MT Minds

The Question

I’ll bet you can identify with this, you’re at the post office or a coffee shop and you can see the intent in someone’s eyes, they’re going to ask you “that question”, ie:

“I need a new computer, what kind should I get?”

I used to have very long conversations with people, spend lots of time discussing the merits and demerits of the various operating system choices, application alternatives and in general giving away a lot of free consulting.

Note: If they preface the question with the statement “Hey, You’re a Computer Guy” it’s going to be a rough one, guaranteed.

No more.

Like the guy on Youtube who condenses the entire Evolution of Dance into a few minutes, I have it down to a science now. In about 3-5m, with a series of questions, I can tell them exactly what to get, and where to get it. Well, I try to keep it down to 3-5m, (I often wear a BT headset, fake-answering a call is our generation’s version of Fred Sanford acting like he’s having a heart attack) but it doesn’t always work.

My First Question

If we’re both really lucky, I can take them out with the first question:

What do you want to use it for? Do you just do email, browse the web and use online apps like gmail?

If they answer yes, (and I’ll chat a bit more to make sure they don’t have 3rd party app needs) they are getting one of the raft of Linux-based NetBooks, I’ll write the top 3 on the back of a card and send them off to Froogle.com (google.com/shopping) or Shopper.cnet.com.

But some people answer no.

My Second Question

Ok, so this isn’t going to be one-shot, one-kill, so I ask them the second and more important question:

What specific apps do you have to use? Are there Mac versions of those?

They’ll typically tell me they have to have MS Office, or QuickBooks, or maybe an Adobe product, none of which are a problem, we just have to know. IF they have 3rd party app needs but all of them have Cross-Platform versions, they’re getting a Mac. There are a lot of places to get a big discount on used/refurb Macs and you can catch deals on Apple’s refurb site fairly often.

If they are of sufficient age, and they have a child in college, I tell them to go shopping with Sonny-boy or the Princess at the University Bookstore for Mac deals, the savings can be pretty good, and they’ll typically get one for each, so they can do mutual tech support.

Note: Sometimes, I am talking to someone who is somewhat technical, or has a profession that I know uses particular 3rd party apps that are tied to Windows, then we’re probably going to get some coffee and chat about this later, they’re not so easy, but that’s another type of conversation.

My Third Question

Actually, the only real choices this category of person has are about the type and form factor of Window machine they’ll be getting, and that’s sort of a sad situation. It’s like I’m condemning them to a life of virus-checking, software-update nightmares, DLL problems, mis-typed activation codes, and Vista locking them out until they prove they are a valid user.

So, I ask them the last (and admittedly selfish) question:

Do you know Scott?

See, if they are in the “Dude, you’re getting Vista” category, I really don’t want to be involved in them getting a computer; because like some sort of slightly-demented technical duckling, they will return to the person who helped them decide what computer to get for all their tech support.

And if they’re getting a Vista machine, I want nothing to do with it, it’s like recommending someone take up a drug habit. So I send them over to talk with Scott, he’s the local Windows-centric tech guy, he’ll talk with them, make a machine recommendation and in general be helpful to his future customer. I mean, after all, if they’re getting Vista, they’ll be back to him for help, and he’ll charge them a modest fee to fix whatever thing Microsoft has decided paying customers should have to put up with.

So, how do YOU answer that first question?

RossB

Staying Warm Inside

I’m a software engineer who works from home, or that’s the closest that I can come to something that means more to my friends and neighbors than “Solutions Enablement Engineer — Data Center”.

Since I live in an area that features sub-zero temperatures a good portion of the winter, I often get asked on my conference calls and in conversations with my compatriots “how do you stay warm up there?”  (This from guys and gals who live in the NorthEast or Utah…)

It’s simple, just have a lot of servers and other stuff that generates hot air (other than me, look out!) in your office and it’ll be the warmest place in the house besides the inside of the wood stove.  I also use a halogen lamp, which I have noticed puts out an amazing amount of heat.  All in all, inside, it’s not hard to stay warm.

