OT Windows XP - Vista (long ish).

[jonah]

What I meant is that one cannot know the internal improvements by
merely looking at or even trying out the system. These things may have
intenal functionality enhancements that, as great as they may be, are
not obvious to the user. For example, fewer blue screens, reduced
exposure to viruses, or faster performance by some services are not
things that one can "see" immediately.

Sure OK I see what you are saying, I can confidently say that most of
the small business owners I deal with are either pretty computer
literate themselves or employ somebody who is so they know its more
than a pretty interface, they have read the press coverage, they know
whats going on, they are not numpties.

I wish to be clear this is not about having a go at M$, this is about
the general feeldback I am getting now compared with XP in its early
days and my points are entirely from my own personal experience I am
not making sweeping generalisations intentionally.

My main concern is that when XP was 9 to 12 months off release these
same people wanted it ASAP, they were eager for it, they were asking
about upgrading hardware in anticipation so they were XP ready
especially the guys stuck with Win98. There was a feeling that it was
the right time to ugrade in general. It was not all good by any means
but generally small businesses were interested.

At the moment (I speak only for my little corner of the globe) the
prospect of Vista in 12 months is greeted with total apathy by the
very same people who slavered at the prospect of XP, this may change I
hope so cos its my living like many others and a new OS should be
bonanza time.

I think even in 12 months its too early for a new OS here at least, I
hope I am wrong.

Jonah

 

[Uncle Joe]

I may come out of retirement to create new Vista online
help training programs for small businesses using Win9x,
ME, and XP. Vista will likely provide a wonderful
boon for former IT types because home and small business
users will be terrified of Vista changes. "But I always run
our accounts payable programs this way. Why must I do
it differently now? Get that "Vista" thing outta my office."

The key consideration that many small business rely on is that
if it ain't broke, don't fix it. "My people are productive with
Win98. And I don't want to spend thousands to upgrade
my PCs and networks just to implement Vista."

I made obscene amounts of money solving minor Year 2000
problems on mainframe computers. Hopefully, Vista will
allow me to further expand my retirement nest egg.

 

[jonah]

snip

I also serve the small business market. A lot of small business' are still
using Win9x or Win2k. I don't find their understanding of how an OS works to
be very sophisticated. Most of them use whatever the pc came with and
upgrade to a new OS when they get a new pc. If they truly do a cost/benefit
analysis then switching from a MS shop to a Linux shop can be prohibitive.
Retraining users is a nightmare. Employee resistance to change is the most
important and can be the most costly aspect of an upgrade. Most small
business is very resistant to changing something that is working good enough
now.

With Linux its all the big banks and government departments that have
changed or are changing, as this is a very small island word gets
around and Linux is the OS getting the benefit of word of mouth. As
most of the small businesses here serve directly or indirectly the
financial sector or the states government the word filters down fast.
Typically here where the Finance Industry leads the States follow and
then everybody else jumps on the bandwagon and in this particular PC
world right now its Linux. Also running a Linux desktop for normal
basic office duties from the users POV is very similar to a Windows
Desktop there are problems and differences of course but I don't think
they are that much more disruptive than installing a new Office suite
for instance. It is expensive initally to change over if you want to
do it all in one hit but thats not happening, its a server here, a
couple of desktops there replacing Windows stuff in a slow but steady
fashion.

Security Equipment ie Surveillance Video, Anti-Theft scanners, stuff
like that is just about exclusively on Linux boxes now and thats
happened inside 18 months.

Once Vista comes out if small business owners can see that it runs
their existing apps and they have less problems with malware there will be a
stampede to upgrade. Most of my customers are terrified of malware. Most of
them have lost production due to malware. Even with the best protection in
place the fact that most applications need administrator rights puts the
onus on the employee using the pc. There will always be employees who don't
follow policy when it comes to Internet use. If the malware problem is still
there then it will be business as usual and the only time they upgrade will
be when they purchase new pc's.

Actually a bullet proof secure OS is not exactly in our best interests
as IT teccies is it? Bearing in mind we make a living from fixing em.
Luckilly no matter how bombproof they are some twit always finds a way
to bust em.

Lol

Jonah

 

[jonah]

I may come out of retirement to create new Vista online
help training programs for small businesses using Win9x,
ME, and XP. Vista will likely provide a wonderful
boon for former IT types because home and small business
users will be terrified of Vista changes. "But I always run
our accounts payable programs this way. Why must I do
it differently now? Get that "Vista" thing outta my office."

The key consideration that many small business rely on is that
if it ain't broke, don't fix it. "My people are productive with
Win98. And I don't want to spend thousands to upgrade
my PCs and networks just to implement Vista."

I made obscene amounts of money solving minor Year 2000
problems on mainframe computers. Hopefully, Vista will
allow me to further expand my retirement nest egg.

Nice Joe I wish I had been in on that particular scam.
Hoping to get a lot of new work out of Vista myself, forlornly at the
moment. Never mind I have reached a competent level of bullshiting
with Linux so which ever way it goes why should I worry.



Jonah

 

[Kerry Brown]

With Linux its all the big banks and government departments that have
changed or are changing, as this is a very small island word gets
around and Linux is the OS getting the benefit of word of mouth. As
most of the small businesses here serve directly or indirectly the
financial sector or the states government the word filters down fast.
Typically here where the Finance Industry leads the States follow and
then everybody else jumps on the bandwagon and in this particular PC
world right now its Linux. Also running a Linux desktop for normal
basic office duties from the users POV is very similar to a Windows
Desktop there are problems and differences of course but I don't think
they are that much more disruptive than installing a new Office suite
for instance. It is expensive initally to change over if you want to
do it all in one hit but thats not happening, its a server here, a
couple of desktops there replacing Windows stuff in a slow but steady
fashion.

Security Equipment ie Surveillance Video, Anti-Theft scanners, stuff
like that is just about exclusively on Linux boxes now and thats
happened inside 18 months.

This is a much different situation from my part of the world. I guess it
just goes to show that the world isn't all that small after all

Actually a bullet proof secure OS is not exactly in our best interests
as IT teccies is it? Bearing in mind we make a living from fixing em.
Luckilly no matter how bombproof they are some twit always finds a way
to bust em.

I would much rather go back to maintaining networks and setting up new ones
rather than spend most of my time fighting malware. My business has suffered
in sales of new systems because my clients are spending so much of their
capital securing their old ones. Malware is holding the whole industry back.
It is making people afraid of the Internet and computers in general. A
switch to a more secure OS whether it is Vista, Linux, or whatever would be
very welcome by me.

Kerry