When writing about technology it is not unusual for bloggers and the traditional media to apply labels or ferment conflict between technology solutions. Microsoft v. Apple, Windows is better or worse than Mac OS X, or the most recent hot topic regarding Google’s Android-based phones knocking the iPhone off its throne. Much of this is clutter, intended to attract attention and create controversy.

Technology is the response to a need or wish, nothing more.
The solution that best fits our needs is our choice and should not be turned into an ideological battle. Remember, technology companies are in business for one reason – to make money (and there is most certainly nothing wrong with that). Do not be distracted by an unnecessary religious battle over which computer is best or worst, and whether someone is an idiot for liking the solution they have chosen. How could my choice of a product impact or threaten a complete stranger’s selection of a solution?

For myself, I have worked with Microsoft-based systems for over 28 years and Macs 23 years (my Unix experience goes back even further). None are inherently evil or good, they are just products and systems that either help us or do not; and in many situations it is a personal choice which is which.

Having the Internet filled with stories about the latest iPhone-killer, or the impending death of Microsoft (because this OS was a failure and they have lost their way) is a needless distraction. Sure these stories can be fun to read, if for nothing more than to see how far some people will go in their statements and predictions.

It comes down to knowing what your needs are, how much you want to pay, how much you are willing to change your existing habits or processes to implement and then doing the research for the product that best meets these defined requirements. Do not get distracted by the froth that is stirred up by the bloggers and comments left by anonymous posters.

This blog is related to “Pithy-Tech 2 – Windows Desktop PCs” and is intended to be both informative and an opportunity to poke some fun with my engineering colleagues here at CNS.

Apple Macs exist because not everyone wants to drive a Chevy (commodity PC).

The recently released Windows 7 OS is a good upgrade from Vista – you know, like putting better tires on a Chevy. The handling is better, but you will never mistake it for a luxury car.  Windows 7 PCs will never be seen as viable systems for the true Mac zealot.

In November 2009 sales statistics for the US indicated that Apple was selling 91% of all notebooks over $1,000 in cost – MacBooks and MacBook Pros, which constitute the majority of Apple’s computer sales.

Apple does not want to be the leading seller of commodity PCs – there are too many players in that market, fighting over too few profits – this is why IBM sold their PC business to China’s Lenovo.  Nor does Apple want to license their Mac OS X software so that other hardware vendors can sell Mac compatible PCs.  Apple is not a hardware company, Apple is not a software company.  Apple wants to sell a fully integrated technology experience – iPods, iPhones, iMacs and MacBooks – and there appears to be a growing market for this approach.  We will also see what new markets are opened with the highly anticipated announcement of the Apple tablet.

Not everyone wants or needs to drive a luxury car – especially when running a business. It is quite alright to purchase a Chevy; just do not spend more on it than you need to. It is a tool, not a statement of your beliefs; leave the life-statements for the people who purchase Macs.

Most Windows applications have a Mac version or equivalent, with the one gaping exception being Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft sells Entourage as part of its “Office 2008 for the Mac” product, but it is the runt in the Exchange server/Outlook client family. Microsoft is promising a full version of Outlook with the next release of the Mac version of Office, due later this year.  With the recent release of Exchanger 2010, Outlook Web Access (OWA) now looks and operates the same for Mac-based web browsers as it does for Windows browsers – the need for ActiveX (and Windows only technology) having been eliminated.

Windows Desktop PCs are a commodity (nothing new here). Purchase the least expensive model you can find, make sure it has at least 3 Gigabytes of RAM, everything else is unimportant.

When doing the normal daily computer tasks; accessing the Internet, working on documents or spreadsheets, etc., the least expensive computer you can purchase today will handle the work with ease.

When the PC becomes too slow or badly infected with viruses, throw it away – cleaning it out is not worth the effort (and rarely successful).

None of these statements above apply to gamers (people who play graphic-intensive games) or software developers. Gamers will always be looking to get more graphic details and higher frame-rates and, as a result, purchase graphics cards that cost more than the PC itself.
Software developers need fast systems to debug and compile the millions of lines of code that seem to be typical in today’s software.

There is also one other exception – related to running old software on Windows 7 systems.

When it comes to the decision to upgrade your PC from Windows XP to Windows 7 – my recommendation is to wait and purchase a new PC that has Windows 7 pre-installed.  Upgrading Windows is rarely an easy or fun task.  Many hours are taken up waiting for the software to install, finding compatible drivers for the sound, graphics, network and hard drive controller components, etc..  There is also the issue of reinstalling all of your applications again – a requirement when upgrading from XP.

Once you are on the new Windows 7, software compatibility has been addressed by Microsoft’s local desktop virtualization tool – Windows XP Mode.  This technology allows older software to operate on a Windows 7 PC by creating a XP virtual machine that runs on top of Windows 7.  Be advised to use this option only for software that does not have a Vista or Windows 7 friendly version and is critical to your business or personal sanity.  Windows XP Mode requires a computer with a CPU that has “Intel VT” or “AMD-V” technology.  Do not assume if the computer is new that it has these CPUs in them – ask the reseller and then confirm again before purchasing.

