Simplex-IT BizBlog

As our new Office Manager, of sorts, Monica Baird has a history of Project managing, Marketing, and Supervising Warehouse returns for a value add distributor of IBM & HP enterprise computer systems.  If you’d like to know more about her career, you can view it on Linked-In.

Monica Baird has lived in Northeastern Ohio most of her life, except when she went to college. She started out in Music Therapy and ended up with BSBA in Marketing from BGSU. Growing up, she took twelve years of classical piano lessons and dreamed of being a conductor. She realized that dream by currently sitting on the Board of Directors for Stow Symphony Orchestra as their Social Media Marketing person and videographer.

She’s a videographer, Citizen journalist and part-time staff member of the Akronist.com (Akron Digital Media Center) where she has videoed, edited, and produced 15 videos so far 2011-2012.

Lover of all nature trails in the Akron Metro Parks, she has two staffs and merit badges to prove her status of hiking the trails for 30+ years. Bucket list item is to hike all the trails in the US National Park system.

Monica is ambitious and has two blogs to write upon. One is CheckThisArt.com where four ladies write about art and music locally and internationally. Next is StonedOnHappiness.com LLC, in which she writes with Don Matis Jr about connecting Catholics with their faith, Catholic 12 Steps, and Happiness. Fun note: Don paints with his beard and sells his artwork on their site.

• Favorite Movies: “The Miracle of Marcelino”, “Shop around the Corner”, & “Arsenic & Old Lace”
• Favorite Media: “Dark Side of the Moon”, Tan Books, & Catholic Family News
• Favorite Places: Hiking US National Parks, Lake Tahoe, Ca., Would like to travel all states in the USA

In today’s fast-paced, instant gratification world our personal frustrations are frequently fueled by our computers as they inexplicably slow to a crawl, usually at the most inopportune times. Why, why, WHY? “Why can’t my computer just work?” we hear people say all the time!!

Does this look like you on any given day? You may need Simplex-IT!

At this month’s free Lunchinar, Simplex-IT will attempt to provide some answers to this oft-repeated question. Troubleshooting tools and procedures will be discussed and we’ll look at the possible hardware and software issues that can degrade performance (including network and internet connections!). We’ll help you become a digital Sherlock Holmes, successfully unraveling the mysteries that are slowing your computer processes. From business owners to individual users, there will be something for everybody in this highly informative and entertaining presentation.

Simplex-IT’s monthly Lunchinars are free, open to the public, and focused on sharing information, not dog and pony sales pitches.

Where: Hattie’s Café, 164 N. Main Street, Hudson

When: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 11:30am-1:00pm

As a bonus, we will be awarding door prizes of Windows 7 and Office 2010 to two lucky attendees. Free food AND free software – how awesome is that!

We remind you, though, seating is limited. To reserve yours, email John@Simplex-IT.com or call 234.380.1277. Come join the fun!

Simplex-IT’s April 2012 Lunchinar, “A Sneak Peek at Windows 8,” is now online and available for viewing. So kick off your shoes and put your feet up. Then, just click the above thumbnail(s) and the show will automatically start.

It was a Standing Room Only crowd at Hattie’s Café, with several new faces in the group. Clearly, there is a significant amount of interest in this new operating system, especially since it will be the first time Microsoft makes available a Tablet version.

Also discussed was the upcoming Windows 8 Server. Kevin was able to show us what it looked like from a Virtual Machine he had installed on his laptop, and he introduced us to several new features Server 8 would be offering.

Bob and Kevin share their views on Windows 8 to a packed house

Simplex-IT will be presenting to the Streetsboro Chamber of Commerce at their May 1 Coffee-N-Contacts meeting from 8am-9am at Arabica Coffee House.

The topic will be “Office 365 for Small Business and a Sneak Peek at Windows 8.”

We’ll review the compelling reasons businesses of all sizes are turning to Office 365 to increase their bottom line. And with the release of the new Windows 8 Operating System scheduled for later this year, we’ll offer a Sneak Peek at what it holds in store for us.

For more information contact Heidi Inzerling, the Chamber’s Executive Director, at 330.626.4769 or sacc@streetsborochamber.org. You are also encouraged to contact Simplex-IT at 234.380.1277 or by email at John@Simplex-IT.com.

Bob here.  Kevin and I had the pleasure to the GCPCUG yesterday morning about Microsoft’s Windows 8. There were probably about 40 or so people, and to say the least everybody had their own opinion about Microsoft, Windows 8, the new interface, and Kevin’s newborn baby.

The crowd was undeniably unanimous in one verdict. Kevin’s baby was cute. From then on, the consensus was at best mixed.

Here’s the problem. Many of you remember the great brouhaha that occurred when Microsoft forced a new, ribbon-based interface for Office 2007. All the users of Office 2003 actually pretty happy with the old interface. Microsoft faced an uphill battle, convinced that the new interface was more intuitive and easier to learn.

Did Microsoft win that battle? Honestly, it really doesn’t matter. The new interface is here to stay.

Flash forward to 2012, and the new Metro-based interface for Windows 8. The jury is in, and it’s a split decision.

Working with the tablet? Interface is not only good, it’s pretty darn cool.

Working with the desktop? For Pete’s sake, what were you thinking, Microsoft?

Overwhelmingly the biggest feedback received was the new Start Menu, based on the Metro interface. The limitations of intuitive actions based on mouse and keyboard interactions are significant.

No doubt about it, the Metro interface was designed for the tablet and touch screen either through fingers or a stylus. But on the desktop? Not so much.

When I decided to take Windows 8 out for a spin, I decided to go directly to the tablet. I purchased one of Samsung’s Windows 7-based tablets and put Windows 8 directly on it. So I’ve got nothing but the tablet experience to judge Windows 8 by.

