Tag Archives: Bob O’Donnell

About 1909 days ago PCs, Laptops, and Notebooks

In Defense of the Business PC

our beautiful site

There’s little argument that today’s small business emplooyees are increasingly mobile ones, whether it’s your star salesperson flying to see clients in another state or your R&D rep jet-setting overseas to seek new manufacturing opportunities. While laptops and smartphones can help employees remain productive while on the move, desktop PCs are becoming less appealing to office dwellers, too. “Desktops aren’t dead, but the market is certainly declining in favor of notebook computers,” confirms Bob O’Donnell, program vice president for clients and displays at IDC, Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm. “Notebooks sales have already eclipsed desktop sales, and we don’t see any sign of that changing anytime soon.” O’Donnell says this surge in popularity is likely due to a few variables, including an increase in laptop power, integrated wireless connectivity, and strong competition from manufacturers which translates to relatively low prices. “Now we’re talking about a $799 laptop or less that might be as powerful as your desktop and you have the added benefit of Wi-Fi so you can leverage free hotspots and get more done if you want to leave the office,” says O’Donnell. Gary Chen, senior analyst for small and medium enterprise IT infrastructure and applications at the Boston, Mass.-based Yankee Group consulting firm, reaffirms a laptop’s appeal boils down to mobility. “Work lifestyles are changing rapidly [as] we’re no longer tied to our desk 9-to-5, so a laptop really is crucial to many workers,” says Chen. “Laptops continue to improve in terms of affordability, weight, battery life, wireless networking, and performance, making them very attractive alternatives to desktop PCs.” Desktop benefits Despite the laptop’s surge in popularity among consumers and businesses, stationary desktop PCs have their share of advantages for a small or mid-sized business. “Desktops are cheaper and more reliable [than laptops], although reliability for all PC types is pretty good these days,” explains Chen. “But anytime you’re cramming a lot of components in a small space and that chassis is going to be jostled and bumped around while carrying it, you just have more chances for something breaking.” Many ergonomists also believe a desktop PC — with its adjustable full-sized keyboard and external mouse — is easier on your wrists than a laptop’s keyboard and touchpad, which could result in less repetitive stress issues. It’s all in the apps What kind of computer you need may also be related to the type of work you’re using it for. O’Donnell says an accountant, for example, who stares at spreadsheets all day, would rather look at a large 22-inch monitor, compared to a laptop’s 13- to 17-inch display. “Cost conscious small and mid-sized businesses also know the price of big-screen monitors have dropped considerably, which is good news.” Chen says high-end graphics work is also more ideal on a desktop than a laptop. “For certain applications, you can’t beat a desktop still for raw performance,” Chen says, “since these systems run hotter, and are loaded with advances graphics cards and such that just aren’t available in a mobile form factor.” Security, privacy concerns Another problem with laptops, says O’Donnell, is security, which should be a high-priority for a small or mid-sized businesses. “Hopefully you’re backing up data regularly but if you lose your notebook your whole company might be on this thing,” says O’Donnell. “Even if it’s not completely catastrophic, there are serious concerns if a notebook is lost or stolen — therefore depending on the nature of your business, sensitive data and privacy concerns might mean you stick with desktops.” Chen agrees: “In a mobile space you can’t control the environment and network that the computer is being used on — while desktops stay in one place and operate in a controlled network.”

