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Showing posts from 2013

Home Internet/TV/Phone - are you as confused as the next person?

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I have been in technology all of my adult life and it is amazing how confusing things are getting in pursuit of being the one that controls the highway into your home.  This blog is an attempt to give you some knowledge and let you make the choice that is best for you! To preface this discussion, I have been a Comcast customer for 17 years in my current home and an AT&T wireless customer for over 20 years.  So loyalty is something earned and guarded carefully.  As is the case with every person out there, I believe I am paying too much to have these services in my home.  I am old enough to compare things to over the air "free" TV and phones from the only "phone company" that existed. While I yearn for the simplicity, I know that the advances we have had would never have occurred without the deregulation of these industries. We pay on average 5 times what our parents did for these services. We have more choices and functionality and we have become dependent o

Ecosystems - Good or Bad? Which one is for me?

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It is truly interesting how the more computing changes, the more it stays the same. Each of the Big 3 computing players with "Ecosystems" for the user all want you to believe that they are the answer.  The search for the all in one solution continues with each making a case for "why us" versus them! The device-centric approaches are giving way to the Cloud-centric approaches.  There is now more choice than there has ever been, yet people are still swayed by advertising, the herd mentality and the media. At the core of this issue is a huge payoff for the companies that get you hooked on their ecosystem.  Promises of easier, and faster, never mention cheaper or cost effective. If you compare the average Americans' spend on communications from 1995 to 2012, it has increased 1,000%.  The promise of making our lives easier to manage and communicate costs the average consumer $1,200 to $1,700 per year . This doesn't include all the accessories and apps t
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Surface Pro Update - Part 2 It's been one week and I am still loving my Surface Pro . The only downer I had was "misplacing" the Pen. I am still looking for it.  Major issue is that it is Black and can easily get lost in the mess of black cables and such in my bag, car, or in my house. I know it has a magnet, but I would detach it when I use the charger.  Microsoft should have an additional place on the device to dock it when you are not using it. Everywhere I use the Surface Pro , I get people peering over my shoulder then asking, "Is that the new Microsoft thing?'  I proudly say yes and break into an impromptu demo. I see the, "I bought the wrong tablet" look on their faces when I switch between "apps" in the New Interface and real Applications in the desktop mode.  I even wowed them by bringing up my Remote Monitoring and Management  (RMM) from Continuum and had a clients Server and 3 workstations under control.  (I even rem
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Microsoft Named most relevant Technology Company!   From our friends at the Windows 8 Update!  Guess who was second... it isn't the iPad people.... http://www.windows8update.com/2013/02/15/microsoft-named-the-most-relevant-technology-company/

Surface Pro - A Hit! Part1

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The Microsoft Surface Pro - A true hit for mobile professionals! - Part 1.   February 14, 2013 - I just purchased a 128GB Surface Pro at the Oakbrook Microsoft Store.  I know I am such a romantic.  This was one of those "gotta have it now" Tech things for me.  I tried to purchase on Friday, but was shot down like everyone else due to the limited stock available.  I will be posting my findings here so all of you can read and benefit from the experience.  Other blogs are also having fun using the product and discovering the UNBELIEVABLE usefulness of this product over an iPad or other "consumer oriented" tablet. Here is a great article from another person using it. http:// zd.net/YkoyB3  Mathew Miller shares how great Surface Pro is for the busy mobile person! There are so many great uses here!  The setup experience was flawless.  For those of you who haven't created your Microsoft Account (Windows Live) do it fast!  It is a great tool for synching all