"Don't allow users to run as admin (never)!" Many windows apps, Quickbooks for example, don't run unless you're a local admin, or power user "admin lite" in the case of Quickbooks.
The front page of anandtech.com has their most recent budget system component guide, and extremetech.com does these articles regularly. As someone who does end user support and builds machines for a living, I find little to fault in their guides. Hope that helps!
My car PC's (laptop) HDD held up well until a trip down a rough dirt road that rendered the OS unbootable. I was able to re-image it back to functional, but the SMART diags indicated it was near its shock limits, so we'll see how it holds up.
It's very sad that you would wish that someone ("idiot game publishers")"would die a slow painful death. Cancer, for example.)" over a game. Wishing long lasting suffering on someone simply because you are inconvenienced in your entertainment is horribly callous. I also realize you are probably being facetious, but a statement like that is beyond the pale.
Martin apparently doesn't use anti-virus software (I'd bet he simply forgot about it though). Also, he dodges the "annual cost" part of the question:
Roblimo: Next question, from ProteusQ, Slashdot user no. 665382. He's asking about protection against malware and he's asking you Martin Taylor, "What applications do you run to protect your windows license from malware (viruses, trojans, spyware, etc.) and what do you pay for this protection for a year? How does this cost compare to the costs incurred by other Windows users and compared to what you would pay for the equivalent protection offered in Debian?"
Martin: Got it. So first of all I actually run, obviously, Windows XP. I run XP SP2. I also have downloaded the beta of the spyware product that we recently, one of our recent acquisitions, into a combination of XP SP2 and spyware product that I downloaded. That's pretty much how I protect in running both my desktop pc or my laptop I use here at Microsoft as well as the 3 PCs that I have in my house - a very similar configuration.
Roblimo: How much would these add-on programs cost you? People like you and me, lets say, as a journalist, I too can get free software from anybody. What would it cost you as a regular user?
Martin: Well today, XP SP2 is free if you're a genuine or a valid Windows XP user. It's just a matter of downloading. And today the spyware product that I've downloaded is also a free beta and we've not announced any pricing terms or plans for the product as of yet. So everything I'm using today is free.
Roblimo: Ok. And this is all the protection you need?
Martin: It's all that I have today and it has served me pretty well so far.
A probation officer customer (I'm a windows consultant) once called to ask whether PGP found on a sex offender's PC had a legit use, or was mainly for uses such as hiding illegal activity. I advised that, thought PGP is legal, and has many legal uses, he would need a good explanation for having it. I wonder from time to time how it turned out
RTFA, the issues were glitches w/ a USB repeater and a flaky Internet connection, not the system itself, nothing to see here. I would guess you've not done many presentations if you haven't experienced facilities related tech glitches of this sort.
OTOH, let me offer a comparitive XP vs Fedora usability story about the notebook I'm typing this on now. I'm a Windows consultant, so problem solving w/ PCs is my job, my skills in this dept are far better than an average user. In the process of teaching myself Linux as a project, I decided to make this machine dual boot FC3 and XP, which I accomplished without trouble. The problem came with tying to get my wireless card running. At my local Linux user's group meeting, they helped my discern that my existing card wasn't Linux compatible, so i picked up a Netgear WG511 before the next meeting. At the next meeting, prism54.org is down, and I can't find the firmware I apparently need anywhere else. Guess It'll have to wait again. Another day I get the fware, and follow a guide to config the card to (hopefully) connect to my home WIFI, no luck... summary: after 3 weeks owning the card, I primarilly boot to XP because FC3 makes it to much of a pain to connect to any of the 3 WIFI networks I need to use regularly. XP OTOH remebers WEP keys for them all and connects right up. Linux is great for the Firewall, FTP and web servers I run, but for the above, and several other reasons, it's far from ready for prime time for the small businesses I support.
As a Windows consultant for small businesses, the main barrier to Linux for my customers is this: The dominant industry specific packages they use daily that are vital to their business operation, and interoperation w/ customers and partners, aren't supported by the manufacturer if they run on Linux. Sure you could probably get the windows packages running, but my experience is that most of these companies won't even support or understand an even mildly unusual windows install, let alone Linux. Until there is a better collection of Linux compatible industry-specific apps, Linux is a non-starter for the SMB market.
Look into a mid range AP w/ more output power. I've had great luck w/ the Smart Bridge Air Point (Google: smartbridge+sb2400), and the Proxim AP600 (model depends on the wireless card installed) Both are around $300 US and have dramatically better range. You get what you pay for
Nvidia is now incorporating a firewall in the Nforce 3 250Gb (Athlon 64) and new Nforce 2 ultra 400Gb (Athlon XP) chipsets. Anandtech has the article here: http://www.anandtech.com/chipsets/showdoc.html?i=2 051&p=2
Granted the KT133 was a stinker, and largely the reason early Athlons were percieved as unreliable, but since then they've been solid. I'm posting from a KT600 box, just finished a KM266 econo box, and have build dozens of other VIA based boxes including my VIA EPIA based Car Computer!
