Information & Technical Hints
Operating Systems
Windows Vista (Vista)
Vista is Microsoft's latest Operating System release. It is a significant change from Windows XP. I have installed Vista on two PC's and have used their Canidate-Release and Beta versions (multiple releases). I have been asked by a number of clients for my opinion of Vista -- well, I am not using it on any PC where I expect to do anything productive!
The reason is Vista's lack of support for existing products -- for example, printers that can't be installed and if you try, it causes the Windows desktop (Explorer) to shutdown. There are a number of productivity programs where the Software company has stated they will not support the Vista platform. These companies are informing customers that they will have to purchase new/updated packages. I may be being cynical but some of this feels like "an opportunity" for manufacturers to obsolete older products and reduce support costs.
Before you upgrade to Vista be certain that your printers and peripherals are supported and that both critical and occasional-use software is explicitedly supported by the manufacturer. For example, my Xerox Multifunction printer works fine on Windows 98 through Windows XP but is not supported on Windows Vista -- meaning no printer, no scanner, and no fax.
Microsoft support is even more difficult to reach than previously, which surprises me. One would think that with a major new-product release like this one that microsoft would make it easy to report problems, but they don't -- unless you want to pay additional for it.
Bottom line recommendation, wait for Vista to mature and for driver support to come online. Don't rush into an upgrade.
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Windows XP (WinXP)
Windows XP is now Microsoft’s old Operating System (OS). The core of XP is Windows 2000 (Win2k), made more user-friendly for the casual or home user. There are multiple versions; the two most common are XP Home and XP Professional. XP has numerous new features, intended to simplify system administration, but the most obvious change is the default User Interface. XP has a new Graphical User Interface. Many of the administration tasks in XP use wizards to walk through the steps for setup and maintenance – like networking, file sharing, and user account setup. For a lot of causal users this has probably been a great addition. For skilled users it may be frustrating, requiring them to learn a different way to do normal tasks. Fortunately, the User Interface is a customizable option for each user – novice users can have the XP interface and skilled users can use the “classic” interface.
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Windows 2000 (Win2k)
When Windows 2000 was release "zdnet" published a reliability test of Windows 98SE, Windows NT and Windows 2000. The results showed the need to reboot Windows 98SE every 1.8 workdays while Windows 2000 did not require a reboot during the entire test period (an equivalent of 90 days of 8-hour operation). For details you can read the report. Thus, I strongly recommend upgrading your system to Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
This is Brad's preferred system. Windows 2000, like Windows XP, is based on core technology from Windows NT. The Windows 2000 user interface is very similar to Win9x. Some of the important features are reliability, manageability, and file system improvements. The Microsoft site does a good job of describing the features of this Operating System.
One of the things we really like about Windows 2000 is that it doesn't’t require rebooting when changes are made to drivers or to networking components. This is because the drivers were moved out of the Operating System Kernel. Moving the drivers out of the kernel also improved reliability; errors do not corrupt core pieces of the operating system as often and can be more easily caught and handled.
Win2k and higher OS’s can offer you more security. The security features of Win9x OS’s was crude, and that may be a generous statement. These newer Operating Systems have security built in as a core component. This can frustrate some users as they migrate from the open system of Win9x to the newer technology. All of a sudden, they have to care about access and security. They have to explicitedly grant permission to each user. They have to care that the login names match on different systems, or grant permission to each variation of a user name as if it were a different user (i.e., brad, brad powell, bpowell, are each treated as a different user).
Windows 2000 and Windows XP also support two types of file system structure, FAT32 and NTFS. FAT32 is the file structure of Win98 SE and above. NTFS is the file structure from WinNT. NTFS offers a number of improvements over FAT32, but security is probably the most critical, followed closely by reliability. When doing a fresh install of Win2k or WinXP you can choose either of these file structures. New systems from major manufacturers almost all come with a pre-installed OS, using NTFS. I tend to use NTFS with desktops and servers, and FAT32 with some laptops (unless HIPAA security is an issue). The reason for using FAT32 is the ability to boot off a floppy, which is done for disk recovery or to fix catastrophic problems – basically trading security for access in case of an emergency.
