Connecting A to B: A swivel chair approach

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I find it interesting that we have a tendency to rush to find IT solutions to our IT problems. A good example of this I think is the speed with which we snicker at the very mention of a swivel chair-based integration strategy. It smacks of wrongness. We feel a strong urge to take the chair away and do it "properly". ...continue reading 'Connecting A to B: A swivel chair approach'

Even Apple will be hated one day

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Apple and Google zealots may not like to hear that their beloved will be hated one day like Microsoft, but it's true. In an industry where users are fickle and power translates to evilness, no one is safe from the wrath of anonymous haters that dislike anything that looks like an empire. ...continue reading 'Even Apple will be hated one day'

Even the best information is useless if not acted upon

Joel Shore, ITworld.com

It's not a "computer glitch" when the system works perfectly and humans fail to act. It's important that we not lose sight of the people who operate intricate systems, put data in, and read the reports that come out. That's not a technical issue, but an education and training issue. "You got the information, you got the report. Now what action are you going to take?" That's what separates a successful business from an abject failure. ...continue reading 'Even the best information is useless if not acted upon'

RIM better get to work if it wants to compete with Apple

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Until last week, RIM's BlackBerry device was one of the few smartphones able to address the needs of business professionals. That all changed with Apple's announcement of significant improvements to its iPhone. Now, RIM has to do more than add a touchscreen and a hidden keyboard to its BlackBerry, it'll have to offer the kind of SDK Apple announced. ...continue reading 'RIM better get to work if it wants to compete with Apple'

Windows XP: The operating system that refuses to die

By Joel Shore, ITworld

It's pretty clear that XP is not going away anytime soon. Businesses are putting off migrating to Vista as long as possible (because that means buying new machines), and Microsoft seems to have realized that if you can't kill XP, you might as well modernize it. Thus, we are about to beget Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. No complaints here. I'm looking forward to it. ...continue reading 'Windows XP: The operating system that refuses to die'

Where Microsoft lost its way - Google obsession

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Microsoft has always been a software company and Google has always been an online services firm. So why are they such fierce competitors? The answer: Microsoft is jealous of Google. And that jealousy has led the company to believe it can be a bloated mess and offer a wide array of products without focusing on its core competency - software. ...continue reading 'Where Microsoft lost its way - Google obsession'

Oops! Repetitive Strain Injury

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

Twenty five years bashing a computer keyboard has finally caught up with me I'm afraid. Movable aches and pains running up and down arms, in and out of my wrists, through my fingers, shooting pains in my shoulder and arm muscles...the works! What's a geek to do? ...continue reading 'Oops! Repetitive Strain Injury'