Two years after starting my own company to service computers for my many wonderful home/small business customers, I've begun to think about the pending reputation/ethics issues for this up-and-coming trade (profession??)
Avoiding an industry wide bad reputation like what auto repair is now recovering from is gravely important to those of us in it for the long haul. We need something similar to auto repair's ASE. The closest I've seen is COMPTIA, but AFAIK there is no enforcable code of ethics that goes along w/ A+/Net+ (or any CS/SE degree).
I love my customers, and follow my conscience as to what is "value" in any repair. We also use a quasi-flat rate structure with a firm quote up front, and a satisfied customer is worth almost any (non-billable) time and effort. So I'm not worried about us. It is important that a few bad apples don't spoil it for the rest though. Let me know if you know of any standards/ethics programs for comp techs. Otherwise, contact me if you want to get one going (lobby COMPTIA, start ourselves??): info@i-t-w.com
My experience with 3 Adaptec 2400As (RAID5) is not good: #1- up in smoke (literally) after 8mos moderate duty. #2- replaced #1, still running (crossing fingers). #3- DOA (verified by Adaptec). All 3 cards went into Supermicro dual Xeon boards in SM server cases, protected by high end UPSs. I've leared my lesson, 3Ware from now on.....
-Recently:
New client: "My hdd is making noise"
Me: "I'll diagnose it out at the shop"
Me Later: "Mechanical problems, must send to data recovery service"
Data Recovery company: "Damage to drive platters, $1300" (BUT!, needed data is not on recoverable area, customer can't get needed data!)
MAKE THOSE BACK UPS!! $1300 is a lot of DAT tapes
The 2~20 box SOHO market faces a major barrier to Linux adoption- no support by the companies that make the specialized software for their businesses. I once took a poll- The mortgage company's software: No Linux support. Three different medical office billing/EMR packages: Nope. The fire station's software: Nope. The SOHO market depends on these specialized packages, that for the most part, have no OSS counterparts, or Linux support. Until that need is filled, Linux isn't a viable option for them.
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"Don't allow users to run as admin (never)!" Many windows apps, Quickbooks for example, don't run unless you're a local admin, or power user "admin lite" in the case of Quickbooks.
translation: Commit multiple $50,000 crimes across multiple jurisdictions, and there are no consequences?!?!?
The front page of anandtech.com has their most recent budget system component guide, and extremetech.com does these articles regularly. As someone who does end user support and builds machines for a living, I find little to fault in their guides. Hope that helps!
I wonder if the sponsor of the bill is a paragon of efficient use of his constituents' time? Any long golf outings? Leisurely business lunches?
My car PC's (laptop) HDD held up well until a trip down a rough dirt road that rendered the OS unbootable. I was able to re-image it back to functional, but the SMART diags indicated it was near its shock limits, so we'll see how it holds up.
It's very sad that you would wish that someone ("idiot game publishers")"would die a slow painful death. Cancer, for example.)" over a game. Wishing long lasting suffering on someone simply because you are inconvenienced in your entertainment is horribly callous. I also realize you are probably being facetious, but a statement like that is beyond the pale.
Martin apparently doesn't use anti-virus software (I'd bet he simply forgot about it though). Also, he dodges the "annual cost" part of the question: Roblimo: Next question, from ProteusQ, Slashdot user no. 665382. He's asking about protection against malware and he's asking you Martin Taylor, "What applications do you run to protect your windows license from malware (viruses, trojans, spyware, etc.) and what do you pay for this protection for a year? How does this cost compare to the costs incurred by other Windows users and compared to what you would pay for the equivalent protection offered in Debian?" Martin: Got it. So first of all I actually run, obviously, Windows XP. I run XP SP2. I also have downloaded the beta of the spyware product that we recently, one of our recent acquisitions, into a combination of XP SP2 and spyware product that I downloaded. That's pretty much how I protect in running both my desktop pc or my laptop I use here at Microsoft as well as the 3 PCs that I have in my house - a very similar configuration. Roblimo: How much would these add-on programs cost you? People like you and me, lets say, as a journalist, I too can get free software from anybody. What would it cost you as a regular user? Martin: Well today, XP SP2 is free if you're a genuine or a valid Windows XP user. It's just a matter of downloading. And today the spyware product that I've downloaded is also a free beta and we've not announced any pricing terms or plans for the product as of yet. So everything I'm using today is free. Roblimo: Ok. And this is all the protection you need? Martin: It's all that I have today and it has served me pretty well so far.
