OFFICE SOFTWARE – THE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTION ?

I’ve used Open Office for years, since it was called Star Office, and was supported from Germany. I like it, it’s not as complex as Word / Excel and is fully compatible. But its only one package of many open source applications which are available as alternatives to the leading packages.

I’ve deliberately tried to use open source and cross platform software on my systems and also on my new systems builds. So that’s why we have Open Office, AVG7, The Gimp, NVU, Firefox, Thunderbird, GAIM, and others freely installed on the PCs I build and repair. The only thing missing is Evolution, which is the Novell equivalent of MS Outlook, and has Mail, Contacts, Diary, Tasks and is compatible with MS Exchange servers. I like Evolution. It works well, and also can integrate with my Palm handheld.

However, much as I would like to see open source become the norm, the opposition is well entrenched. In my daily work I use MS Office XP - in fact I use Excel a whole lot, to create business activity monitoring dashboards with graphics. I'm also looking at introducing a degree of interactivity by using Powerpoint as well. The downside is that these applications are expensive for a user to buy, for a corporate it is a legitimate business overhead. But we users sometimes like to work from home,so it is useful to have the software where & when we need it. Its called DEDICATION. The MS Office files are also HUGE, unwieldy data monsters, which block mailboxes etc. So I have had a look around for the open source solution to suit MY REQUIREMENTS. Bad news, it doesn't exist. Simle stuff like creating formula and graphics is OK. Its when you come to modify & manipulate the data that you strike problems. Open Office files are just not compatible. My Powerpoint wireframe template with hyperlinks to other slides etc looks like the PC has lost its video card. Graphics and text overlaid all over the place. Crap.

What I really require is an open source Windows & Linux compatible application which is simple to use and can display information from a spreadsheet or a database, and be interactive. Am I asking too much ? Yes I think so, at least at this moment. So its back to Excel and Powerpoint in the meantime.

SCHEDULING ?

The more observant amongst y'all will have noticed that my blog posts are all a bit recent. This is because I originally wrote this blog well over two years ago, and it was hosted by Opera!. However, my needs are now to use Google Docs & Sheets to write stuff, and from there it is a couple of clicks to transfer my rant to the journeymangeek.blogspot.com site. S'easy. Even for me.

So more advice from the fizzer : Go get yourself a Googlemail account and use it. If your ISP goes titsup then you'll be glad you have Googlemail. And you can blog to your hearts content.

WIRELESS UBER ALLES – WIRELESS DEVICES STOOP TO CONQUER ?

Just seen the latest “must have” device - a wireless print server from SWEEX, which has USB ports and enables cable free printing. Wireless devices used to be expensive and considered too geeky for normal usage. However Joe User has now become wireless friendly with his wireless router, wireless adaptors, wireless laptop, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, wireless PDA and wireless phone. So now we can print to our printer(s) from almost anywhere in the house / office.

Oh joy ! Picture this - I’m having a sly kip in the comfortable workshop chair, happily dreaming of what new project I’m going to pursue, when all of a sudden I’m awoken by the scraping of a printer drum coughing itself alive so that it can print its load of dead trees for the power user at the other end of the building. Another couple of moments like that and it will be getting unplugged sharply !!

UPDATE 1: about two years on from this original post things have changed. The wireless printer server wasn't the latest & greatest device as I had expected it to be, in fact it seems to be few & far between. I currently have a customer interested in one, but the price has actually risen since then, and now looks like to be around £80 installed. All the big vendors apart from Belkin and LinkSys seem to have pulled out of the market, and there seem to be issues regarding support for certain printers and MFC devices.

MAY 2007 UPDATE - well the customer decided that the Edimax wireless print server wasn't exactly how she envisaged it would work. She thought that they plugged into the printer just like a USB wireless adaptor and she could print from anywhere....... err, Nope, not exactly. So I have the device in my workshop now and it works just fine. (See blog about assets.....) Added the wee laser and the colour printer/scanner device to it. No probs. APART FROM it won't look at Linux, or to be accurate, the other way around, Linux won't look at the Edimax device. I'm sure that there is a solution. Working on it....... now, actually......

WEBSITE DESIGN – A CUSTOMER-DRIVEN SOLUTION ?