The age of single purpose technical devices is dead (or the grave is now being dug) – the biggest innovation and revolution in the Apple iPhone was making this a reality. This fact was quickly understood by Google and others and has resulted in smartphones being one of the fastest growing technology markets. Cell phone, web browser, navigation device, game console – all in one.

Look at the impact the smartphone has had on the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) device market, the same is true for hand-held games and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) like the Palm Pilot.

In the year and half since Apple released the iPhone’s SDK (Software Development Kit) to developers over 150,000 applications have been released and are easily accessible to users. As of today users have downloaded 3 billion applications to their iPhone.

Analysts are projecting Google’s Android phones to have 150,000 applications available by the end of 2010.

The technology that surrounds these new smartphones is just the first step of a entire new journey.  Software companies have seen the benefit to developing quick, highly focused software solutions – sold for a fraction of what was typically charged.  As an example, in the iTunes application store you will find utilities and games that a year ago sold on a CD in a retail box for $20-$50 now being made available for fast download for $1 to $5.  Many software developers have learned that it is better to sell hundreds of thousands of copies for a few dollars rather than sell a few copies for hundreds of dollars.  They have also begun to realize that there is even more money in selling add-on features to their already released software, individually rather than bundling it into a monolithic package.

The next step in this voyage may be the re-introduction of the tablet.  Rumors of Apple’s tablet solution have been floating around the Internet for the past year or so.  At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) several companies are looking to take advantage of the interest the Apple tablet has created, by announcing their own tablets.  The tablet PC is not new, but in its previous incarnations it has not been seen as being especially useful or easy to use.  One thing is certain, when Apple does ultimately announce its tablet product (perhaps at the end of January), it will be built on the infrastructure that made the iPod the most popular MP3 player and the iPhone a great smartphone.

I am a technologist by profession.

New technologies interest me; along with thinking about ways that technology can actually improve our lives (even if it is just by making the boring bits a little easier to take).

I will be providing pithy (short) observations over the coming weeks, but without my introduction about being a technologist – sounds a little pompous now that I re-read it – here we go…

When Microsoft released its list of forthcoming patches late last week, the most interesting item was the absence of an update for XP (SP2 and SP3), to address a known vulnerability.

When the MS09-048 patches are released this week, it will cover Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008, but not Windows XP and 2000.  The monthly Webcast that accompanies the update announcements featured Microsoft managers trying to calm the participants with explanations that included ” We’re talking about code that is 12 to 15 years old in it origin”, and “backporting that level of code is essentially not feasible”.

So, there we have it.  The most popular operating system in the world has reached the point where it is too old for Microsoft to care about patching, or least trying to patch for every vulnerability.

The writing is on the wall regarding XP and Microsoft is making it clear that users (companies) have got to upgrade to Vista (or the forthcoming Windows 7) if they want to be able to have security patches.  Given the slow adoption of Vista and the resulting reduced revenues, it is not a surprise that this day was coming.

Link to Additional Information

In a move that will likely reduce the blood pressure for many IT Managers, Microsoft is planning to offer Windows XP ‘downgrades’ for the business versions of the forthcoming Windows 7 OS. The new operating system has been in beta for several months but has yet to be officially announced and lacks a definitive release date (although most rumors put the release to be sometime between October of this year and early 2010).

Computer manufacturers HP, Dell and a few others, will continue to give customers the option, for selected computer models, to purchase Windows 7 licenses, but load the business standard Window XP Pro or Windows XP Tablet, at least until April 30^th 2010. (Although these companies have been charging customers an additional downgrade fee for this service)

Microsoft has previously stated that it intends on halting ‘Mainstream’ support for Windows XP on April 14^th 2009, yet it will continue to provide OS security updates via MS Extended Support to April 2014.

While Microsoft would like nothing better than to move current business users from Windows XP to Vista, and in the coming months the anticipated Windows 7 operating system, the reality is that there are few truly compelling reasons for businesses to make the switch.

The ability to downgrade is limited to business versions of the Microsoft operating systems – Windows Vista Business or Ultimate and, when released, Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate.

Here are some links for additional information on XP downgrading:

Initial report regarding HP offering Windows 7 downgrades

Additional information from Microsoft regarding downgrade policy

Most organizations today require passwords be used to gain access to their networked computers and files. The fact that your company has an existing password requirement cannot be used as an excuse for not having a written password policy. In fact, the opposite is true, a truly meaningful password protection system must be based on an established, well thought out and enforced password policy.

The need for organizations to reduce operational expenses, sometimes with staff reductions, increases stress levels in the workplace. You need to be absolutely certain who has the ability to access and change your computer records and data; coupled with the ability to change or disable this access at a moment’s notice. The goal of a good password policy is to protect the company and its personnel. With a good, enforced, password policy, employees will be free from suspicion, if a security breach does take place.

