I found this great little tool called BlogDesk the other day. It helps to create content and publish to a blog site with a much friendlier and easier to use interface than most blog publishing components I have used. The best part is you can have a number of blogs setup within the software and publish to whichever one you want whenever you want.

The annoying part… Well of course because of a Microsoft patch the components needed on your machine to run this little Gem are no longer available.. Well I did some digging and found the link on the Microsoft site to fix this little mix up and get you blogging again!

If you run the BlogDesk install and get an error anytime you run it mentioning it can’t find the dhtmled.ocx file you most likely need to download and run the component install below. Good Luck !

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=b769a4b8-48ed-41a1-8095-5a086d1937cb&displaylang=en

Filed under: Uncategorized on August 9th, 2007 | No Comments »

Well I finally got a product that didn’t start with a “V” but they managed to sneak one in the middle! This month I want to share my thoughts on AVG, an anti-virus and malware product suite offered by Grisoft. Initially a European company, Grisoft has enjoyed significant growth and now also has a US headquarters.

I’ve personally been using AVG for a number of years on both my home PCs and in corporate environments. It was interesting to look at other reviews before writing this blog as they were all over the board on whether they liked it or had problems. In general I’ve been very happy with AVG although I do have a few pet peeves that I’ll share later on.

I was actually using some of the bigger names like Symantec and McAfee (why do they insist on pronouncing it MacAfee?) which drove me to look for alternative products. Symantec seemed to cause a number of problems, particularly when upgrading. McAfee was always losing track of the fact that you had a current license making it necessary to constantly validate licenses or worse causing me to mistakenly order a new copy.

At AVG’s core is it’s anti-virus product. The software is extremely easy to install and offers an aggressive update service. It is even compatible with all my existing software. My biggest issue has been the update pop-ups that open up in the middle of the screen and sometimes override the program I’m working with. I’m sure AVG would like us to know its working but hey, how about a small message balloon from the toolbar instead?

AVG also offers a full suite of additional services such as firewalls, anti-spam, and anti-spyware. These additional products are where most of the other reviews found fault. I have not had a lot of experience with them except for the firewall product. It seemed to work well until we upgraded to release 7.5 where we found it to interfere with a VPN and Exchange server. It took a bit of detective work and trial & error testing to finally straighten it all out.

As for anti-spam and anti-spyware, we have typically relied on other products for this protection. However, AVG offers a complete bundle for the individual, SMB or enterprise environment. Their licensing model is in two year increments making the per-seat pricing very attractive. On average about $7/year per PC for anti-virus and $20 to $25 for the full suite at 100 computers. I wasn’t sure why the Server Suite for the SMB was higher than the same enterprise product though.

The only other gripe I have, if you want to call it that, is with the scheduled scanner. The default is 8:00 am or when the user first turns on their PC. On older machines this can really slow things down so we typically found that changing the time to the user’s lunch hour helped considerably, though I didn’t notice much of a slowdown on my new duo-core.

Want to try it at home? AVG offers a free version. Especially great if you have kids in school and are tired of paying a fee for some of the other programs out there. This bit of advice is likely worth every penny you are paying for this blog!

The other anti-virus product that I consider in this same class is Trend Micro but I have never actively purchased it. It usually came pre-packaged on new PCs. It appears to have a decent following but a remote network support company I worked with flip flopped back and forth on the products until eventually settling on AVG as its bundled anti-virus product. Not sure of the exact reasoning but they had to run a number of additional clients on the desktop for their service and I believe the AVG ran a little smoother.

What’s your experience been? Please let us know. We look forward to your comments.

Mark

Resources

www.grisoft.com  - AVG home site.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2060862,00.asp               AVG review on PC Magazine

http://bizsecurity.about.com/od/securityproductreviews/fr/avgreview.htm      About.com AVG review

Filed under: Business Articles on July 30th, 2007 | No Comments »

This week I got the opportunity to review AVG free, a free virus protection program.  I have used this
software for quite some time now and I do think it is pretty solid.  Fast and easy installation, automatic
internet updates and a friendly user interface are just some of the reasons why I like this product.  As
you read further, you too will see the benefits that AVG can provide for you.

This software is produced by Grisoft, but it can be downloaded at many locations (download.com,
filehippo.com, etc).  There are several versions; I will be discussing the free version, AVG Free 7.5.  The free version is just
anti-virus protection; other versions (which are not free) do include malware and spyware protection.  This is compatible with
Windows 98 and onward, as well as a Linux version.  There is a version for everyone, well except our Apple friends.

