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Submission + - Managing Mobile Laptops

sabre307 writes: Our company has recently decided to go electronic with our field service workforce by providing mobile devices with a 3G connection. After evaluating a number of different hardware platforms it was decided that we would need the capabilities provided by MS Windows so we have settled on a model of netbook. At this point the IT department has been left with the task of trying to figure out how to manage these devices once they have been deployed, most notably to control what the 3G data can be used for. In our research we are finding a number of solutions to manage mobile devices running a mobile OS (iOS, Android, WP7, RIM, etc.), but nothing to manage a computer that is actually running Windows 7 Professional. What ideas can the /. community offer on how to best manage these devices?

Submission + - How best to manage Call Center PCs? 1

sabre307 writes: I recently took a position running a network for a company with a call center. The previous administrator has locked down the users through group policy so tight that they can't even install plug-ins for IE so they can access business related websites. I would like to ease the restricitons a bit on the users, but would like to keep the environment as safe as possible from spyware and viruses. I have been considering some options like PXE boot where I could maintain a clean image that has the necessary software, can be easily modified if needed, and would allow the users to run as a local admin on the PC without fear, as any damage done would be reversed on reboot. I would love to know what the /. community thinks of this idea, and any other solutions you may have found that work well.

Comment Seriously? (Score 1) 870

Have you read /. before? Most of the people on here ARE your students who would use the WiFi to cheat on the exam. Not that they couldn't ace the exam on most days, but they typically stay up too late the night before reading /. and don't get the requisite amount of sleep!

Comment Re:Legal implications.... (Score 2, Informative) 381

Unfortunately the law also allows for a private contract between a company and an individual. Although there is no criminal implications to jailbreaking your phone, there may be implications from the TOS contract that you entered into when activating the phone through AT&T/Apple. Personally, I believe that a law should be passed that states you have the right to do whatever you see fit with something that you have purchased. Though I wholly support AT&T's right to restrict your access to their network or Apple's right to restrict your access to their App Store if you have modified your device from their specifications, I think it is ludicrous to think that they have a right to DESTROY something that you bought and paid for without compensation for it. Imagine if Ford had the right to disable your car just because you didn't use OEM spark plugs in it. What if Sony could disable my television because I plugged a Sharp DVD player into it? Someone needs to come in and lay a smack down on Apple and teach them that they are not the rulers of the world, but suppliers of a commodity. THIS is why I own an Android phone and REFUSE to purchase an Apple product. I used to support Apple and felt they got a bad rap on things, but since they've had some success with the iP* devices, they have become a monster that the free market needs to come in and slay. I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I miss the dominance of Microsoft! They are a behemoth and not very innovative, but I can't think of an instance where they have shown the anti-consumer mentality that Apple has over the last decade. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Comment Gee Thanks! (Score 1) 164

So, because I am an early adopter of Google Voice (take that you furners!), I have to pay $10 if I want to port my cell number that I've had for the last decade over to them. Then I have to go back and retrain all of the people that I have managed to convince to use my new number to go back to using my old number! WTF! Why is it the people who jump in early on something are always the ones who get the shaft later on?

Wait a minute... If I can officially port my number over, does that mean that Google is officially a telco?

Comment Re:The writer is clueless about end users (Score 1) 244

The author was an idiot. He says "...who are we to say that no novice has a legitimate need for root access, ever?".

If a novice has a legitimate need for root access, he won't know what the f*** he is doing and turn his phone into a brick, then whine to the carrier/manufacturer that it is all their fault. IT administrators don't usually lock users out of admin rights just to be a d***, they do it to protect the computer from the loose nuts at the keyboard! The cell phone manufacturers are doing the same thing. I love FLOSS, but not forcing a user to jump through a few hoops to gain root access to a consumer electronics system isn't being open with the consumer, it's committing financial suicide for your company.

Comment Re:IPhone. Blah Blah Blah (Score 1) 423

It's the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field! The serious lack of Video Recording and Ringtones has been why I've avoided it and marveled at the people who hailed it as the greatest invention ever. I will admit that the interface was a serious advancement in UI development for small devices, and for that it should be commended, but as a phone, the original one really sucked!

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