Staying Warm Outside

Outside, that’s a different matter.  When it’s -17F like it was this morning (or -24 the night before last), you want to take a little more care.  This is not the kind of weather you just dash out in dressed like it’s a chilly morning, you’ll quickly get so cold that you can’t think well, always a bad combination.

From a number of years in the military in some of the colder climates, to winter construction in locations well above 7,000′ to years of outdoor working and playing in the NorthEast, England and Minnesota, I have picked up a few tried and true solutions to keeping warm, presented here:

• Dress in layers - not just big bulky ones, but several lighter ones, and preferably have a layer closer to you that wicks moisture
• Stay dry, most problems with cold are related to moisture near the skin, and cotton is a killer, avoid it
• Keep your core warm, if the middle of your body is cold, the extremities don’t have a chance
• Use an outer shield garment, something windproof that covers a large portion of your body but doesn’t restrict your movement, we used to use a big piece of thick canvas with a head hole, ponchos with a liner work well too
• Get 2 or more sets of liners for your boots, keep a dry set handy for mid-day, it’s amazing how much you’ll sweat in cold weather
• Shop for boots that have a temperature rating, and don’t bother with anything that isn’t rated for -15F or lower, and avoid 1-piece footwear, they’re harder to dry out
• Use the “Michael Jackson” metal-woven liner gloves for all tasks, never expose a bare hand in below-zero weather unless it’s to apply a bandage to it
• Get sheepskin or other big chopper-style mitts, and layer them with the liner gloves for the best warmth, otherwise get snowmobiling mittens, avoid gloves.
• Don’t rely on hand-warmers, gel-packs and other such stuff, if you’re so cold that you have to use a product like that, you’re not dressed properly, or it’s time to get inside, those are short-lived and expensive products and you can’t stock enough of them to make it a long-term solution
• Eat a protein/carbohydrate rich meal (less veggies, more meat/starches) so you have a good burst of energy and a longer burn to keep the warmth up
• Last but not least, keep some PowerBars or other quick and high-calorie types of food around, in a pocket etc, so you can keep your carbs up.

There you have it, both technical and practical information, just make sure to think before you go outside when it’s really cold.

RossB

No question about it, web2.0 is growing at a fast rate. Google introduced/unveiled OpenSocial last November. Is it working and what does the next year have in store for us?

And the ning implementation is growing as is their user base; maybe Ross is on to something.

OK … so our upcoming family reunion won’t be all that big or fat - but our reunion is virtual in a way since it has only been posted online so far.  Although there are certainly some advantages to having a completely virtual family reunion, this year we won’t be donning our cyber suits and cyber head gear and meeting in a virtual world.  We won’t be playing golf on golf courses that don’t exist in the physical (like the Mount Rushmore course seen below) - although I think it might be fun.

Mount Rushmore 
(not going there this year)

Our online family reunion event is mainly for discussions, photo sharing and organizing.   I decided to try out Windows Live for posting the event because it is free and you get 5 GB of free password protected online storage.  www.WindowsLive.com

I thought I would share some of what I’ve experienced  so far, and then give an update some time after we have had our reunion and have had time to share our photos.

How to get there

Who is coming - what to wear

Once an event is created on your Windows Live SkyDrive, you can add additional gadgets, modules and tools.  I added a weather gadget so we would all know what clothes to pack and a map so everyone would know how to get there.  We have a discussion module so that we can discuss what to do and where to go.   Next I invited guests.  When you invite your guests you can add a message to the email which contains a link for your guests to respond.    Two of my guest had problems getting in but once they upgraded their browser to the latest version of FireFox they didn’t have any more problems.

So if you have massive amounts of photos you would like to share and are planning an event that might produce even more photos to share, be sure to try out one of the online event planning and photo sharing services.

Edward