Microsoft's Second Class Strategy for Small Business
Considering
Windows XP on your next computer? Are you considering a hardware
upgrade? Here are some issues to consider before you make the big
purchase.
Did you know
that Microsoft only allows ghosting type software migration strategies
for it's volume level pricing agreement (VLA) type customer?
Small business
guys should be cautious about selecting Windows XP over Windows
2000. All that glamour comes packaged with a viscous activation
code strategy resulting in a higher total cost of ownership (TCO).
Microsoft's
new copyright and software piracy strategy doesn't seem to be as
much about preventing piracy as selling more OS licenses. Did you
know that the OEM version of windows you bought is not transferable
if you upgrade your hardware?
Here is
an issue I stumbled across:
A company
purchases a new Toshiba laptop just like their last one with the
idea of using Ghost to image their rather elaborate software load
(Maximizer, Pervasive, Quotewerks, E-mail, Engineering Programs
..... )
So the IT
guy does a ghost from the first to the second PC. He reboots and
windows notices that the hardware is slightly different. Normally
that would involve a couple of driver changes and away you go.
Not with windows XP... Sir you need to activate you operating
system because XP noticed different hardware.
In the end
the IT guy has to go back to his original OS load and build up
all the software from scratch. The end result is a 12 hour job
instead of the 3 hours it could have been.
If the application
of copyright thinking was uniform across the board this author would
not have a problem with the new levels of copyright technology.
What upset me in researching the issue was that Symantec's website
site led me to an article on Microsoft's website about how they
were allowing VLA clients to continue to ghost PC where the small
business was told that the whole process was illegal and voided
the license agreement.
Somewhere
this issue gets back to the bigger discussion of whether Microsoft
holds a monopoly on the computer OS market. It is not really an
option for the small business owner to deviate from using Microsoft's
current operating systems.
The wheeling
and dealing in the area of copyright infringement and software piracy
leaves this author thinking that tighter government control that
ensures fair license policy is applied to all is needed.
Here are the links to Symantec and Microsoft applicable information,
see what you can read between the lines
Symantec
Knowledge Base - XP Compatibility
Windows
XP Product Activation Issue
Ghosting
is a well accepted strategy for migrating operating software from
one machine to another. Ghosting or Imaging involves making a image
file that holds all the information on a hard disk so that it can
be saved and restored at a later time. It is an excellent strategy
for ensuring that you can recover your computer in the case of a corrupted
operating system or disk failure.
Large corporations
build base images for similar computers so that they can deploy a
fresh machine with the basic corporate software in a reasonable amount
of time. VLA clients enjoy the freedom of not having to activate their
Windows XP software in the same manner that small business users do.
Past
Events
Nishnawbe Aski Nation NANTECH 2003 - June 18-20,
2003
A
recent rumor is that there may be another first nations event hosted
in Kenora this fall.
NOTA Hosts Technodome - May 8-10,
2003
The
largest grouping of technology displays in this area in a long time.
Next year should be even better!
For
more information on this event visit the NOTA Website www.nota.ca
3M Volition Technology Seminar - April 14, 2003
Jason Grouette, of
3M's Volition Network Solutions Group
discusses the latest advances in fibre optic networking. The 3M Volition
System incorporates both fibre and copper cabling to enable the delivery
of network designs that better fit with the needs of each individual
user. He discussed the differences between copper and fibre first
from an installer's perspective and then later from a design and management
perspective. The discussion then focused on designing networks, specifically
those dealing with fibre-to-the-zone and fibre-to-the-desktop.
This
solution has been submitted to BicSi of approval as a new standard
in horizontal cable topology.
Green Architecture, and Sustainable Design - Feb
20, 2003
Stephen Carpenter Presidnet of Enermodal agreed
to speak on Green Building Design. His firm specializes in Sustainable
Architecture and is one of the firms retained to design the new French
Catholic High School in Thunder Bay.
This symposium is scheduled for 4-6:00pm February
17, 2003 For more information on this event visit the NOTA Website
www.nota.ca, or contact
Melody Scott @ 807-768-6687.
(
View flyer )
IBM Seminar - Hosted by Microage Computer Centre
On February 21/2003, MicroAge Computer Centre held
an IBM Seminar - The seminar provided an overview of IBM Products
and Management Tools (
View flyer )