What do you need?

This product will be compatible with most of the computers in use today.  The resources required are low; you will need 16MB
of RAM and 20MB of free disk space.  The enhanced versions of the product can require up to 64MB of RAM.

Installation

This is one of the easiest programs I have installed, just follow the on-screen display and you are set to go.  First, you will need
to download the installation file.  My favorite is at http://www.filehippo.com/download_ewido/.  Just double click the file and off
you go, here is what my install looked like:

 

 

After you hit next, accept the license agreement.

 

Select what kind of install you want to do, I will choose Custom.

 

Select where you want to install the program.

 

Select what components you like; plugins for email and Microsoft Office.

 

View your installation summary and make sure it is to your liking.

 

Now, watch it install.

 

Good job, you are all set.

 

Now, we can check for the most recent updates on the Internet.

 

You can decide if you would like daily scanning.

 

After that, everything is up to date and you are secure.

 

Here is what the Test Center looks like, you can go through and see the current state of each component.

The installation is a breeze and now you are protected.  The feature that I like the most is probably the scheduled scanning.  Once you have this configured to your liking, it is a great tool to have.  Instead of being interrupted with a scan while you are in the middle of important work, you can schedule a scan when you are not around.  The biggest downfall of this free version (in my opinion) is that there is not any malware or spyware protection offered.  You will need to get another program for that, if you want total protection.

All in all I would definitely recommend this program.  If your budget is tight and you want great protection, this is the way to go.  There are many features to fool around with and i’m sure you will not be disappointed.  See for yourself, the links listed below should help in your decision.

 

Info from Grisoft
http://free.grisoft.com/ 

Link to download
http://www.filehippo.com/

Program review
http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/avg-review.html

Link to download
http://www.download.com/3000-2239_4-10703202.html

CNET review
http://reviews.cnet.com/antivirus-and-filtering/avg-anti-virus-7/4505-3681_7-32153594.html?tag=prod.txt.1

Wikipedia explanation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVG_Anti-Virus

Filed under: Technical Articles on July 30th, 2007 | No Comments »

For this week’s newsletter we take a look into the exciting world of collaboration via a new product called Collanos Workplace. Personally I was excited to test this product because I feel workplace communication and collaboration is weak in most companies. I know we have had trouble here in the past making important information about projects readily available and easy to work with, and finding a product to help the process without adding extra work has been a challenge, until now..

Basically Collanos Workplace is a software application that runs on users’ local machines and offers an easy way to create projects and collaborate with regards to documents, files, discussions, tasks notes and websites. It needs to be installed locally on users’ computers and therefore cannot be accessed via a browser, but honestly I found the interoperability via a client much better than most online collaboration tools I have used. Creating new workspaces (projects) is extremely easy, and adding, changing and deleting files is simple.  As well, I found the overall interface well thought out and enjoyable to use.

Some Testing

To get a better understanding of the maturity of the product (keeping in mind it is a 1.1 release), I created a number of sample workplaces and invited a few different groups here at AWH to join in. You do need to register online to create a user and all members of your team or company will have to do the same, which overall is understandable and fairly painless. It would be nice however, if Collanos released a server side to the environment allowing for this process to remain internal for more sensitive clients. They are good at pointing out all communications are encrypted though which is good enough for now.

The first project I created was for sales and marketing collateral materials. I created the basic workplace structure to mirror a few sample sales initiatives and grouped the collateral material and working documents into my newly created structure. At this point I invited the sales team to join my workplace and had the team interact with the material through a series of real-world tasks. Generally uploading and maintaining files and documents was extremely easy though initially it took me a few minutes to figure out how the updating process worked. Basically, when you open an existing document through Collanos it opens it in a temporary location, so just make any changes you want, hit save (not save as) and close the document. When you go back to your workplace it (Collanos) will notice the changes and ask you if you would like to update the document - just say yes. An easy process once you do it. Overall the team liked the application in regards to both the usability and the functionality.

Second, I wanted to test the Collanos system with a little bit of sensitive data. I created a technical project for my engineers and added my structure and a sample network topology diagram. Obviously if you don’t want a particular user to see the data don’t invite them to the workspace, but if you want them to see data there are a few permission levels you can set. After trying this part of the system though it appears to me it needs a little work before it is ready for corporate use. For example the initial team members I invited to the project were invited as managers with full access. I would have liked the ability to set this as I was making the invitation, especially seeing that there is a lag in the effective permissions taking hold once you change them, due to the Collanos server being hosted externally. Another issue during the testing of permissions-changing, booted the user from the project leaving no easily identifiable way to find it again.

