if that happened to me.
...how to video chat with her friends using MSN...
..and two of your examples specifically refer to wifi use, not 3G use.
They'd receive a mangled wheel lock back that they have photo evidence of being attached to your car, with a matching serial number on the lock. They'll have your licence plate and so they'll know who/where you are. They'd bill you for a new one, and maybe prosecute for damage.
It's not about YOU. It's about THE COMPANY.
How's that for you?
I am sick of this IT-as-a-janitorial-service view. It's not the case in any well-run organisation, and hasn't been for years: IT should now be working with and on behalf of the business: looking at business workflows and suggesting new technology or applications that might improve things, bringing down the cost of operations by merging data from systems to give the users what actually adds value to the company, etc.
We're not just digital peons anymore, ranking somewhere above the guy who waters the office flowers and below your secretary...
all very nice, but you're up against the leviathan that is Active Directory when you're talking enterprise...
Who cares about the batteries? It's the power connector on the device that matters, and at least these are converging to mini USB.
Try something like the Freeloader solar charger (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Technology-SC8088-Freeloader-Charger/dp/B000ODRNDA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-3112636-4063641?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190024096&sr=8-1 - portable solar battery pack. Has its own internal rechargeables to charge up via solar, or via a USB connector on a PC. Comes with charging tips for most common portable hardware and phones for around £30UKP.
...apart from the guys in the orange jumpsuits getting a suntan.
Horrible...
The Mac version of MS Office does this, too. Just sayin'...
Things are very different if you've just written a really cool app that home users would like, though...