I was at a customers premises recently and the talk got around to progress on their website. They had contracted a web design company to produce the site, but this was months ago, and as the site is for primarily the marketing tool for the business, it was essential that it was active soon. However the issue seems to be one of decisions being made about what is required, where it is required and what should it look like. The process is similar to the current model employed by many enterprises – they advise the web designer of the changes required etc and an upgrade to the site is done, sooner or later as the case may be.

A rare and fleeting glimpse of clarity saw me suggesting to them that they should look at the big picture – What do they want to do with the website ? How do they see themselves maintaining it ? Who is in control ? Can it be updated quickly and accurately ? And that seems to be the crux of the issue – speedy updating and maintenance. So I suggested a couple of what seemed to me to be obvious decisions.

First of all the website host should be local as much as possible. You can make contact with them face to face, which is very important when chasing up issues. Secondly, this ensures that the money you pay stays within the local community, also very important. Thirdly, the webhost should offer Apache, PHP and MySQL options. Once you have that you can use a CMS such as Joomla! ( www.joomla.org ) to maintain the website and once again put you in control.

CMS stands for Content Management Systems which simply enable websites to be maintained as and when required. A content management system is computer software for organizing and facilitating collaborative creation of documents and other content. A content management system is sometimes a web application used for managing websites and web content, though in many cases, content management systems require special client software for editing and constructing articles. They can also be used for storage and single sourcing of documentation for a firm including but not limited to operators' manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, etc.

SCENARIO: You may be attending a trade show and see a product that you can sell. You can use your CMS to update quickly and efficiently. No waiting around for “the designer” to appear in the office and update your site. Software such as Joomla! is easy to use and can even be hosted on your own webserver, for complete security. There are other CMS available, including MAMBO! Which was the forerunner of Joomla! All of these are worth looking at if you require to break the chain of control over your website.

To paraphrase Richard Branson "Screw it - lets do it!"

STARTUP ADVICE

Most small services/repair outfits start off "doing it on the side", in fact the business self-help books all advise a period of pre-launch experience. I've been on pre-launch for nearly 20 years now.... B-)

But then you get the job which just can't be ignored. El Gordo. The BIG ONE. But you need to be VAT registered to tender etc. So you go VAT Reg etc., and then you realise that your sucked into the morass of VAT, TAX, etc etc. You can't avoid it.

But before you start........ bear in mind the following advice:

• Determine how much you will need to live on, and make sure that you can make that amount each month, every month. On top of that add another 35% to put back into the business. That figure is your monthly target. Keep it constantly in mind.
  
• Pay yourself a wage. You need to live, and it is very bad practice to use the business chequebook or credit card to pay for household or personal expenses. Its not flash, its cheap.
  
• Create at least a couple of business plans based on your guesstimates. Five would be a good number of business plans to have. Remember to make one of them a worst case scenario.
  
• Build up a cash fund of £x thousand. This is called working capital. Look on it as a "gambling pot", because that is what it is. This figure is what profit you would realise from "trading" for 6 months or so. Keep it at that £x thousand level. Don't let it go down. That will cover emergencies like late payers and sudden VAT/TAX bills, and allow you to graciously retreat when the time comes. Here's the quick calc for you: Working Capital = 6 months salary + 35%, maybe about £20k perhaps. A sum like that will also keep the bank manager happy as it means that his risk is reduced.
• Its really not practical to run a business from the kitchen or living room. If you have a small spare room in the house then make it the office / workshop. Do you really need all that workshop / office kit ? You need one PC or a laptop for your financial record keeping, a small laser printer (under £100) for letters & invoices, a copier facility for the occassional document (mutil-function printer/copier/scanner device). You also need a backup device, use an external drive and make sure that you can actually read the documents from the backup drive without having to use other software than the original. I would estimate the basic essential kit should cost no more than £500-£600 + VAT. You also need an office desk and at least one filing cabinet. Total cost about £100. Handbills and flyers can be done on your own PC and printer. Get a professional print shop to produce business cards and compliments slips. Nothing too fancy, and make sure that your telephone number and Googlemail email address is on there. (More reliable than Hotmail etc and accessible everywhere.)
• Do you think that the local solicitors office is going to let you in wearing a hoodie, tee-shirt, jeans and scabby trainers ? Spend some money on a suit, spare dress trousers, shirts, ties, and jerseys. Don't go overboard, you want to look like a business professional, not a professional model. Embroidered jerseys with the enterprise name and logo are always a good indicator of commitment to the long run.
  
