Being your own IT person sucks

Compaq Portable II, c. 1986

(Credit: Oldcomputers.net)

Believe it or not, my high-tech career began using punch cards and card readers to enter data into an IBM mainframe computer. When we got keyboards and monitors, we used them to enter what we called "card images."

As a chip designer in the '80s, I used GE Calma, Apollo, Daisy, Valid, and Mentor workstations. I had to know a whole smorgasbord of platforms and operating systems. I don't know how I did it. Guess I had a lot more brain cells back then.

The personal computer made life simpler--one platform, one operating system. It was a dream. We even got to take it on the road. I lugged a 26-pound Compaq Portable II to customer demos in 1986. A few years later, I could actually carry my Toshiba laptop on a plane. It tipped the scales at about 16 pounds, I think.

Try that with a mainframe.

Then came notebook computers. I had the groundbreaking DEC HiNote Ultra--the first thin and light notebook--in 1995. I don't know how many times I dropped the thing, but it kept right on working. In 1998, I got Sony's ultraslim Vaio 505 with the purple magnesium alloy chassis. It was really cool but more importantly, it never crashed.

Sounds like I was living on easy street, doesn't it? Not anymore.

It's been 20 years since I was an engineer. During that time, I worked with countless IT support people. That was a real luxury. Now, as a consultant who runs his own business out of his home, I've never missed those IT folks more. I seem to have lost the recipe for solving technical problems.

Sure, computers and networks have come a long way in terms of complexity and ease-of-use. Now we have plug and play, USB ports, Windows Update, and wireless network wizards. Still, nothing is as easy as it's supposed to be. Every time I buy a new computer, I'm invariably up late at night transferring files, cleaning up bloatware, and troubleshooting my home network.

On Tuesday, I received a new Sony Vaio SZ780 notebook. I spent months agonizing over which computer to buy, and now that FedEx has delivered it to my door, I should be really excited.

I was...until I realized it was time to be an IT person again.

Now I'm afraid to touch the thing. It almost makes me want to go back to the corporate world. Sure, the paycheck, stock options, and medical benefits would be great, but I'd really be doing it for the IT support.

[Tiberious_V-222141788280568980]

By far I do not have that amount of time under my belt. Also I do not work with any IT people, but as the go to guy for IT issues at the client level in any office I work for I can say I have gotten to a point at times where it?s not because I do not know how to fix the issue its if I feel like solving the problem. Wanting to do something and needing to do something will make a big difference in the outcome. I do not remember who quoted this but "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm". I believe you still have it in you, but at this point in your life perhaps it?s time for the small things to be taken care of by other people and let you enjoy/oversee what has to be done.

[noitrequired]

Get a Mac. No IT foolishness required.

[aquraishi]

I empathize. I also started out as an electrical engineer - with Fortran on punch cards and PET computers. The first PC I worked on was an IBM PC in '84 with a cassette tape storage device and 64KB of RAM. Then came floppies. Then a hard drive. After that I moved on to an Osborne luggable, followed by a 80286 Compaq luggable. Went through a clone 386sx, Compaq 486, Toshiba laptops, Compaq desktops, IBM Thinkpads etc.

I've been working as an IT executive, formerly manager, consultant/techie for the past 15 years and am sick and tired of technology that doesn't work. Especially at home. Over the past year I've been running Lotus Notes 8, SAP, Office 2004 now 2008, and a variety of other software on a MacBook Pro. I use a $75 copy of VMWare's Fusion running XP for anything that I can only find on Windows. That Windows VM is getting loaded less and less frequently and when I do need it - since I put it sleep vs shutting down, it's up and running in under 10 seconds. It boots faster in Fusion then from a hard disk. Macs just work. They boot in about 10 seconds. Shutdown in 4. Sure they can have problems - hardware and software related. I personally haven't uncovered a single bug but have heard of those who have. That will be the case no matter which platform you choose. As soon as I can I will replace every PC in my house with a Mac - and apple hardware like the wireless bridge with printer sharing and automated backup. I will never return to the PC world again and will only use Windows at work and only because I must.

[Ian Kirkland]

I, too, started back in the punched card era. My first PC (hardly that) had 4Kb! Pets, cassette tape storage . . . so long ago. In 1984 I sold my whole kit and bout a Mac 128K - the original. I've never gone back even though I was forced at times to work on PCs. I my carrier I managed hundreds of Macs. Just me. And I did my main job as well. I would love to be back at work managing Macs now. There's almost nothing to it these days. Once log-in is enabled it is almost impossible to screw up the system in any way that matters. I love it.