Throughout the testing process I noticed a few things I really liked, for example:

• You can move your project data folder to your network drive so items will be backed up (assuming your server is backed up).
• It only takes a few minutes for new users and new workspaces to become available via the Collanos servers.
• The user interface was well thought out and easy to use.
• New files, objects and changes are marked well and easily identified.
• The messaging component works well via static messages and instant messages.
• The fact that everything is encrypted is a must and well accepted.
• The concept of discussions as files stored in the shared workspace is great, especially for remote users and long running projects that aren’t necessarily rush jobs.
• A conflict bin that stores items that have been changed or deleted by other users is a great way to help recover from mistakes.

For all of the pros of the software I still think it has a little bit of maturing to do to be accepted in the enterprise, for example: 

• The permission’s system is very basic, when working.
• You cannot set different permissions on a document/folder basis so you need to create multiple projects (workspaces) to limp around this.
• Administrators should be able to set access while inviting users instead of after they have been created, especially seeing as though there seems to be a lag in the propagation of the permissions once they are set.
• One of our users running Vista could not get the application to install after many attempts which will become more and more of a problem as users continue to move to the new windows operating system.
• It would also be nice in future revisions to have a preview pane system to view documents before opening them.

Overall I say the application is great for small companies and small workgroups but it has a little work to get to the enterprise level.  But considering this is revision 1.1 I would keep a close watch on it!

Online Resources

Jesse’s technical view of Collanos
http://www.awecommwebhosting.com/blog/?p=38 

Collanos’s Website
http://www.collanos.com

Collanos Workplace 1.1 Download
http://www.collanos.com/m1/en/downloads/index

Collanos User Foum
http://community.collanos.com/index.php/board,21.0.html

Filed under: Business Articles on July 17th, 2007 | 5 Comments »

For this installment of my bi-weekly technical take it will be on the P2P (peer-to-peer) java developed product called Collanos. This fairly new product allows you and your co-workers to securely share files in multiple workspaces. Collanos can be installed on pretty much any flavor of Operating System that you’d like. It will run on Microsoft Windows (2000/XP/Vista), OSX (Mac), and many distributions of linux (Red Hat/Suse/Ubuntu/Fedora). All you need to do is install the Collanos client, register a username and away you go. Even though this was a simple install I thought I’d document it for the weak at heart.

Installation

Once you download the Collanos Client, double-click on it and start the install. A word of wisdom though, if you’re using Vista you’ll need to right click on the install icon and select run as administrator. After it runs its progress bar you’ll see this screen below. Click next.

Than after the next screen which is the license agreement click next.
You’ll then see this window below.

Very simple, eh? click next. The window below selects the default location for the installation.

Unless you feel like changing it just click next. Below it is going to be the default location for your workspace.
For this install I let it

 choose the default but you can change
it to be wherever you’d like. Click Next.

 

Click next at this screen.

Click next at this screen also.

And away we go. Installing of course.

All finished! This was very clean and simple. Click finish.

Run the Collanos client and you see this login window.
If you don’t already have a username you’ll
need to register. No big deal, only takes a
minute.

With using Collanos you can simplify and centralize your projects in a workplace.

Some of the features include

• Everything related to your project can be contained in a workplace.
• File Sharing
• Online Discussions
• IM (Instant Messenger)
• Manage tasks and assign them to peers.
• Work online or offline.
• Entire project is transparently synchronized with peers.

In summary, I have found that this can be an important tool in the workplace. This is a way to through projects and tasks to simplify / communicate with my fellow employees. If you’d like your days to go smoother, give Collanos a try. I gave it a try and an applause as well. Thank You.

Additional Resources

Brent’s view on the business side of Collanos

http://www.awecommwebhosting.com/blog/?p=37

Wikipedia Encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collanos

Home Page

http://www.collanos.com/m1/en/index Download

http://www.collanos.com/m1/en/downloads/index

Filed under: Technical Articles on July 17th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

Hmmmm. We seem to revisit topics that start with the letter V once a month, whether we need it or not. Last month is was Vista, this month we investigate virtual servers, specifically VMware. VMware Inc. is an EMC company, the makers of high-end storage devices.

Virtual servers are pretty much what they sound like. You begin with one physical server and then by loading the virtual server software you can have multiple “virtual” servers running on that same machine. Your limitations of course will be a function of memory, CPU and disk.

So what would a business use this technology for?