• KEEP YOUR FINANCIAL RECORDS CONSTANTLY UP TO DATE. Produce invoices when you do the job, or even before then so that it is ready to present for payment. Set aside a half-day or evening every week for financial control and book-keeping. Use an accounts program such as Quick Books to make it easy, if thats too much just use Open Office spreadsheets for purchase ledger and sales ledger. If even this is too daunting a task then do yourself a favour and seek out a jobbing accountant who will keep you right. Choose one who is in a similar position, working from home perhaps, and definitely small enough to provide personal attention, one who will remember your name and what it is that you do. Your accounts program (which you use at least every week...... ) will prepare your trading figures so that your new-found accountant friend won't have too much to do, and therefore won't charge you too much either. £300 / annum is about right for tax returns preparation and submittal etc.
• Every week compare the target with the actuals, its a great motivator. Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't hit target, some weeks you'll make nothing, often for weeks at a time perhaps. Then you'll get a really good job & it will all seem worthwhile. Its a bit like playing golf. Every month & every quarter compare targets & actuals AGAIN. This exercise introduces the reality factor. Remember that you will have to speak to your bank manager and present to him the astute business person image. You need to know how it is all going and why. Try to become interested in cashflow and the business plan........ B-)
  
• DO NOT GIVE CREDIT. Ok you can be flexible, but no more than a weeks wage for all of the money due from all of the customers. This may seem a bit hard and unrealistic, but remember it is YOU that is paying the bill for the goods or services supplied. You're just starting up, and you need to build up your business. Giving credit is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. The supermarket doesn't allow credit for your groceries, so why should you ?
  
• Reputation is EVERYTHING. Word of mouth and recommendation is the best advertising. But keep putting out handbills and flyers and make sure you have a compliments slip and business card to hand out. If you can afford it buy a small economical van or an MPV, as clean as possible, and get professional stick-on signage applied. The van/MPV is a travelling advert, so don't park it at the pub all the time. It's also an ASSET which will DEPRECIATE in value over time. A three-year old van is worth less than half its new price, a six-year old van is worth next to nothing. Buy a diesel model, it's not a race, it's for getting you to your job and back and is a travelling advert. Most vehicles are pretty reliable nowadays, unless they've been thrashed. My favourite is Puegeot 206 vans, then Ford Fiesta vans, and Citroen Xsara Picassa MPVs, which have loads of room and are pretty good on fuel consumption. They also have loads of advertising panel space.......B-)
  
• If there is a free-sheet in your area, then use it. They love filler stories which makes them look like a real newspaper. New business start-ups are always a good read. Other local newspapers are usually quite expensive to advertise in.
• Give good quality service. Don't break the LAW. VAT & Income Tax have to be paid, and that's just a matter of correct business practice. They won't cause you to lose sleep and hair. Trading Standards and the Sale of Goods Act will cause involuntary loss of control in your nether regions if you cross them. Do not go there.
• BE PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES. Don't badmouth the competition. A professional will take the stand that there is room for everyone. Of course, the best will rise to the surface and survive, the rest will sink. THINK TWICE before you open your gob, remember that what you say can be misconstrued, and it often is. You are your own PR department.
  

After a year or even two years if you haven't made enough to cover all the bills including tax & vat, & if the gambling pot is less than when you started, then just GET OUT.

Straight away.

Don't hang around and hope that you will trade your way up..... it ain't gonna happen.

You will have had some fun, made a pound or two perhaps, gained a load more knowledge and perhaps a good reputation.

You will also have the knowledge, abilities, skills and perhaps funds to start again, maybe in a different arena of trading.

Good Luck....... B-)

Rough Trade ?

TRING TRING!! - the phone rings........ "Hello....." and before I can even get what may remotely resemble a business-like salutation out, the voice says "Can you fix the computer 'cos it won't switch on ??"

"Well certainly I can look at it and see what I can do. Whereabout are you? " I reply in best newsreader tones....

"I'll be over in an hour or so" ........ CLUNK......SILENCE......... my customer has gone.

Sometines you can just read a job before they even place the PC on the bench. This one sounds like he's in a hurry so it's likely he's the guilty party or needs the data quickly.

An hour or so passes.

The workshop doorbell / burglar alarm rings. A big bloke with a PC under his arm enters - "I called you earlier, PC wont switch on."

"OK Dokey" says I, "set her over here & I will have a quick look see..."

PC on the bench & apply power lead and switch on. No joy, nothing, not a whisper or light displayed.

