Low income users (pensioners) - how do you cope with cost of XP?

[Toni Cascarino]

You are talking complete and utter rubbish. Yet another example of an
MVP (Most valuable PIG) to jump into the thread without knowing the full
story or having any first hand experience of managing more that 1000
systems with diverse OSs in an educational environment. It is time for
you lot to go the old peoples' home and let younger ones to fill the
void left by people like you - the old farts as we like to call!.

Volume license customers have already got a license for 1000 systems (I
hasten to add including a CD supplied by your masters) and all they now
need is blank PCS so that they can install the OS using their own CD
(supplied by Microsoft UK) with its VLK. In order to roll out 1000
systems, using DELL supplied systems are a completely waste of time
because these have to be formatted or wiped clean before anyone can load
pre-configured OS to suit a particular organization. Dell standard
setup is just not suitable for corporates and in particular for our
educational institution (lets ge this straight - DELL (UK) DO NOT SELL
VOLUME LICENSES NOR DO THEY DEAL WITH THESE IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM). RM
(http://www.rm.com/rmcomhome.asp) has got a better way of managing these
things. All they need is the key and they will install and test the
systems before shipping using the key supplied by the customer. They
normally have all the CDs necessary to do the job professionally OR THEY
ARE QUITE WILLING TO USE THE IMAGES SUPPLIED BY EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS. Some of us don't like giving out VLKs to anybody -
although Michael Stevens MVP (your partner in crime) is providing tools
for people to steal the keys and so our task has become extremely
difficult to control them being stolen from the systems available for
students' use.

Wiping 1000 systems is no easy feat because these cannot be done
over the net. There are time constraints to roll out systems and
applications in our organizations. It took us nearly 4 days (when it
took us 0.5 day for W2K many years ago!) to this with the help of
temporary assistance from IT students. Loading OS (and application
packages) is a piece of a cake once the PCs are blanks - try it for your
self!

Have a nice one.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Your second sentence set the tone of your post.
I noticed there was much more, but with that start, the rest was probably
more of the same and I just skipped the rest of your drivel.
Obviously you have problems communicating in a civil tone.
To bad you need to insult to make a point, it shows your own insecurity in
your view.
If your point is valid, I suggest you leave it to those who are competent
and secure in themselves.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Rock]

You are talking complete and utter rubbish. Yet another example of an
MVP (Most valuable PIG) to jump into the thread without knowing the full
story or having any first hand experience of managing more that 1000
systems with diverse OSs in an educational environment. It is time for
you lot to go the old peoples' home and let younger ones to fill the
void left by people like you - the old farts as we like to call!.

You have something against people who are older? That statement and you
are offensive.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped thread>
Want to see the entire thing?

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...53426/f8ddc5d56524eaa1?tvc=1#f8ddc5d56524eaa1


Toni Cascarino wrote:

Wiping 1000 systems is no easy feat because these cannot be done
over the net. There are time constraints to roll out systems and
applications in our organizations. It took us nearly 4 days (when it
took us 0.5 day for W2K many years ago!) to this with the help of
temporary assistance from IT students. Loading OS (and application
packages) is a piece of a cake once the PCs are blanks - try it for
your self!

1500+ systems - redone once per academic semester (by design - may be more
at other times) with Windows XP and 150+ applications available on all,
40,000+ possible users, 6+ locations... 1 to 3 days when they are all new,
8-16 hours after the initial installation with the CD boot. Utilizing
student workers to put in the initialization CD and boot with it that then
hooks up to the network and does the rest. At least 6 different types of
hardware/manufacturers at any given time. You can eliminate the need for CD
in most places with a NetBoot - but the student workers still have to change
something, so are still a necessity (if you don't want to do way too much
running around yourself.)

That is done with imaging - where-as in another environment (less than 1000
machines) - an unattended method is utilized (with NetBoot and/or CD) so
that more options to the install can be given and done by the individual
user if needed when they receive a new machine. This is mostly for faculty
and staff - since their needs are different than those of the general;
student labs and such. Still just a few steps (set system to boot from
CD/network, reboot, answer proper questions, wait for it to finish...)

Using a method similar to the second scenario - the image for the first
scenario is easier to maintain than when it was first conceived.

Volume Licenses are not an absolute necessity - as you can (with the
unattended method) set it up to utilize/ask for the keys from the machine
OEM, etc. But they DO make life much easier and much happier. I am glad
the organizations/institutions I most deal with have gotten them - most at
an educational deal where they also sell them 'on the cheap' to the students
and faculty as well.

Piece of cake? Not always.
Can be a bit stressful? On occasion.
Can be even a bit fun? Yeah.