Run various test environments. This is one of the most common applications. You could have an application you want to test under Windows 2000, XP and Vista. VMware would allow you to set up all three environments simultaneously on the same machine. You can even create checkpoints or Snapshots at various stages of testing that you can easily roll back to in the event of an error. If the virtual server becomes corrupted, simply wipe it out and reload without rebuilding the whole machine.

Re-host legacy applications. You may have an old application that won’t run on the latest hardware and software. VMware can let you run legacy operating systems on newer hardware.

Provide redundant servers for more robust application continuity. Run additional copies of mission critical software on a virtual server to take over if the main copy goes down for some reason.

Consolidate servers. With the right hardware and high-end VMware applications you can control server sprawl by running multiple applications on fewer, highly-scaled servers.

What does this all cost?

Costs range from free to several thousands of dollars depending on how robust of an environment you are trying to create and the range of features you need. VMware Server is available free of charge for simple, small testing environments. At the high end is VMware ESX Server, designed for data center management and optimization and it is – well – not free.

Microsoft offers a similar product simply known as Virtual Server but VMware seems to be more popular, although the Microsoft product should certainly be part of your review.

You can also find virtual desktop environments from both companies but we’ll leave these for a future blog. Unless of course we select another “V” topic next month.

Links:

http://www.vmware.com/overview/

VMware home site. Lots of good product information, white papers and you can order here too.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/

Microsoft’s virtual server home page.

Filed under: Business Articles on July 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »

Running multiple OS’s on the same computer can be extremely useful.  Now, there is a way to do that; and best of all, it is free.  The product is called VMware and it is a tool that runs “Virtual Machines” on a preexisting Windows or Linux computer. 

With VMware, you can create a fully functional Linux partition on a Windows PC; and vice versa.  You can install different versions and mix whatever you like.  This is a great tool when trying to consolidate servers or creating a test environment. 

There are several versions of this product (some require a fee); the one that I will discuss is VMware Server, this is a product that we currently use and it has been great.  With this free version, you can run many versions of Windows, Linux, Novell, and Sun all on the same server.  The installation is a breeze, just follow these steps. 

First, we will need a copy to install.  It can be found at:http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ and is a quick download.  Place it in a server of your choice (running Windows or Linux) and wait for the wizard. 

Here is the first screen

 

After you say yes to license agreement; select Complete or Custom install.  I will select Custom to show what the options are, if you select complete – everything will be installed by default.
 

This next screen gives you the option of what and where you would like to install certain features.  Such as: what drive to install the program, server and client components and other utilities.
 

Select next
 

…and watch it install
 

Select finish and it is installed.  Now, we can open VMware and go through the easy process of installing a ‘virtual machine.’ 

Here is the the home screen.  Select ‘New Virtual Machine’ and a wizard will show you the way.

 

Select next
 

I will do a typical install; which will give us all the options that we need.
 

Now decide which OS you want to install.  Select the OS of choice and hit the drop down menu to pick what version you want.
 

Now, pick a name and where to install.
 

Select what Network Type you want; here I selected bridged which will give the virtual OS access to an external network, it will also have its’ own IP.
 

Decide how big you want the hard drive to be.
 

Watch the progress…
 

…And now you have completed the setup.
 

Start your Virtual Server and now watch the screen as it will start up like a normal server.
 

It will use the CD or DVD ROM of the original server; once the disk for the OS is in place, it will install like a normal OS install.
 

After you have installed the OS, you can use it like a regular server.  Setup remote desktop (Windows) and login; you cannot even tell it is virtual. 

The only issue that I have come across is Memory and Hard Drive space.  Memory will be shared among all active OS’s, including the main server.  There is an option to select how much memory to use for each specific ‘Virtual Machine;’ thus the more you install the less memory you have.  It can appear slow, but depending on what the server will be used for – you can adjust accordingly. 

Since everything will share hard drive space, make sure you give each Virtual Server enough space, as well as the main server.  The hard drive can be taken away quickly; but depending on the size of your hard drive – divvy up the space any way that you see fit. 

All in all, I have had great experiences with VMware.  We have different versions of Windows and Linux running on the same server.  This is great for developmental testing and combining of servers that we are trying to phase out.  Take a look and play around, you will see what VMware can do for you. 

VMware Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMware 

VMware Homepage
http://www.vmware.com/ 

Virtual Environments
http://www.run-virtual.com/ 

How to VMware
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Vmware_how_to

Filed under: Technical Articles on July 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »

Every couple of weeks the AWH team meets to discuss newsletter article subjects.  The process is pretty straight forward; we all come up with ideas and then discuss briefly the pros and cons to ultimately decide on a topic.  This week we settled on a powerful website portal environment called DotNetNuke.  At first glance it may be a little difficult to see how it’ll work for your business, but after digging a little deeper it becomes pretty apparent how powerful this application actually is.