So it looks like the power supply unit (aka PSU) has gone. Quickly connect up a PSU and test again - still nothing. Push switch on front again after checking all leads OK and switch at back of PC case is on..... all OK, so should work...... But the front switch just doesnt click correctly, as if it isn't even switching. So take the side off the case and jumper the power switch at the board - Voila! lights & whispering fan indicate life at last.

So the problem must lie between the board & the switch button, so check the switch mechanism. AHA !! the wee switch device is being pushed out of its housing when the power button is depressed. Therefore should be a simple job to glue the switch back in place. So I tell the customer that I'll need to get some time to fix it ( i.e. let the glue dry ) and its only going to be the cost of the replacement PSU. He's happy with that, so I can leave it a wee while. As soon as he trots off I have a closer look at the casing and pull off the front panel. The micro-switch is held in by four lugs on the opposite side of the plastic panel. All of these lugs are broken, and the inner plastic panel is split. So some force required to push the power button perhaps ? I hazard a guess that the PC is set it floor level and the power button is within kicking distance. So user has got into the habit of kicking the PC on and now its broke.

Phones the guy and enquires whether the PC sits at floor level? "Yes it does" he says. So give him the bad news and tell him that fixing the switch will cost more than rebuilding the PC in a new case with replacement PSU. So he's happy with the info & I tell him it will be ready on Sunday if I can get a replacement case delivered next day. ( Yeah I work 7 days a week on PC Repairs )

But the problem is that it is Friday and I can't get a PC case delivered until Monday. So ..... the nearest town has a shop which has cheap PC cases which will do the job in this case. Send the brother over to buy one quickly. When I build a PC I use quality cases with metal which isn't paper thin and will actually look like quality. But this isn't the issue. Its all about how quick I can turn it around in this instance. So come Saturday afternoon after I picked up the el cheapo case I'm on the bench extracting all the components from the broken PC and installing them in to the new case. No problems, works a treat and PC boots up first time. Operating System has the latest upgrade so no need for me to even upgrade any software. Perfecto !!

Give the guy a call and advise him that it's ready for pick up on Sunday afternoon. Fine. Sunday morning I get a call and its " can I come along & pick it up now ?" Yeah, no problem...... I reply....... Good job its been sitting running all yesterday..... So when they arrive ( the wife is with him also) I show him the damaged case and the switch etc, and the PC up & running just fine. "Looks far better..... " she says. Followed by " I don't know why it just stopped working........ but we need the data to fill in the tax return......" Well I bit my lip and kept my comment to myself. Gave her the invoice and accepted the cheque, with thanks.

But I'll share my thoughts with you, my friends...... " if numbnuts there hadn't been so lazy and actually got into the habit of bending down to switch on the PC then he would have saved the cost of the rebuild, case & PSU...... "

Human nature never ceases to amaze me.

PROGRESS ??

Whether we like it or not, the computer industry is constantly changing.
("WE" being people involved within the "industry")

The punters only see the high street operations. The local computer shops are usually "entrepreneurs" who think that they can turn a pound competing against the big boys. They can't, and won't survive on sales of PCs & kit. I was in town yesterday and even Woolworths was selling the old TINY stock..... The local papershop sell mice and other low-cost accessories. It's all about retailing now, not about technical ability & knowledge. Any spud can do this, stock in and stock out stuff. The logic is "Lets try to clear 10points on it and the fruit & veg will keep us solvent......" Yeah, right....... even TESCO is selling PCs and laptops and making a good job of moving boxes. Not so hot on the aftersales & repairs though.

The other end of the "industry" is the corporate stuff, big wodges of moolah for reasonable brand name kit. Lots of capital expenditure establishing the deal and then lots of dosh spent furnishing the account. Lengthy dialogue from people who can't even establish proper security or disaster contingency.Pain in the posterior in general. It's all about how far you can go before you lose your shirt along with your integrity, dignity, and other things.

No wonder the small guys are being decimated with the supermarkets moving in. Now even the big guys are struggling to compete. The light at the end of the tunnel is services, services and services. That TESCO sourced PC needs to be configured & Joe User is too stoopid/doesn't have the time or ability, etc etc.

So STEP ON UP THERE - there's a job that we can do...... "and that'll be my usual consideration per hour if you don't mind. No we don't sell peas madam........."

PDAS – PALM TX – TXCLNT!