A probation officer customer (I'm a windows consultant) once called to ask whether PGP found on a sex offender's PC had a legit use, or was mainly for uses such as hiding illegal activity. I advised that, thought PGP is legal, and has many legal uses, he would need a good explanation for having it. I wonder from time to time how it turned out
RTFA, the issues were glitches w/ a USB repeater and a flaky Internet connection, not the system itself, nothing to see here. I would guess you've not done many presentations if you haven't experienced facilities related tech glitches of this sort. OTOH, let me offer a comparitive XP vs Fedora usability story about the notebook I'm typing this on now. I'm a Windows consultant, so problem solving w/ PCs is my job, my skills in this dept are far better than an average user. In the process of teaching myself Linux as a project, I decided to make this machine dual boot FC3 and XP, which I accomplished without trouble. The problem came with tying to get my wireless card running. At my local Linux user's group meeting, they helped my discern that my existing card wasn't Linux compatible, so i picked up a Netgear WG511 before the next meeting. At the next meeting, prism54.org is down, and I can't find the firmware I apparently need anywhere else. Guess It'll have to wait again. Another day I get the fware, and follow a guide to config the card to (hopefully) connect to my home WIFI, no luck... summary: after 3 weeks owning the card, I primarilly boot to XP because FC3 makes it to much of a pain to connect to any of the 3 WIFI networks I need to use regularly. XP OTOH remebers WEP keys for them all and connects right up. Linux is great for the Firewall, FTP and web servers I run, but for the above, and several other reasons, it's far from ready for prime time for the small businesses I support.
John Dvorak coincidentally has an article about SDRs over at www.pcmag.com: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1745361,00.as p
As a Windows consultant for small businesses, the main barrier to Linux for my customers is this: The dominant industry specific packages they use daily that are vital to their business operation, and interoperation w/ customers and partners, aren't supported by the manufacturer if they run on Linux. Sure you could probably get the windows packages running, but my experience is that most of these companies won't even support or understand an even mildly unusual windows install, let alone Linux. Until there is a better collection of Linux compatible industry-specific apps, Linux is a non-starter for the SMB market.
"I believe Audio Hijack Pro will let you record streaming music" Audacity has worked on every audio stream I've tried, though without scheduling.
HahahaHahahahahahahaha.... gasp..gasp, (wipes tears from eyes) +15 funny
Look into a mid range AP w/ more output power. I've had great luck w/ the Smart Bridge Air Point (Google: smartbridge+sb2400), and the Proxim AP600 (model depends on the wireless card installed) Both are around $300 US and have dramatically better range. You get what you pay for
My experience w/ a Celeron 700/128MB bench machine: RH9 and XP were roughly equeal speed wise. FC2 was unusably slow.
Nvidia is now incorporating a firewall in the Nforce 3 250Gb (Athlon 64) and new Nforce 2 ultra 400Gb (Athlon XP) chipsets. Anandtech has the article here: http://www.anandtech.com/chipsets/showdoc.html?i=2 051&p=2
Granted the KT133 was a stinker, and largely the reason early Athlons were percieved as unreliable, but since then they've been solid. I'm posting from a KT600 box, just finished a KM266 econo box, and have build dozens of other VIA based boxes including my VIA EPIA based Car Computer!
The basic $499 machine on www.dell.com/tv only includes 128MB, down from the usual 256MB
I quoted "3DdMark03" directly from his site here: Oooooh, sorry, Michael's site is down.....
Avoiding an industry wide bad reputation like what auto repair is now recovering from is gravely important to those of us in it for the long haul. We need something similar to auto repair's ASE. The closest I've seen is COMPTIA, but AFAIK there is no enforcable code of ethics that goes along w/ A+/Net+ (or any CS/SE degree).
I love my customers, and follow my conscience as to what is "value" in any repair. We also use a quasi-flat rate structure with a firm quote up front, and a satisfied customer is worth almost any (non-billable) time and effort. So I'm not worried about us. It is important that a few bad apples don't spoil it for the rest though. Let me know if you know of any standards/ethics programs for comp techs. Otherwise, contact me if you want to get one going (lobby COMPTIA, start ourselves??): info@i-t-w.com
My experience with 3 Adaptec 2400As (RAID5) is not good: #1- up in smoke (literally) after 8mos moderate duty. #2- replaced #1, still running (crossing fingers). #3- DOA (verified by Adaptec). All 3 cards went into Supermicro dual Xeon boards in SM server cases, protected by high end UPSs. I've leared my lesson, 3Ware from now on.....
-Recently: New client: "My hdd is making noise" Me: "I'll diagnose it out at the shop" Me Later: "Mechanical problems, must send to data recovery service" Data Recovery company: "Damage to drive platters, $1300" (BUT!, needed data is not on recoverable area, customer can't get needed data!) MAKE THOSE BACK UPS!! $1300 is a lot of DAT tapes
The 2~20 box SOHO market faces a major barrier to Linux adoption- no support by the companies that make the specialized software for their businesses. I once took a poll- The mortgage company's software: No Linux support. Three different medical office billing/EMR packages: Nope. The fire station's software: Nope. The SOHO market depends on these specialized packages, that for the most part, have no OSS counterparts, or Linux support. Until that need is filled, Linux isn't a viable option for them.