So, what is DotNetNuke (DNN), or what is a portal for that matter?  Basically it is an environment that allows easily updatable and expandable content and functionality – without a developer standing over your shoulder guiding you through the process.   Portal systems usually have a number of plug-ins or modules to allow for additional functionality like document management, real-time search, streaming video, RSS feeds, blogs, etc…  DNN is no different; it offers hundreds and hundreds of easily installable components that can help your website grow from a basic brochure-ware site to a functional part of your business.

With DNN, it’s extremely easy for organizations to decentralize the updating of their websites, allowing department heads to be responsible for the information they present to web visitors and the way in which it is presented.  Enhancing that functionality by adding custom modules can increase workflow, simplify day to day activities, and ultimately save valuable time and reduce frustration.

To top it off, DNN comes with a number of pre-built designs (or skins) to make the portal look professionally designed.  Already have a custom designed site? No problem, there are a number of shops out there that will take an existing look and feel and build you a custom template for your DNN installation.  You have the flexibility to make your site look how you want, and still have the power to update and change items and information instantly!

Sample Skins

Intrigued yet?  If not, consider the following, the DNN software including the base set of modules is FREE!  Yes, FREE!  All you need is a DNN hosting provider to run the setup and application (along with a little time to get the content into your site).  All being told you can expect to pay less than $100 / month for an extremely dynamic and flexible website.

Overall, the DotNetNuke portal environment is a fast, flexible and powerful system that can help companies better utilize the web by streamlining the process in which they update and interact with their online material.

Additional References

DotNetNuke Official Site
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/

Great Example of DNN Sites
http://www.q107.com
http://shop.volleyball.com/
http://www.reachoutside.com/

Popular DNN Modules
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Resources/Modules/tabid/794/Default.aspx

DNN Discussion Forum
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/tabid/795/Default.aspx

DNN Wikipedia Definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DotNetNuke

DNN Encyclopedia (Wiki Site)
http://www.dnnwiki.net/

Filed under: Business Articles on June 19th, 2007 | No Comments »

The DotNetNuke web application may not be well-known as of today, but for those of you who haven’t heard of it, it is a powerful application that you should seriously consider checking out. I’ll shine some light on the technical aspects of DotNetNuke.

DotNetNuke, otherwise referred to as, DNN, is a web application that works on the ASP.net platform. Its primary functions are used for creating websites, portals, and customizing web applications.

DNN is excellent for users that have little to no programming skills. Those users can still make DNN work for you and your customers. DNN provides all the features and tools to layout, create and maintain your website. It includes pre-built modules, as well as additional downloadable modules, for customization of your application(s). Other features include file management, drop and drag functionality, recycle bin, and banner advertising.

With all the features, modules, and tools that are included it’s hard to believe that it’s a free download. DNN is offered under a BSD Style license, which allows you to download and use it free of charge.

DNN System Requirements

• IIS6
• ASP.net 2.0
• NTFS file system
• Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
• Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition

You’ll be able to test DNN on your current XP Pro machine that’s sitting in front of you. As long as you’re running IIS6 and ASP.net, it’ll function seamlessly.

Installation

Although the DNN site speaks of easy installation, first timers might find it a little challenging. I found a great pdf that takes you through the installation process. You can find it within the zip download located at DotNetNuke 4.4.1 Docs. Unfortunately, you’ll be required to register and login within their site before downloading it. I chose the starter kit installation, so you can go right to page 33 within the pdf and follow the instructions from there. My step-by-step process follows:

1. Install Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express and Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express.
2. Download the starter kit zip file and extract in a designated folder.
3. Double click the “DotNetNuke.vscontent” file.

4. Click Next

5. Click Finish

6. Click Close

That wasn’t too tough. Let’s try setting up the website now.

1. Before you begin, you’ll need to already have your website setup within IIS.
2. Your MSSQL Database will also be created already, with a user that is the db owner.
3. Set file permissions for the Network Service to have full control of your website root. The IUSR can have the modify permission.
4. Open Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition and select file –> New Website.
5. Select the DotNetNuke Web Application template. Under location, select http. Under language select Visual Basic. At the next field, located at the browse button, put in the name of your website. Click ok and the website will be created. Then, you’ll see this screen.