I’ve used a PDA for a few years, since I was given an HP iPaq and Sat Nav module from a friend who had upgraded his company supplied kit. The iPaq was fine, but it was slow and I really didn’t need a machine to tell me where I already knew to go. Admittedly it is a large area which I cover, but I do know most places within it.

However, when I had the option to buy a PDA for my own personal use I opted for a PALM T3 as I had worked out all I really require is a diary and alarm facility and storage for notes etc. The T3 did it all. As well as the base facilities I upgraded it later with a wireless SD card which would offer an email and web browser facility. Big deal. Didn’t work. Too hard on batteries. PDA lost data when battery runs down.

However, after a successful trading period and a pricing mistake by the distributor, I am the proud owner of a Palm TX, which has wireless built-in, and also doesn’t lose the data when the battery runs down. I have a couple of SD cards with which to store my data on, and regularly synchronise with the laptop which is my main PC. The email client is set to use any wireless signal it finds and pick up mail from my main email account. I can then read the mail and take the option to reply.

Another REALLY USEFUL facility is wireless network testing. Scenario: I'm at the clients location and the wireless network isn't working. Run the wireless connx with the Palm TX, if connx made then wireless is OK & PC config is the issue, if connx not made then wireless is not OK.

The good thing is that the wireless facility is only connected for a minute or so and then drops the connection automatically. I have the Pocket Tunes music player which comes with the TX, and I have my music on a 2Gb SD card. I also have the Agendus software installed which is better then the supplied diary and it helps me manage contacts, tasks, diary, etc etc. I’d be lost without it I suppose.

ON THE ROAD – FOR HOW LONG ?

Does the ever-increasing rise in road fuel prices signal an end to traditional “home visit” technical support ? Traditionally, whenever a support call comes into the workshop, the PC Man would jump into his sign-plastered wee van and run on over to the location and do an on-site diagnosis. Fix it if possible – “ you can’t dial out because your modem lead is unplugged” or even worse, but more profitable - “ It looks like the doohickey is not interfacing with the whotsit and needs to be repaired / replaced / re-configured. It’s a workshop job I’m afraid….” ( look suitably glum at this point ).

I used to travel a lot, very often over 100+ miles a day, and this was never a problem. The tweaked-performance van was a joy to drive, diesel was cheap, and the scenery was excellent most of the time. But nowadays even that option isn’t viable as road fuel becomes more expensive and the home visit is more of a rarity. Of course you could factor in the cost into the work, but quickly find out that the work dries up. Best strategy to employ is to offer the alternative - explain that all work is cheaper if delivered to the workshop, and that the “road trip” is a chargeable service. Of course I still deliver and install new systems, just to ensure that they are working correctly and its also a “customer connection” opportunity. I often get other business purely because of this service.

Over course this scenario only really applies to the rural enterprise. However, in the towns there is the question of safety and security for personnel and vehicle. There are some places locally where even I don’t like leaving the vehicle, or entering certain premises. One of my colleagues keeps a aluminium baseball bat in the back of his vehicle, in the window, where it can be seen. He says it’s a deterrent. Seems to work.

MAY 2007 UDATE - no improvement - fuel prices still too high & rising. Resolution is to charge for any trip out of the workshop.

Home Office Network Management Software

I have several PCs here in the workshop (of course, don't we all?) and used the standard but tedious method of managing them, via Windows & Linux system software. However there is at least one home/office network management application available which will cut all the hassle of configuration & constant diagnostics. PURE NETWORKS have a product called NETWORK MAGIC which elegantly does all the stuff for you. Available on a 30-day trial and also cheap to buy ( $39 USD or about £19 UKP ), once installed on your PCs it will scan and detect other devices, share files and printers simply, protect from wireless intruders, repair wireless connections, monitor your network activity, and also allow remote access. I've used all of these facilities apart from remote access succesfully. To be honest I didn't have the time to configure the remote access feature and don't think that I need it as I use Google Docs as my "bridge" between office and onsite work. Other users state that they have been able to access folders on their home PCs and also use a webcam as a monitoring device. My personal experience is that it saves me loads of time diagnosing what could be amiss with the network configuration.