Normally the next step for a discussion on this topic would be to review what constitutes a ‘strong’ or ‘good’ password. While important, I want to instread focus on what makes a good password policy. The details on password characteristics and policy components are covered in the sample Password Policy you can access via this link. Sample Password Policy

Requirements of a Good Password Policy:

1. The Policy has full organization executive support – password policies apply to everyone within an organization with no exceptions
   
2. The Policy must be written – a policy that is not written does not exist, it is simply a suggestion or nice idea
   
3. The Policy must be easy to understand and follow – the policy must be clear to everyone affected. If you have employees who are non-English speakers, include a translation of the policy
   
4. The policy must be accessible – post the policy in the office, on your Intranet, and most importantly provide written copies to each employee and include the review of the password policy as part of your new employee on-boarding process.
   
5. The Policy must be enforced – there must be clearly understood consequences for violations of the password policy. When a violation takes place, the resulting action by the organization must be swift and focused, not part of any other personnel issue or review
   
6. Require the policy to be signed by each person in the organization – give a signed copy to the individual and keep a copy with their Human Resource file. This one requirement alone will save you from costly litigation if an individual has to be disciplined or terminated for a password policy violation.
   

It is important to understand that there be procedures associated with the password policy as well:

1. Make certain that IT staff/Service Provider understand that they are not to ask for nor accept passwords for anyone
   
2. Have an agreed upon process for changing a password for a user; requires manager approval, authorized from HR, can be accomplished at any time – day or night, etc.
   
3. Monitor the user access, file and computer activity to help determine if passwords are secure, and the policy is being followed
   
4. Take into account the need for the policy to change over time, when new technologies are introduced- i.e. a new accounting system which has a separate password or the growing use of Internet Hosted Systems which have their own password requirements. How will these policy updates be addressed?
   
5. Each of these areas need to be designed to fit the particular circumstances and culture of your organization, and they will change and develop over time. The key thing to remember is to keep any updates to the password policy in writing and available to your personnel.

I do want to cover a key aspect of a good password system specifically, the requirement for all individuals to keep their passwords secret, at all times. Staff must understand that they are never to share (or write down) as password with anyone – not a fellow staff member, their manager, nor the IT team. There are secure ways that data, emails and files can be shared with others, none of which require divulging their password to someone. As soon as a password is known to another individual the password is compromised. Actions, including resetting the password and possible disciplinary actions, must take place immediately.

As mentioned earlier, I am providing a sample password policy, just follow the link to our web page to review and download a copy. Please feel free to use it as a template for your own organization’s policy.

Sample Password Policy

Password Policies is an important topic. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or would like some assistance in creating a password policy for your organization.

Microsoft this week released the new version of its web browser, Internet Explorer 8. The venue for the announcement was the MIX09 developers conference, where Microsoft is trying to convince both developers and users that Internet Explorer is still the best way to access Internet content and web applications. Over the past year or so IE has seen a steady drop in usage, with Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox claiming a rising share of use – although Internet Explorer still commands a majority share of the browser market (67%).

Not surprisingly, the new software comes with more than a few bugs and web site incompatibilities. Reports of computer crashes, web pages not displaying content and web-based tools not working, are starting to appear. Microsoft will no doubt address some issues with updates and patches, however the problems that are related to web site compatibility are going to have be addressed by the individual webmasters, and will take significantly more time to resolve.

The good news is that IE 8 is proving to be significantly faster than IE 7, has improved user interface features for tabs and the address bar, and has refined its security to help block the downloading of malware.

Information Week has additional information and links to reported IE 8 problems and issues.

My recommendation is to hold off on the urge to install IE 8 onto your production PC, at least until a couple of updates from Microsoft have been put out. Typically by the time a x.1 release (in this case 8.1) comes out, the application’s bugs have been addressed.  This may also be enough time for web site developers to learn how to create pages that play nicely with the new version of Microsoft’s default web browser.

Most large organizations have a Chief Information Officer, the executive responsible for developing the overall technology strategy, setting standards for computer operations and ensuring that the computer and network infrastructure are meeting the needs of the organization. The CIO is also responsible for working with business owners or executive team on long-term planning of the organization, with specific focus on indentifying opportunities, as well as designing and implementing the technology required to achieve these long-term goals.

Often smaller organizations do not have the resources required to support a full-time Chief Information Office; yet the need for access to a highly skilled and experienced person is critical for the business’s survival and growth.

The Virtual CIO is the person who is both familiar with your business processes as well as the current technology you are using, yet it not a dedicated full-time resource. The Virtual CIO works with the owner and senior managers at key times of the year, that align with executive planning meetings and budget preparation.

At CNS, your Virtual CIO will meet with you on a quarterly basis to discuss your organization’s strategic vision. We will develop a two-year Technology Roadmap that will allow you to accurately budget your computer infrastructure expenses as well as anticipate any new technologies that need to be implemented.

These medium and long term plans will be incorporated as part of your overall Managed IT services with Capital Network Solutions, ensuring a smooth and cost effective migration from existing systems.