6. Click CNTL+F5 to build the site. Once it has finished building, a browser window will open.
7. In the first browser window, select typical and click next.
8. In the second browser window, click on Test permissions and click next.
9. In the third browser window, select SQL 2005 database. Uncheck integrated security and fill in the appropriate info. Click test database connection and then click next. It will then ask you for the Host username and Admin username login information. It will then finish installing your DotNetNuke Website.

Summary

I was very unfamiliar with DNN going in, but I found that if I was brave enough to give it a try, coming up with a great looking and fully customizable web application portal was not as imposing as it seems. If you do get stumped, I highly recommend the DNN message forum. You will find answers to questions that you probably won’t find anywhere else. When you’re looking for a web application that allows you, and/or, your customers to fully customize your desires, with a gamut of tools and features all wrapped in, you should give DotNetNuke a try. I really like it.

Additional Resources

DNN Website
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/
Content Features Resource
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Default.aspx?tabid=772

Installation Documents
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/LinkClick.aspx?…

BSD-Style Licensing
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Default.aspx?tabid=776

Filed under: Technical Articles on June 19th, 2007 | No Comments »

In our last (or is that first?) issue Brent and Jesse gave us their impressions of Office 2007. It seems to hold great promise but there are definitely hurdles to implementing it in your organization. It appears that many of the same issues hold true for Vista.

Measuring the ROI of an OS is always a challenge because it’s typically easier to measure the value of the applications that run under it. So for Vista I thought I would focus on the impact to the IT staff and ease of use for the user base. As Monty Python used to say, “And now for something completely different!”

My experience is somewhat limited. I just received my new Dell with a Dual-Core Pentium and 2GB of RAM – a pretty quick system. We were not converting any old applications and I am currently running the full suite of Office 07 along with a few other support programs, so it’s a fairly clean installation.

One problem is drivers. Yep, this one got me, but it wasn’t too bad. It started with the Microsoft wireless mouse, then the USB driver for the docking station, and then the sound port on the docking station. (Gotta have my music.) Time spent researching drivers equals negative ROI. However, Vista did a good job analyzing the problem and automatically returned the site URL for getting an updated driver. It’s a process they call self healing, which yields a positive ROI. I see this as a mixed message for the support staff and users. As time goes on, the driver issue will become less of a problem but in the interim, plan on spending more time here than you initially anticipated (or have become used to with XP).

There are some other Vista features that seem worthwhile:

• Meeting Space – a nice little collaboration tool for networked PCs to share screens and commentary. Seemed easier to use than some of the other tools like NetMeeting.
• Refined Search Bar – shows up in the lower left corner and gives you access to search for just about anything on your system.
• Built in calendar – more readily available than Outlook’s.
• ReadyBoost – this one’s just kind of cool. It can actually use a compatible USB thumb drive as an extension of system memory. I haven’t tried it yet but this could definitely help with some applications.
• Gadgets – I’m sure you’ve heard about these. They are little applets that run in the background and appear in a special window on your desktop. Currently I run a weather gadget (I could look out the window for this same information), and a CPU clock. They are fun but I think their real value is in demonstrating the true potential of Vista as a vastly improved OS for software development.

My biggest complaint – Vista does not boot any faster than XP. However, it does appear to have more reliable Sleep and Hibernate modes, that when used properly, will reduce the need for a full start. Another big plus for the IT group is the fact that the tablet OS is now part of Vista. This will reduce the requirement to support a separate operating system in mixed environments.

I have to admit that Vista has been running pretty reliably. I have only had it hang once so far. There are also new security features that allow the IT staff more flexibility in locking down workstations to prevent unwanted software from being loaded. In the long run this could be a tremendous asset to your staff as they likely end up having everyone set up with administrator rights. Otherwise, they get a call every 5 minutes because one program or another won’t run, but then they also get to deal with the viruses of other rogue applications that come along.

Bottom line – not bad. It’s taken a few weeks to figure out where some of my menu selects are hidden but overall I find things work pretty well. There is definitely a long term payoff to Vista in terms of “potentially” reduced support efforts as well OS and networking reliability. However Vista is still new and you will find yourself challenged by drivers, older system compatibility and other issues. But as we all know Microsoft progress is inevitable and you can pay them now or pay them later.

Additional Resources

Features list

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/accessibility.mspx

Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise and MDOP

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx

Microsoft System Center

http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/default.mspx

Microsoft’s Infrastructure Optimization Model

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/infrastructure/default

Filed under: Business Articles on May 31st, 2007 | No Comments »