In my small enterprise I have to set up small networks pretty frequently. Not big ones, just a couple of users, sometimes 4 or 5, with a couple of shared printers, and a shared hard drive, and accessing the net via a router, wired & wireless. No hassle, it's easy for those who have done it numerous times. However, I appreciate any software which makes the process easier for me to setup, maintain & troubleshoot. Human nature being what it is I often find that the network I carefully setup has been modified by Joe User, and now it doesn't work correctly at all. In situations like this I use NETWORK MAGIC to let me view the setup and fix the issues. It has a good interface and clearly shows the linked devices in the workgroup. It also shows any network faults and suggests how to fix them. It's a time-saver, and as such is invaluable. This software has been so stable & useful that I now install it on the office networks I install. If the system manager (a.k.a. the p.a.) doesn't save time configuring the network then they're not using it properly/haven't RTFM. An alternative product is Homenet Manager from SingleClick Systems and it seems to do pretty much the same thing, apart from remote access. NETWORK MAGIC is also Apple MAC compatible, and of course allows MACs and PCs to be shared on the same network.
Websites : www.networkmagic.com and www.homenetmanager.com

LINUX IMPLEMENTATION – PLANNING THE BUILD

I’ve used Linux for some years, not cutting edge, just enough to be usable, surf the web, send annoying emails and generally keep up to speed with the latest in that arena. This year however Linux is coming of age. Maybe the Windows Genuine Advantage fiasco has forced the users to re-examine the situation. The fact is that there are many mainstream applications and facilities for Linux which exceed the Windows platform. And secure. And no annoyances. Apache, MySQL, PHP, Open Office, Firefox, Opera, NVU, The Gimp, Evolution etc. All except Evolution are open source and cross platform, and I use them on the Windows boxes as well.

In my compact workshop there are currently two Linux boxes – the oldest being Xandros on a Tiny PC which was “rescued” last year, this replaced my original and ancient Linuxbox which had seen Suse 7 & 8, Corel Linux, PC Linux, Mandrakes, Slax, DSL, Puppy and a couple more tried and tested. My other Linuxbox is a MaxData “Slim desktop” PC which was on offer from my distributor at a ridiculously cheap price. I snapped it up, with a “clearance” 17” TFT VDU. On this box I have UBUNTU 6.06 LTS. It’s small, not much bigger than a lever-arch file, and has 512Mb RAM onboard, integrated audio & video, 80Gb HDD, DVDRW and a multi-card reader / floppy drive. Its cool. Easy to setup, not too demanding on the complex stuff such as file & folder sharing and even has the abilty to print to my Samsung laser hosted on the other linuxbox.

Ubuntu has other “flavours” which make it more Windows like ( Kubuntu ), easier to run on older hardware ( Xubuntu ) and even an educational version ( Edubuntu ). These all share the same core system and provide a common platform for other open source software. The beauty is of course that a huge library of free software is available, and can be freely updated automatically using the Synaptic facility in the operating system.

So now its time to sit back and plan again, look at the whole picture and decide that there was a lack of strategy in the implementation of the workshop hardware, and consider a “great rebuild” so that it all works better. This only happens once every five years or so. Last time I produced a network map diagram and promptly stopped. The Windows days are drawing to a close. This time the workhorses for file storage and printer hosting are going to be the Linux machines. Maybe I’ll wipe Xandros and install Ubuntu Server and create a web server for some new projects I want to look at. Online SQL database with remote users access - worldwide. A content management system to allow the user control of his website instead of the web-designer. An accounting application which is simple to use and very user-friendly, and also looks good.

At this stage then there is only one thing to do – get the big sheets of paper out and start drawing the structure. If I can visualise it, I can make it work.

MAY 2007 UPDATE - I've just spent the last week doing the latest "FIESTY FAWN" UBUNTU upgrade to the wee box and the HP Laptop. Needless to say both worked perfectly without a hitch. I also installed the BERYL utility which gives fancy desktop features, animated menus and such, eye-candy like what VISTA has but better...... B-)

LIGHTNING STIKES – THANK YOU MICHAEL DELL

Most users will be at some time affected by a power surge due to lightning striking the telephone line or the electrical supply. In some instances that can mean the replacement of the newly-fried modem, which acts as a fuse and blows, or even worse, the replacement of the computer, when the modem was fried and other components as well, i.e. PSU, motherboard, CPU, graphics card. The safeguard solution is to unplug the modem from the line, and also switch off the PC when it is not being used. Yeah. Who does that ? No, not me, I’m full-time wired and too lazy to unplug.

