Grundig Consulting

A frequently-asked question by my clients is whether a DSL connection, cable connection or fiber-optic connection is optimal for their home or business. In the Central Contra Costa County service area which I service regularly, the choice for DSL is ATT, while Comcast and Astound offer cable connections. The phone company, ATT, is also beginning to roll out and offer fiber optic-based services.

In most cases, I prefer the reliability and stability of the DSL connection. While DSL connections can be somewhat slower than cable, the speed is constant and is not affected by other users in the neighborhood. All three of these companies, though, do offer some attractive bundles which include phone service, high-speed internet, and, in some cases, TV. Advanced TV from ATT is the newest addition to the its lineup. Comcast and Astound pricing to cable high-speed internet is higher that the phone company, but may make sense for businesses, especially of multiple users on on the system at once and they are sending and receiving large attachments or watching a lot of online video.

In the end, there is always a tradeoff between price and speed. Please contact your IT service provider or tom@grundigconsulting.com if you have any questions. It is highly advisable to have someone to help you select the right service for you or your business which will work now and in the future.

Using a slow computer workstation is one of the must frustrating things for anyone trying to get something done on a computer, particularly with the mounting list of tasks that each of us must accomplish during the workday.

A common request with by small business owners and managers and computer users is “. . . Speed up my workstation.” Usually, one can do any of the following, and in the following order (Reply to this post with a questions or talk to your IT consultant if anything is unclear.)

1) Disable startup applications using the Microsoft system configuration utility. Each application thinks it’s really important, but they don’t all have to load when the workstation is started up.

2) Add memory - memory is used by the operating sytem and also by running applications. Increasing memory allows on to run more application at the same time while also increasing performance

3) Defragment the hard drive - After years of use, files on the hard drive are not necessarily stored in a continuous space on the hard drive. Defragmenting will rearrange the files more efficiently and should result in a performance improvement.

4) Replace the workstation and transfer data and possibly, applications, to the new workstation. Most expensive of the options here, but often the most effective. Most companies and organizations have a 3 or 4 year replacement cycle for workstations. Options from Dell for Small Business are outlined here.

There has been plenty of debate regarding the relative merits of Window XP vs. Windows Vista in residential and business environments since Vista was released in early 2007, as evidenced by many discussions and articles which are available on the Internet and in trade journals. Microsoft continues to tout their latest operating system and points to the number of Vista licenses which have been sold, a figure in excess of 100 million licences.

Now, with over 1 year to assess Windows Vista, and following the recent release of Vista Service Pack I on February 4th, 2008, it is clear that many of the problems which initially plagued vista have been resolved, particularly driver and hardware compatibility issues. However, this does not mean that Vista is ready for business at this time, and indications are that many professional IT people are waiting for the release of the next client operating system from Microsoft. The debate rages on in Tech forums online and trade publications.

If you purchase an new computer in a retail outlet today, it will have Windows Vista pre-installed, meaning that you can stick with Vista or or try to load XP on it. Online, manufacturers such as Dell.com and others allow one to purchase a workstation which comes with a Windows Vista license but has Windows XP pre-installed. If you are in a business, I recommend that you contact your IT professional if you are not sure which operation system to purchase and use.