Some things never change

Computer Life column for February 13, 1999
by
Richard Gordon

Two years ago, the issue facing a lot of families contemplating a computer purchase was whether or not to buy a Pentium or a Pentium MMX system. Now it's Pentium II, Celeron, or Pentium III--and that's just Intel systems!

Two years ago, people said Apple was dead--long live Windows. However, borne on a wave of designer-colored iMacs, Apple has survived, and devotees of its product line continue to champion their cause.

Two years ago, there were about 20 million computers on the Internet; today, according to Network Wizards (www.nw.com), that number is poised to pass 40 million.

Two years ago, the state was well on its way to having every public school connected to the Internet. That phase of the project is complete: the right wires now run to every school in the state. It's up to the school districts, school administrators, and taxpayers how to get each classroom on the 'Net.

"Schools struggle with technology," screamed the headline of the lead local story on the front page of Monday's News Journal. "Lack of funds, training, computers, software make it hard to keep pace," echoed the sub-heading. The article mentioned several success stories against the backdrop of major difficulties that school districts face in taking full advantage of those wires the state has run to their buildings.

Why pick on the schools? In reality, the problems they face are similar to those faced by many others.

Lots of organizations are on limited budgets and, therefore, have difficulty dealing with computer purchases.

Too many organizations treat computer purchases the way they treat the purchase of a new roof--it's a large expenditure, it better last a while. Computers and their peripherals are still too expensive for most small organizations to treat them as "expendable supplies." However, the reality is that most organizations need to budget for new computer systems every 2-5 years.

Then there's all the "stuff" you need to make the computer most useful. Let's say you pick out a computer for about $1,050. By the time you purchase software, supplies, a surge suppressor, network card, printer, and modem, you've probably pushed past $1,700.

As hard as it may seem to get your boss to buy a new computer, it's usually easier to convince him to buy that computer than to send you to a training seminar. Most people prefer to pay for something they can see, feel, and touch.

But computers are not something one can add to an organization's business recipe as one might fold egg whites into a batter. Whether it's a school, college, non-profit organization, or business, the tricky part isn't usually getting the wire to the building or the computer in the door, it's figuring out how best to harness the potential of the new technology.

Two years ago, there were lots of hidden costs to using computer technology. Today, those hidden costs remain. However, the obvious costs of not keeping up with information technology are even greater than any hidden cost our schools or businesses might encounter on the way.

Tip of the week

Full screen

While experimenting with the buttons on the Internet Explorer toolbar at a recent training session, one person suddenly asked how she could get her computer screen to look like everyone else's. All the toolbars and the Windows desktop were gone: her screen was totally filled with the Web page she was viewing and the Internet Explorer titlebar.

It took the rest of us in the room a minute to remember the common-sense, standard Windows thing to do: In the titlebar, click on the icon of a rectangle within another rectangle to leave "full screen" mode.

Most Windows applications share standard icons and functions--as do most Macintosh applications. Even if you are using a program with which you are not familiar, stay calm: the basic buttons and menus should be similar from program to program.

Copyright © 1999, The News Journal Company

Computer Life Index