[dennis2115]

I have been through a number of iterations as well, having started out in a small office with a DEC PDP 11/03 in 1978....through I cannot begin to count the number of laptops/notebooks/PDA's and smartphones. And yes...I am my own I.T. department and it stinks! I found a really great buy on an HP Tablet PC but the main thing that is stopping me from getting it is...the conversion process! It will take days to make the transition and I haven't figured out how to bill myself for the work! ;-)

As a Dell VAR serving the business community I cannot be using MACs...at least it wouldn't look good in my opinion, so for now I'll stick with the PC world. I need to "feel the pain" of my clients.

[scarlsonnyc]

Like the above comments, I echo, there is no reason for an average guy to need an IT person: Get a Mac, it just works.
And even if you have to run Windows, for games, say, since one must install Windows from a retail disc, there is no bloatware. And once you are in the Mac world, transferring files from old to new Mac using Apple upgrade utility, couldn't be easier.

[buffalo2001]

Buy a Mac.

[TheITGuy2008]

To the people complaining about "the conversion process"... thats why MS has Windows Easy Transfer. You can easily transfer you files and settings from one computer to another. Its not rocket science people, if you have the technical know-how you claim you do then you should know about this little tool MS has had since XP.
And to the Mac lovers... if you want to spend 3x more money on a computer that will be obsolete in 3 yrs then by all means waste your money. Mac's are overpriced, overhyped, and they're just as susceptible to virus's now as PC's are. The ONLY reason Mac's are a lot more stable then a PC is because Mac's are built using only specific hardware that is tested to work flawlessly with the OS. If MS only put their OS on certain hardware then their OS would be just as stable. I'm not a MS lover, as a matter of fact i'm more of a linux lover but MS knows how to work it because you have options with MS. With MS you have competition, you have the choice between dozens of different computers at inexpensive prices, with Mac you only can choose what they decide to offer you at inflated prices.

[timcoyote]

Steve, we reach brother!

[sgtlyon]

I supposedly got out of IT support in 2002. Somehow, that has again become what I do most in my current position. Vista is my nemesis! I hate it with unadulterated passion! On the other hand, my dad bought a new Mac in January. By the way, I had not touched any fruit company equipment since I graduated High School in 1990. He had three issues he could not resolve, so I gave it a shot. In 15 minutes, a couple of downloads, and with no knowledge about Mac or the Mac OS, I had all three problems fixed. GOOD computers do exist, and you don't even need to learn LINUX! I just wish Mac was a little less expensive.

[ecotopian--2008]

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

[rjkconst]

Buy a Mac and you won't need IT of any kind.

My 2 cents worth, they just work I still have an original iMac, that I use everyday . I also have several other Mac's, and THEY JUST WORK.
Think about it, they are now made with the ability to even run Windows OS. if you are really desperate.

Ron

[steve080233]

I first bought a PC in 1988 because I wanted to do school work at home. I was taking a COBOL class and wanted to really be able to spend the time I needed on it without going to the school mini, but I was pretty poor. I went to a store that sold apple's and told them what I wanted to do. They were snotty and kinda laughed at me that I even wanted to do COBOL. They said the least expensive machine they had was a $1200 Apple IIgs that may or may not have a COBOL compiler, but had great graphics. I then went to a Mom and Pop PC clone shop. They built me a single floppy XT with 512k, found me a place to order a COBOL compiler from for $30, and took payments. I have never been interested in anything apple since. Window's has gotten pretty absurd, and in fact I hate Vista, but linux is cool, so I still can't see a reason to spend so much money to get treated so badly by apple. I'm glad they "just work". They should, given they cost three times what good Windows PC can cost.

[markedman0965]

I manage a 250 machine network and also do support for in a side business. I support windows, macs and linux in both situations. I don't find any of the three vastly superior to the other as long as they are configured correctly. The primary reason people have difficulty supporting windows is they don't know how to configure it correctly in the first place.

The Macs and linux machines are more secure by default than previous versions of Windows. They don't give unfettered access to the machine to users without changing the defaults.

As far as Vista goes if you have relatively new hardware and you understand how UAC and file permissions work it is actually very good. The problem is that most people don't understand it. They expect it to work like previous versions did when they were adminstrators on their machines. Vista is the first version of Windows that is actually reasonably secure by default.

[sgtlyon]

Okay... So on my Vista machine, if I am the administrator, why do I need to right click on programs to specify it to run as administrator when that is the only way the program will run and then it asks me for my admin password? I'm all for security, but that is just plain ignorant!

[kyle5434]

Sure, trouble-shooting can be a pain and annoyance. It can also keep you sharp. Granted, you shouldn't need to know how to compile your OS and apps in order to run them, but complaining about transferring files to a new machine? Yeesh. I would hope you're routinely transferring copies of your files to CD or DVD for backup (preferably off-site).

And sorry, I don't buy all the "Macs just work" statements. My friends with Macs call me with just as many annoyances and questions as those with Windows. And if the callers into Leo Laporte's radio show are any indication, it seems there are now as many callers with Mac related problems as there are with PC related problems.

