Comments on: PC… Personal Crisis?

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:18:04 +0000

laptop repair london…

The TrackBack specification was created by Six Apart, who first implemented it in their Movable Type blogging software in August…

By: JulesLt

JulesLt — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:49:01 +0000

It’s not an uncommon picture for IT to be given a board level requirement to ‘cut costs’.

I’m dealing with a client at the moment who refuse to pay out for a server upgrade – instead they let their branch network come to a crawl every day, bringing a workforce of hundreds to a dead stop. We have another customer where a new IT manager has come in with a similar ‘must deliver savings’ attitude.

It seems pretty rare for businesses to see IT as an investment – they will happily pay money for new functionality – as that connects directly to the business, but they don’t seem to link quality of IT with staff productivity.

Luckily, our own management understand that if you’re paying a developer a high salary, it doesn’t make sense for them to be sitting around waiting for their PC to do something (boot up, compile, etc). It’s nice for them to be able to have a chat and a cup of tea, but not business sense

By: CodeMonkey

CodeMonkey — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:58:51 +0000

@stasi47

Corporate bureaucracy doesn’t help either. My immediate manager cannot authorise a new PC for me. Nor can my manager’s manager. Nor can my manager’s manager’s manager! The decision rests solely with corporate IT who clearly think they’re saving money by not updating PCs. If only the opportunity cost of retaining old, decrepit machines could be accounted for.

@KlingonBatleth

I certainly wish my PC enhanced my working life! There’s no actual fault with the machine or Windows. It’s the mandatory corporate security software that slows it to a crawl. It’s incredibly frustrating when you can improve a PC but aren’t allowed to.

By: KlingonBatleth

KlingonBatleth — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:48:16 +0000

If your PC is taking 15 minutes to start up, and keeps crashing, then there is obviously something wrong with it!!! If a PC is working perfectly, then it should enhance your life not bring additional pain and torment. But PC’s are fickle lifeforms, and the slightest problem can bring you to your knees. If the PC was working as it should, then there would be no need to get a new laptop. Nothing is beyond repair, it just takes some knowledge and experience to get that old PC moving as fast as the new laptop!!!!

By: stasi47

stasi47 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:54:35 +0000

Your story and the story of CodeMonkey are typical examples of managerial vast shortsightedness. It just proves how little value your work has in the eyes of your superiors. They must have been surely thinking: “Faster PC? What for? So he can surf the Net even more? He has plenty of time anyway!” What in most of such cases is not making into equation is growing frustration of a worker and his wasted time – far outweighing the price of new the PC.

I know a boss who purposely give broken computers to the workers he wants to quit, maybe your boss uses similar practices? (I assume your laptop has been purchased from your own funds…)

By: CodeMonkey

CodeMonkey — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:06:19 +0000

You aren’t the only one who absolutely hates their work PC. I’m expected to develop software on a 6-year old clapped out piece of junk that I hate with every atom of my being.

There’s so much corporate security software installed that it just churns the disk all day long. A fresh install of XP runs surprisingly well, but the Mordacs complain if you connect to their precious network. I keep asking for a new machine but to no avail. Even a £350 machine from Tescos would do!

By: Not him.

Not him. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:48:40 +0000

“new laptop (pictured on the left)” left of where?

Also, have you tried running the old computer in linux? you could be surprised.