About 2061 days ago Printers, Copiers, and Peripherals

Power Up: Laptop Battery Life Is Improving

our beautiful site

Call it the Achilles’ heel of laptop technology: battery life. While considerable improvements have been made in processor speed, screen quality, and wireless connectivity, batteries seem to be the one lagging area in mobile computing. That’s not to mention the largest component recall in the history of the PC last year, when thousands of laptop batteries were recalled by manufacturers because of the potential for spontaneous fires. There is some good news, however. While alternative sources of power –such as fuel cells — may be a few years off, there are some advancements in lithium-ion battery technology, not to mention CPU breakthroughs, such as dual-core processors, that can also help your laptop last an entire day. “Batteries are probably the slowest moving technology because it’s chemistry rather than silicon, the latter of which tends to see greater strides,” says Bob O’Donnell, vice president of clients and displays at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based technology research firm. That said, 12-cell batteries are considered top-of-the-line today for laptop users, says O’Donnell. Available as an upgrade among many PC manufacturers such as HP and Dell, a 12-cell battery may extend the life up to 10 hours of use, depending on the applications running: typing in a word processor, for example, is a lot less taxing on the battery than, say, playing a DVD movie or surfing the Internet wirelessly in a hotspot. “The best way to think of 6-, 8-, 9- or 12-cell batteries is as units of power, like having a toy that takes 12 AA batteries instead of 6 batteries,” explains O’Donnell. “The higher the number, the longer the battery life.” But there’s a trade-off, as 12-cell batteries are generally larger than the regular 6- or 8-cell that ships with the unit, therefore users can expect a protrusion on the bottom or back of the laptop. While this might be the case today, O’Donnell says some PC manufacturers might figure out a way for multi-cell batteries to be less obtrusive. “As we need less space for circuitry because of advancements in components, theoretically, there can be more space available for a [bigger] battery.” Alternatives, CPU advancements Some manufacturers offer a different solution, such as a thin battery that lies along the entire bottom of the computer or the ability to insert two “bar” batteries instead of one. HP’s Compaq 2710p tablet notebook, for instance, offers roughly 5.5 hours with its standard battery, but more than 12 hours when coupled with HP’s thin extended run time battery. “Polymer lithium ion cells have now become viable for notebook PC applications,” explains Kevin Clancy, senior notebook PC commodity engineering manager at Hewlett-Packard. “They allow for much slimmer battery designs, such as the 2710p extended run time battery, and offer similar discharge capacity.” On conventional lithium ion, “we see also continuous improvements in design and chemistry to add incremental discharge capacity,” adds Clancy. Clancy says laptop owners will likely see a 10 percent improvement in battery life in 2008. Laptops with dual-core processors, such as those powered by Intel Core 2 Duo technology, may offer up to 40 percent more energy efficiency than past processors, which results in greater battery life. “CPUs are getting much smarter today, too, where they sip battery power instead of gulping it,” says O’Donnell.  

About 2456 days ago Data Security

How Often Should You Back Up Files?

It’s a call no business owner wants to get — a fire broke out overnight in the industrial park where your office based, reducing it to smoldering rubble. Sure, you’re thankful no one was inside, plus insurance should cover the physical damage — but what about your company’s critical computer files? According to ADR Data Recovery, U.S. businesses lose more than $12 billion per year because of data loss due to hardware or system failure (which accounts for roughly 78 percent of all data loss), software corruption, natural disasters, or human error. “Data loss, and the downtime suffered from it, can cause considerable damage to your business,” says analyst Bob O’Donnell, program vice president for clients and cisplays at IDC, an Internet consultant. “And if you do any kind of commerce and your current orders are lost, it can prove to be a serious blow to your business revenue.” The only absolute protection against losing critical information on your PC is to proactively back-up important files on a regular basis. DIY or Automatic? Backing up your files can be handled automatically, thanks to the many scheduled onsite or offsite back-up programs available today; or manually, where it’s up to you to select which files to back-up and where to back them up to, either burned onto a recordable CD or DVD, USB memory stick, or, preferably, uploaded to a secured offsite location in case of fire, theft, or natural disasters. Backed-up discs may also be stored in a safety deposit box. What Gets Backed Up Each business has its own particular needs and interests, but across the board, all businesses share the common need to back up customer data, contact information, and passwords. Individuals may want to add to that list: work files such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, Web site code, as well as calendar appointments and e-mails. A sales office will want to make external copies of its detailed CRM files. An architect will save blueprint sketches and 3-D renders. Deciding what to back-up is as easy as asking yourself what is irreplaceable. In some cases, the data could be recoverable, but it may cost your business money, time, or embarrassment to retrieve everything from external sources. Let’s face it — asking one of your most important clients to re-send contact information or contracts could be damaging to your relationship. “Data loss can ruin your reputation with clients or customers,” says O’Donnell. “Because you never know when data loss can strike, back-ups should be automated and stored off-site, so you can concentrate on growing your business.” What’s the Frequency? Some software packages — many of which are available as a “try before you buy” download at www.download.com — automatically back up your information at a select time every day or week. But if you’re handling the back-up manually onto a CD-RW disc or USB thumbstick, it’s recommended you back-up important information at least once a week. This includes files such as key work documents and files, business contacts, and appointments. If you’re working on an important document, such as a sales report or a presentation or spreadsheet, it’s not a bad idea to keep a USB memory stick inserted into the PC’s USB port to make a back-up after the work is completed. This is especially a good idea for mobile professionals working on laptops — all it takes is for you to leave your PC on a plane, in a hotel or in the back of a cab and your critical data could be gone forever.