By the way, I'm primarily using PCLinuxOS as my operating system, and happily so.

[wordzguy]

I wonder whether all the get-a-Mac people find that "it just works" to perform regular backups, install and uninstall software, defrag a disk, maintain a database, and all the _other_ tasks that IT does that don't involve installing the OS the first time. "What do you do about backing up your data?" "It just works!" "What happens if you run low on disk space?" "It just works!" "There's a new version of my spreadsheet program." "It just works!" "This website looks bad on Safari." "It just works!"

[gsmiller88]

Yes it does! And as with sgtlyon, Vista is my nemesis as well. When something goes wrong and it attempts to fix it, it always goes "Contact your administrator for assistance."

[workzguy]

Time machine for backing up data: It just works. If you run low on disk space, attach a FW or USB external drive when your Mac tells you you don't have much left (before you run out). And it just works. New version of spreadsheet program? Sure, software update will tell you. And it just works. Website looks bad on Safari? Well. That's because Frontpage et al don't just work (lots of bugs that IE ignores and FF accommodates). Safari is more compliant with web standards than anything else out there, but hey sure, go to Firefox and get that when Safari doesn't work. After all, you just download and launch. No installation necessary, because it actually just works.

Defrag a hard disk? Sure. The filesystem doesn't need defragging (didn't for a while now) so yeah, just works. Install and uninstall software? Install just works. Uninstall, your mileage may vary but I haven't found the need to do any intricate surgery other than drop the application in the trash.

It actually does just work.

[rdenney03]

The buy a Mac crowd loves to claim many things but in the real world computers are ALL subject to failure, have their own special needs and can be a pain in the @#$. Every computer (Mac's included) ever built has at one time or another had problems. Let's be real folks, Mac's have Kernal Panic's, motherboard failures, wireless configuration issues, compatability problems, data integrity issue etc.... just like every other computer system. My team and I support several thousand systems in a mixed environment. They all have issues and require support and Apple equipment / OS / Application are not any better or worse given my experience. If you want proof look at the Apple store and the Mac Genius program. If Mac's are so problem free why the need?

[Markus2008]

To all the people saying Mac's are more expensive, you are just wrong. Sure, I can buy a dell for $399, I can buy a Mac for $599, not that much difference in price, and the difference is more than made up for in ease of use, especially when I can just turn on my new Mac and everything works. No bloatware, no hassles. My wife and I each have a MacBook, at $1200 each, they weren't bad at all. Comparable windows machines cost just as much. I am a recent convert to Macs, I bought my first one last October and will likely never go back. Although I must admit, I run Windows using VMWare so I can use GoToMeeting because it is required for my work, other than that, I never use Windows anymore.

[theITguy]

$200 is a huge difference in price, Macs are 150% more expensive at the bottom line.

I work as an IT for a startup company. I manage about 150 machines as well as all the peripherals and whatnots. Vista has been great for me as an IT person because I understand how an OS works, and it's been great for many other people here who know a few things about computers. From an IT perspective it eliminates reinstallation issues with drivers, and that to me is worth its weight in gold. There is what I can only call a generation gap with anyone over 35 here though. It seems that old dogs really can't learn new tricks and many people just can't hang with Vista.

I personally consider myself computer savvy, I can use any system with moderate to expert knowledge, and I have no reason to go to a Mac. I just install a dual-boot linux/vista setup and use both. I suppose for someone out there without the energy or time though, keeping up with the bleeding edge can be tiresome.

But seriously, I think this is all learning curve. I love comparing it to the automobile industry. Now-a-days I can tell you how a carborator works, what "405" actually means, how a catalytic converter, spark plugs, air intake, etc etc etc. A car is a very complex system and yet MANY people have a very broad knowledge of how they operate. In a PC you have like 6 different pieces of hardware, and yet many people are completely perplexed at how RAM operates or why their hard drive is humming. In time I think the "home mechanic" will have as good an understanding of computers as people do with automobiles today.

[johnnydfred]

Jeez this "Apple's too expensive" argument is getting so old.

Take the Mini- OK. a little more than the cheap piece of garbage PC you can buy. But all you guys seem to be reasonable users, with more substantial demands from your PC. So, for God's sake, consider an Apple laptop, or a desktop. And compare a Dell, or an HP, or an Acer - matching the features of the Apple, and what price are we talking about?

IF you can get matching features on a PC, you'll find the price about 15% higher for the PC desktop, and 10% higher for the laptop. Really, go do the comparisons, and be honest.

And enough of this "I can get a PC for $350" crap. We all know you wouldn't be caught dead trying to work on one of these, even if you could get MS's current "OS" to run on it anyway.