So whats to do ? Modem fried scenario ? First of all test with the modem diagnostics tool in Control Panel / Modems ( assuming your running Windows, and at this stage even if you can run Windows your lucky ). If the diagnostics doesn’t work then its switch off and UNPLUG the PC and get under the hood. Remove and look at the modem, specifically the chip with the manufacturers name on it. There may be a small mark on it which indicates the ceramic is blown – it looks like a wee chip has been gouged out. Just replace the modem, its cheap and expendable. I don’t give modem warranties any more, lightning strike is an “act of God” according to the insurance companies.

More serious damage ? i.e. the PC won’t boot up at all ? Remove the modem and try to reboot again – you may be lucky…… If not, ie it doesn’t reboot, then remove the case PSU and test with another known-to-be-working PSU. Once again, you’re lucky if it sparks up to life at this stage. If there are no signs of life then its “Sayonara PC!!”

You now have at least two options. Option 1 is to rescue the existing un-fried components, typically the RAM, optical drive, and hard drive will be unaffected. If the case PSU is blown then it is likely the front switch may be duff as well. Easier and less hassle to replace the case and PSU, and add new motherboard, CPU & Fan, modem etc into the new built PC with the original HDD, Optical, RAM and any other surviving components. However, this may be a costly exercise depending on the new components which you choose i.e. latest motherboard, super-duper SLI video card, some more ram, near-the-top-of-the-range-CPU & FAN, sexy-looking case, additional optical etc. Also, you need to be fairly familiar and competent building PCs. Yeah, I know, anyone can do it with a basic toolkit such as a screwdriver or even a kitchen knife. So why are there loads of PC Repairs shops ? Think about it. The average human is klutz around electronics.

So therefore consider Option 2 : Replace the PC with a barebones brand-name system. Depending on the vendor, most web shops do “barebones” PCs at budget prices. These are configured with “matching components” which will work together i.e. a mboard / cpu / ram configuration. Just insert the surviving components (correctly) and power up. You’ll have to re-register Windows again as the original installed hardware has changed. This is easy to do by telephone if a little time consuming ( and the offshore-based Microsoft helpdesk are excellent and very patient indeed !) YOU WILL NEED YOUR WINDOWS XP PRODUCT KEY FROM THE LABEL ON THE ORIGINAL CASE.

If you have searched the web for barebones systems you may well be attracted to a completely new full PC system. Once again it is easy to pick up a budget brand-name box with cpu & fan, ram, video card, optical drive, hdd, and operating system, which is usually pre-installed and only requires activation. Voila! You have a new PC and all is sweetness and light yet again. However, what are you going to do with the old kit? Especially the hard drive which contained all of your precious data? Once again the simple solution is to source a cheap 3.5” USB external drive kit which will accept the old drive and enable you to connect it to the new PC and transfer data from it. You can then use it as an external backup medium and sleep easier knowing that the precious data is safe.

At this stage you will value the strategy of keeping your data in a single folder such as My Documents, or better still on a data CD or DVD. And you did export your web favourites and email address book and messages? Yeah of course you did….. NOT! Two applications which you will now appreciate – Genie Backup Manager v4 is free and will backup data, folders, email identities with address books and messages into a self-extracting zip file which can reduce the stress of manually recovering everything. COBIAN BACKUP 8 will also backup data files and folders and like Genie can be auto-scheduled. I like Cobian. Its much faster than Genie but doesn’t do the email account backup unless you specify the precise identity to backup. ( a bit more complex this as it means copying hidden folders etc).

Oh yeah! - nearly forgot - where does Michael Dell fit into the above experience? The last electrical storm we had produced about a half dozen fried PCs. Four of these were Dell PCs; the other two were e-Machines PCs. You’ll note that these are “budget” products, with a high-level of component integration. None were modem replacements. Two were kit rebuilds with new boards, cpus, video cards & cases. These had big SATA hard drives and expensive video cards, so the rebuild was also expensive due to matching the kit to the cards. The other four were complete replacement PCs. Two of these replacements also bought 19” TFT monitors to match the new PC. Out of the fried kit I managed to cobble together two working PCs with reasonable specification. Also, by purchasing the afore-mentioned external hard drive enclosures I now have two more backup units. The old saying is very true in this instance, “It’s an ill wind that blows no good to someone”

THE DOWNWARD TREND – WHY PCS ARE GETTING CHEAPER

Recently i.e. this year, PCs are getting cheaper. By a HUGE margin. When I started out long ago there was a price point which the customer saw as acceptable. They could afford it. Tax was added to the price point, but then component prices dropped so that tax was included in the price point. Then prices dropped again so that different configurations could be offered as options above the price point. Then they were offered within the price point. Next was the budget, office and power user categories. The PCs were roughly the same, just priced differently.

