Sounds like it's recovery/downtime etc. on clients that's getting you down, and I don't think thats a killer reason to use VMs for normal clients (very useful for testing client builds though, I built our images on VMs so I could snapshot before SYSPREP). There are better/faster options.
I'd go either:
a) Citrix/terminal services - you could even use Linux desktops to rdesktop in, but you'd still need a Windows Server CAL and a TS CAL per client.
b) Use the tools AD provides you (assuming you have AD and are a Windows house) - yep, that can be a grind, but things like RIS, Group Policy, software publishing, roaming profiles, folder redirection can give you a locked down, easy to recover environment, with users running as USERS and 99% of your problems with clients will go away. Tools like Altiris can make this easier but cost.
If your experience is like mine, most of your trouble comes from users thinking they know what's good for their PC, and you just have to remove the opportunities for them to work their magic.
The tools are there, but don't kid yourself (or more importantly your management) that it will be easy or quick. It's changing a culture of the PC being a perk rather than a tool.
Everything works out of the box, it's small and cute, and as an older model you could probably afford to throw 1Gb of RAM at it - I've got 384Mb and it's fine for day to day stuff. WLAN working a treat.
I used a media slice (optional extra) to install, but I'm sure a bit of imagination could get around this - LAN or maybe USB CD drives work for Ubuntu install?
The OP works for a repair shop, not an IS department, so can't use a Enterprise or volume licence agreement, or add the PC to their domain (XP Home anyone?).
I deploy/build images for a multinational, and in your situation I think you're out of luck - MS do not make it any easier for you than to hook the PC up to an ADSL line (install firewall, AV first) behind a hardware firewall and run WIndows Update till the PC stops bleating. It's a pain, but on the bright side you don't have to watch it the whole time.
An internal WSUS server might save a bit of time/bandwidth if you can be bothered to reconfigure every PC, then change it back to standard when you're done.
Be interested to know how many of the 'MCSE is easy' crowd actually have one. NT4 doesn't count BTW.
Too expensive? Work'll pay for it - it's one of the few certs PHBs recognise and/or understand. Hey, you'll ace them all first time anyway, right?
Shortly before Christmas, I'd ordered a truck load of CDs from CD WOW, and I'm guessing many other Brits did likewise.
Mysteriously, HMV dropped their prices on many chart CDs to 8.99 also. Back up again now as far as I can see.
To be honest though, it's the lack of choice in high street shops that makes me shop online rather than a few pounds here and there. Plenty of stock, but not much choice in the average store.
Yep you can still make boot floppies (Ghost 2003).
In fact I'd say this was the way to go - you don't pollute your image with anything, it's OS independent and you can write to most external storage (DVD,CD,USB, Network, Firewire I think) although I generally just write to network or DVD.
Nice boot disk wizard now too, which saves mucking about with the MS Dos client.
Sorry, that's tosh - I've sysprep'd images many times and never had any problems that weren't of my own making or related to hardware not being cleaned up properly.
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WoW Native Clients:
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Ubuntu - 0
Sounds like it's recovery/downtime etc. on clients that's getting you down, and I don't think thats a killer reason to use VMs for normal clients (very useful for testing client builds though, I built our images on VMs so I could snapshot before SYSPREP). There are better/faster options. I'd go either: a) Citrix/terminal services - you could even use Linux desktops to rdesktop in, but you'd still need a Windows Server CAL and a TS CAL per client. b) Use the tools AD provides you (assuming you have AD and are a Windows house) - yep, that can be a grind, but things like RIS, Group Policy, software publishing, roaming profiles, folder redirection can give you a locked down, easy to recover environment, with users running as USERS and 99% of your problems with clients will go away. Tools like Altiris can make this easier but cost. If your experience is like mine, most of your trouble comes from users thinking they know what's good for their PC, and you just have to remove the opportunities for them to work their magic. The tools are there, but don't kid yourself (or more importantly your management) that it will be easy or quick. It's changing a culture of the PC being a perk rather than a tool.
.. even if it doesn't lead to a FT job, could you squeeze a few days in on the Rogue class?
Typing this on just such a machine.
Everything works out of the box, it's small and cute, and as an older model you could probably afford to throw 1Gb of RAM at it - I've got 384Mb and it's fine for day to day stuff. WLAN working a treat.
I used a media slice (optional extra) to install, but I'm sure a bit of imagination could get around this - LAN or maybe USB CD drives work for Ubuntu install?
Buy them a bike. They'll learn basic mechanics and actually get some exercise.
The OP works for a repair shop, not an IS department, so can't use a Enterprise or volume licence agreement, or add the PC to their domain (XP Home anyone?). I deploy/build images for a multinational, and in your situation I think you're out of luck - MS do not make it any easier for you than to hook the PC up to an ADSL line (install firewall, AV first) behind a hardware firewall and run WIndows Update till the PC stops bleating. It's a pain, but on the bright side you don't have to watch it the whole time. An internal WSUS server might save a bit of time/bandwidth if you can be bothered to reconfigure every PC, then change it back to standard when you're done.
Hey, I work out.... I've yet to be challenged when I've a trolley full of gear and a PO'd expression. In fact, people hold doors open for you
It looks pretty easy to walk out of the building with - although admittedly probably a limited resale audience. Supervillains spring to mind.
Be interested to know how many of the 'MCSE is easy' crowd actually have one. NT4 doesn't count BTW. Too expensive? Work'll pay for it - it's one of the few certs PHBs recognise and/or understand. Hey, you'll ace them all first time anyway, right?
... go outside often enough to even need sunnies?
Shortly before Christmas, I'd ordered a truck load of CDs from CD WOW, and I'm guessing many other Brits did likewise. Mysteriously, HMV dropped their prices on many chart CDs to 8.99 also. Back up again now as far as I can see. To be honest though, it's the lack of choice in high street shops that makes me shop online rather than a few pounds here and there. Plenty of stock, but not much choice in the average store.
Yep you can still make boot floppies (Ghost 2003). In fact I'd say this was the way to go - you don't pollute your image with anything, it's OS independent and you can write to most external storage (DVD,CD,USB, Network, Firewire I think) although I generally just write to network or DVD. Nice boot disk wizard now too, which saves mucking about with the MS Dos client.
Sorry, that's tosh - I've sysprep'd images many times and never had any problems that weren't of my own making or related to hardware not being cleaned up properly.