About 2487 days ago PCs, Laptops, and Notebooks

Head to Head: Palm v. Windows

our beautiful site

Beyond budget, it’s usually the biggest decision you’ll need to make when buying a personal digital assistant for your business: should you use the Palm operating system or the Windows-based Pocket PC technology? “While they’re similar devices to a degree these days, it boils down to what you want out of a PDA and how easily it’ll plug into business needs,” says analyst Michael Gartenberg, of New York-based Jupiter Research. “On one hand, Pocket PC is very compatible with [Microsoft] Outlook and Exchange, but the Palm OS tends to be simpler and more user-friendly.” Before deciding which PDA system to deploy at your company, another factor to consider is “what the third-party application support is for each platform and how it relates to your business,” says Bob O’Donnell, IDC’s Program VP for Clients and Displays. This common operating system debate has grown a bit more complicated for a few reasons. Palm now gives its customers the choice of operating system for their signature device — the Treo. Microsoft, which now refers to its software as Windows Mobile, offers two versions: one for Pocket PC-based PDAs with a touch-screen interface and another for button-based smartphones, such as the Motorola Q. It doesn’t need to be confusing, however, if you consider both the Palm and Pocket PC each has its share of pros and cons. The following provides a brief look at what these are for both PDA types: Why buy a Palm OS device? With ten years of experience under its belt, not only has Palm created a time-tested operating system, but along with this comes a dedicated community of developers. In fact, those who use one of the many Palm OS-based PDAs can choose from more than 28,000 downloadable programs for their handheld device. And many prefer the Palm for its clean and simple (and thus intuitive) icon-based interface. “Palm has a legacy of applications available for it, and for many users, the graffiti interface is an easy way for them to enter data,” says O’Donnell. Palm OS-based digital assistants are also ideal for those businesses on a tight budget since you can pick up one, such as the palm Z22, for less than $100. If you want more features, consider the Palm TE2 ($199) with Bluetooth and an expandable SecureDigital (SD) memory slot. The Palm TX ($299) offers both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For $399, the Palm LifeDrive includes a 4GB hard drive, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Finally, the Palm Treo 650 or 700, which is also a cell phone, can be found for $199 to $499, depending on the carrier and length of commitment. You can tell which operating system is used by the product name: the Palm Treo 700p uses the Palm OS, while the 700w uses the — you guessed it — Windows Mobile v.5.0 platform. Why buy a Pocket PC device? Pocket PC-based products are ideal for business for several reasons. Windows Mobile 5.0 devices communicate directly with Microsoft Exchange Server and Small Business Server, so businesses can use Outlook Mobile — without requiring the management of an additional e-mail server and related costs (thus saving money and time). Plus, what this means for Pocket PCs with phone functionality, is BlackBerry-like “push e-mail,” so messages are sent to the portable device as soon as they’re received instead of having to log onto the Net to “pull” them down. As with other Windows Mobile-based devices, this push e-mail solution enables compatible devices to connect directly with Microsoft Exchange Server and Small Business Server. Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology also gives customers up-to-the-minute access to all of their Outlook information, such as e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks. “For the same reason the BlackBerry is so successful, people want access to e-mail at any time, without booting their PC,” says ‘O’Donnell. “It’s a huge benefit for the business.” Pocket PCs sync well with desktop PCs running Windows XP. The look and feel of the Windows-based PDA will be familiar to PC Windows users. For the most part, Pocket PCs are also more powerful than their Palm OS counterparts. This extra computing power is perfect for multimedia, such as digital audio, photos, video and Web surfing via Pocket Internet Explorer. “While the Palm OS tends to be simpler and easier to use, Pocket PCs offer more functionality, and as a result, they’re more capable machines,” says Gartenberg. While generally pricier than Palm OS-based PDAs (Pocket PCs start at about $200 for an entry-level model), Pocket PC machines come from more vendors, namely: Asus, Casio, Dell, Garmin, Gateway, HP, Toshiba, and ViewSonic.