Recent articles by Ian Yates
Opinion: Downloadus interruptus
Bzzt! Bzzzzt! We’re sorry, we have to interrupt your download of Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1 because they interfere with some silly accounting software over which Microsoft has no control. Those third party programmers, and we use the term loosely, are so inept. Bzzzzt! Bzzzt! OK, you can download again now we’ve crossed them off the list of acceptable recipients.
May 8 2008, 11:03AM
Software
Opinion: Your call could not be connected
So, it’s official, Vodafone gets the Aussie iPhone contract. What that really means is when the iPhone finally reaches our shores it won’t work any place outside the capital cities and the odd stretch of highway in between them. Apple either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that the Vodafone network doesn’t work everywhere. I guess they’re used to that from their US experience. They probably think nobody’s network covers an entire country.
May 7 2008, 7:00AM
Mobility
Opinion: Vista schmista, Telstra schmelstra
Well, we just spent the weekend figuring out what went wrong with our plans to setup a client's new branch office using Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista workstations. The gig was supposed to be finished Friday, but we didn't get out of town until Sunday night. And it wasn't the applications or the network that bit us in the bum this time. No, it was the printers. And Telstra.
May 5 2008, 1:22PM
Collaboration
CDMA opinion: CDMA closure causes chaos
Just one day after the closure of Telstra’s CDMA mobile phone network, complaints are flooding into hotlines across the country with rural and regional callers blaming the shutdown of the service for everything from cot deaths to crop failures.
Apr 29 2008, 1:36PM
Mobility
Opinion: Pins and needles
There’s a small enviro disaster lurking in the back rooms of every system builder business. No, we’re not suggesting these geeks are quietly polluting the planet with excess CO2 or wantonly chopping down rainforests. But they might as well be, thanks to Intel. Excuse me, did I just say Intel? Yep.
Apr 23 2008, 2:06PM
Hardware
![Revealed: Ballmer’s original keynote [Opinion]](https://i.nextmedia.com.au/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=http%3a%2f%2fi.nextmedia.com.au%2fnews%2fballmer.jpg&h=149&w=240&c=1&s=1)
Revealed: Ballmer’s original keynote [Opinion]
It was good to see Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer apologising for the whole Vista thing in that recent keynote speech he made to the company’s most valuable partners. What readers probably don’t know is that yours truly got given the job of making that speech more palatable to the general public. Just so you know what we’re up against here’s the original speech, before we “fixed” it for him.
Apr 22 2008, 2:19PM
Software
Opinion: CDMA shutdown FAQ
It’s come to our attention that there are lots of people using the old CDMA mobile phone network who just don’t get it when it comes to the shutdown of the service and the subsequent switch to the NextG network. To help them get it, we’ve compiled this FAQ based on the questions we’ve been sent on the subject by concerned readers along with a few comments from the local kindergarten.
Apr 21 2008, 12:26PM
Collaboration
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 opinion: Service pack me
So we’re going to get another service pack for SQL Server 2005 after all. Despite SQL Server 2008 being already a release candidate and expected to ship some time after June this year, Microsoft knows there will be droves of users waiting to jump from SQL Server 2000 to 2005.
Apr 18 2008, 4:48PM
Software
Opinion: Total recall
Interesting news from Amazon – the online store has announced a $50 credit to anyone who bought the wrong HD video player, i.e. anyone who bought an HD-DVD player from Amazon before Toshiba pulled the plug and waved the white flag in the HD format war.
Apr 16 2008, 7:00AM
Training & Development
Opinion: Hey Cisco!
So, the Mexican networking company has realised there’s not much future in selling black boxes and now wants to be a ‘software as a service’ provider. Uhuh. Well, the market for Ethernet switching has certainly been eaten out from underneath the network majors as vendors such as Netgear offer “lifetime warranty”.
Apr 10 2008, 6:14AM
Collaboration
Opinion: RIP bushband WiMax
That’s one way to save $1bn – nuke a huge contract bequeathed to you by the previous government. Today Senator Conroy has killed off the OPEL broadband deal which was supposed to bring wireless broadband to lots of places where you can’t get broadband.
Apr 8 2008, 9:29AM
Collaboration