The common denominator was that these were basically good quality PCs, capable of lasting the course. I’m proud to say that I have seen PCs I built seven years ago which were still in use. A bit slow, covered in “stour” ( dust ) but still working. But currently the scenario is that there are entry-level PCs which feature integrated components and offer the customer an even lower price point. A THIRD of the original price point !! Add a 17” TFT for a wee bit more and you have a reasonable system. Perhaps not a game star, but capable of the usual domestic usage, web surfing, emails, some letter writing and perhaps even academic research. These budget machines typically have built-in video and audio, fast LAN connection, multiple USB ports, and even multi-port card readers, all integrated into the main board. These would be unacceptable a few years ago, however the goalposts have moved. The new common denominator is that the users expectations have fallen into line with the lower level of technology being delivered. As an example, look at laptops currently on offer. They are all between 1.4Gh and 1.7Ghz, decent graphics performance, 512Mb RAM option, SATA drive as standard, DVDRW usually supplied, and almost all have Windows XP provided as well. But a couple of years ago we were looking at supplying laptops with 2.4Ghz CPUs and upwards.

So what happened to the “faster” option ? Well, technology is forever a flexible animal and the new-ish mobile chipsets provide faster performance at lower chip rates. More bang for buck. The best enhancement to any PC or laptop is by adding RAM. A half-gig of ram makes it sing. Double that up to one Gigabyte of DDR and or really whizzing along. New laptop motherboards can accept additional SODIMM upgrades, and I recently supplied an Acer Aspire 3266WLMi with 1Gb RAM so that it will play DVDs using a wireless projector over PA system in an auditorium. It worked like a dream!! Extremely impressive performance..

Why is it all getting cheaper ? Well I am of the opinion that we have to thank Michael Dell yet again. The big boys are undercutting everyone and making it impossible to sell entry-level kit. But that’s not a bad thing. The entry-level stuff is usually duff or obsolete in a very short time, and usually requires fixing at some stage. As long as it is passed the warranty period then no worries. So there are opportunities to compete, but not with similar products.

May 2007 update - good quality PCs and laptops now being sold by TESCO! What is the world coming to FFS ? Do Your Shopping And Save A Bundle On A New PC Or Laptop ! (.... "Save A Bundle" was the title of a series of computer books by Aubrey Pilgrim). So? So What ! - DIVERSIFY - it's not the end of the world!

As I sit here, surrounded by kit, I'm reminded that it's time to prepare for the taxman once again. Lets get the books to the accountant on time this year...... Lets check the inventory and see how much "we" ( aka me, set to impulse-buying mode) bought this year in a vain attempt to resell it because "we" thought that it was cool.

Well, there are far too many PCs for a start. And laptops....... and why is there a box of media card readers which look like Barbie doll accessories ??? and webcams..... and USB data pens..... and USB hubs..... and VOIP phones which only work with SKYPE.......

Well the truth of the matter is that as a "trader" you accumulate stuff during the run of the game. And the accumulation loses value the longer it is on the shelf. So lets cut our losses. Lets build it into our own workshop kit requirements. As good an excuse as any. The obvious problem is that the kit then becomes an "asset" instead of "stock for resale".

So I have a TV Tuner that "enhances" the sale of the display kit. And a widescreen TV which doubles as a monitor. And a couple of colour photo printers. And a colour laser printer for doing catalogues etc. And a multi-function printer/scanner/copier which is arguably the most useful kit I ever bought ( Canon MP370 ). There are a couple of beautiful cases which only I thought were leading edge. Everyone else says that they're ugly.

And then there's the work in progress, 3 systems which I hope someone will take a shine to this week. And a laptop and printer "deal" which is being transported around the country to a prospective buyer. And so it goes.

So what did it all cost ? Far too much, is the only reasonable response. Its all been relegated to last years accounts. Therefore it has now no value at all. Cheapskate strategy for accumulating kit. But it provides what I intended it to be, a suitable workshop for the Journeyman Geek.

OKAAAYY - looks like I'm finding time to update this every 6 months or so.... 'sfine by me.... not too rushed.... no pressure......

I'll get some new updates done and post them asap.......