With laptop systems I almost always recommend Win2k. If you purchase a laptop that has WinXP installed, don’t worry. I don’t recommend reinstalling the OS. However, if you are working on a laptop that has Win9x installed, I would strongly recommend moving to Win2k.
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Windows 98SE & Windows ME (Win9x)
Windows 98 and Windows ME are now in obsolete status. That doesn’t mean the Operating System won’t work anymore, only that Microsoft's support is limited to: ‘paid over-the-phone support and "critical" security issues will be reviewed, and "appropriate steps" taken’.
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Linux
I like it. It's a growing, evolving operating system, but it's not for the faint of heart. If you loved DOS and want an incredibly stable system, one that lets you be in control, then Linux is for you. If you are creating a Web Server, Email Server, or any other type of mission-critical Server with high reliability, then Linux is the bill. IBM and others are using Linux as the basis for many of their commercial server products. Why, because it is stable, open, and secure – it’s the industrial grade operating system.
Linux is maturing as a general-use operating system. However, it still is not as simple and automatic as Windows. Some people find this refreshing and desirable. Others have no interest in an operating system that requires a substantial technical expertise.
My personal recommendation is for small businesses to remain on a Windows platform. There will be a time when it could make sense to move mission-critical applications to Linux. However, in the early stages of building a business, the Microsoft products are easier to acquire, support and manage with a limited staff.
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Why Networking
Networking should be viewed as a Key technology. Broadband or high-speed internet access is readily available. Many businesses have multiple computers, or multiple printers, or other connected devices. Even a business with one computer would profit by using a network.
Networking for Home or Small Business users today should start with a wireless router; one that supports a firewall, DHCP and WPA security. The wireless router allows you to add up to 250 devices to your network, sharing high-speed access, printers, faxes, disk space, and even removable media devices like a DVD or Read-Write CD ROM. The firewall provides protection from internet invasions, and can be used to restrict access to specific sites or during specific times of the day. The DHCP server makes it easier to configure network devices; it eliminates the need to assign specific IP addresses to each new addition to the network. If you have multiple printers you can share them with a wireless print-server and locate them wherever it’s convenient.
For Home users or where data security is not a paramount issue, the standard WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) is sufficient to protect your system. For Business users, especially when data security must be high such as patient or client records, we recommend using WPA encryption. WEP provides a single unique key that is shared within your network. WPA uses unique keys, increasing the administration burden, while increasing the security protection.
We can put a network together for you.
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Custom Systems
We are often asked for our recommendation on where to buy a PC. There are so many different vendors, so many options, with very different prices; it’s often difficult to choose the “right” system.
One of the first choices you face is a ‘custom’ or a ‘packaged’ system. Packaged systems can be less expensive, assuming you get everything you need and want in one of the packages. Custom systems provide a greater range of choices; you can get exactly what you want. Historically, the major PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, IBM, and Gateway have focused on ‘packaged’ systems. Via the Web, some of these manufacturers offer the ability to do custom configuration of a base product. These systems provide flexibility in the configuration, but within limits. You can select from a list of options to add components from noted manufactures; like 3Com network cards, or SoundBlaster Audio. With a custom system you can have all the choices. For example you could have an Antec case with 8 fans and thermal sensors, an ASUS motherboard, Mushkin memory, Western Digital Disk Drives, an ATI video card, or any other option you select.
Custom systems make sense when you want quality open-market components. This lets you configure a system to your needs that can grow with you. Where you can balance your current needs, knowing the system can accommodate your future growth. Avoid custom systems that are built on generic parts. You see some of these in the ads – Processor, memory, disks, all for a given price. You would be better off buying a packaged system from a major manufacturer than a custom system built from cheap or generic parts.
Our consultants build their own systems, but that’s not for everybody. In package systems we tend to recommend ordering from the Dell website (and getting their 2 year on-site support plan). If you are interested in a custom built system we would be happy to put one together for you.
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Laptops
Combine a modern laptop with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and network connection and you have a viable workstation system. Modern laptops have sufficient computational power, memory and disk space to be a good start for a small business. If the laptop is your initial system, you will need to add a RW CD-ROM. It can be installed into the system or externally connected. The RW CD-ROM is necessary for backing up data. If you are on an existing network then a networked system could be used for backup.
The days of a laptop as a luxury item are over – today’s laptops can be your primary system; one that can go where you go!