I can’t tell yet if I’m a genius or an idiot for that strategy. Probably a little of both. So far I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the new Metro interface. It’s smart, it’s intuitive, and so far I’ve been able to find just about everything I need with little or no effort.

And that was the focus of my part of the demonstration. The tablet.

Throughout the meeting several people spoke of their experience with Windows 8 on the desktop. Not one peep about performance, not one peep about application compatibility, not one peep about reliability. It was all about the interface, and how difficult it was to do things.

Throughout and after the meeting several people stated that they finally understood why the interface was the way it was. They saw the benefits of the tablet interface.

The problem is that Microsoft seems to be forcing that interface on a platform that doesn’t have the tools necessary to use that interface.

Windows 8 is slated for release in October. There currently a number of questions regarding hardware manufacturers for the arm-based tablets. Beyond that the tablet portion of Windows 8 seems not only secure but absolutely fantastic.

The desktop shows more of a challenge. Third-party application developers already trying to fill some of that void with mixed success. You can add a traditional start menu as an application. Whether that’ll be enough, only time will tell.

 What are your thoughts?  Is Metro too one-sided for the tablet world, leaving the desktop users a less than optimal interface?

Sometimes you just don’t need words.

The reliance companies place on fast, reliable access to their information is increasing at a frantic pace.  SANs can be a terrific (and affordable) data storage technology…if they’re done right. Like all IT technologies, SANs need to be appropriately configured, monitored and managed.

During this live lunchinar presentation, Jeff Sabella of Chi Corporation together with Doug Tombow and Bob Coppedge from Simplex-IT discuss some of the things you should be looking for when considering a SAN for your network. To view the presentation, simply click the thumbnail below, turn up the sound, put your feet up and enjoy!

Bob and Kevin will be presenting Windows 8 at the April meeting of the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group.  This meeting will be free and open to the public.  We’ll cover the new Metro interface, demo some of the features of the tablet, and talk about desktop and server version as well.  Plus we’ll raffle off a copy of Windows 7 and Office 2010.

When:

• Saturday, April 14^th, from 9:30am until noon

Where:

• Main Classroom Building Rm 136
• East 22nd & Chester Ave.
• Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Bob here.  If you’re like me, you’ve been wondering what Apple Computer was going to do with its billions of dollars of cash. Within the last month it’s made a couple of announcements about that, namely stock dividends and stock buyouts. But there hasn’t been anything particularly strategic, nothing that would give an idea of where Apple plans to go in the future.

Until now.

Over the weekend Apple announced plans to purchase Alcatraz Island, located in the San Francisco Bay. You’re probably familiar with its history as a rather notorious federal prison (you can actually get tours through the National Park Service, although that will be ending after Labor Day weekend this year).

Apple Computer has made no attempt to hide the fact that they are a lifestyle organization. An overwhelming majority of our leisure activities seem to be dictated by Apples products and services. iTunes, iPads, iPods, iPhones… The list goes on.

Some of us might remember in the good old days when Disney simply meant movies. Cartoons, even. During the 60’s and 70’s Disney expanded into just about every aspect of our lives.

And now Apple computer is going to do the same thing, with iLand.

Project manager Cyrus Smith says it. “Apple fans don’t look at what we produce as products. They are extensions of their lives. So why not give them the ultimate extension of their livestyles, a place to actually live and interact only with other Apple fanatics? That’s what iLand is all about.”

Purchase details were not disclosed at this time, however it’s estimated that the cost of this project will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cyrus continued: “Go to a local Apple Store, and just hang around for a while. Look at the Genius Bar, and you’ll find a lot of people who just won’t leave. We’re pretty sure they have lives, even jobs. I mean, how else could they afford our stuff? But they just want to hang out with other people who love Apple. And who are we to refuse them that opportunity?”

Details are sketchy as to how iLand will become “configured.” It is understood that instead of a traditional local management or government, iLand will be managed by an enhanced version of the iPhone AI tool “Siri.”  “This just makes sense,” Cyrus continues. “Again, our fans want to be thoroughly embraced with Apple technology.”

Although Apple is used to being the leader in innovative technology, they almost fell asleep at the switch this time. Rival software giant Microsoft was reportedly developing their own plans for a similar, windows-based area. The product was officially named “Microsoft Offshore Communal Societal Human Network,” Pronounced “Mock-shun” and code-named “Gazelle.” However plans were scrapped when it was discovered that the only way it would work would be to bring back the Zune.

For this post I have to thank Scott Barlow over at Reflexion.

Recently I discovered that my Excel 2010 (happens with 2007 as well, apparently) started behaving in a peculiar manner, especially when it came to copying, cutting and pasting. I would get that animation indicating that I had selected a box for the briefest of time, and then nothing.

Unfortunately, the solution (or I should say the cause of the problem) comes from an unexpected source: Skype.

Like many of you, I have found Skype to be fairly useful for voice and audio communication to folks, especially other Skype users. Recently there was an update to Skype called “Click to Call,” which as it turns out is the cause of the problem. Uninstalling this through the control panel solved the problem.

In troubleshooting issues like this, a lot of times we rely on the concept of cause and effect. We see a change in behavior of a piece of software (or hardware, for that matter), and we try to reverse our steps and find out what we last did that caused the issue.

But when the installation of an additional feature to a telecommunication program such as Skype causes a problem in a small, seemingly unrelated portion of a program such as cut and paste into Excel, well that’s hard to track.

But unfortunately, these days everything has to interact and integrate with everything else. Whether were talking about functional integration (program A allows the user to link with program B) or technical integration (program A uses some of the technical features of program B without the user knowing or caring), it’s getting tougher to troubleshoot some of this stuff.

Thankfully, we have the web. And folks like Scott.