![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Today, after many months of waiting, I have finally got a new computer at work. I have been, as they say, migrated.
We were supposed to have had the new equipment in August last year. It slipped to September, was delayed until October, put back to November, rescheduled for December and then set for early January. Then I was told that my migration would be delayed a further week, after I switched dates to help out a colleague.
Anyway, I have it now. On my desk is what is known in the trade as a ‘thin client’ and I have to say that it is exceedingly small. I understand that it contains virtually nothing and that everything important is done by the server elsewhere. Effectively the same as the old system, except that they had local drives, even if we mere mortals couldn’t access them. I was amused to see though, that once I’d managed to get the system running (I had to fiddle with all the plugs myself – someone had clearly made a cursory attempt, but not much more) that a number of websites (Gmail for one), still complain that we are using an antiquated and unsupported version of Internet Exploder. On the other hand, it is new enough to allow me, for the first time in months, to read the comments on LJ here, instead of waiting until I get home.
I’m sure it’s all very nice and secure, this new system. We can’t even use memory sticks now, unless they are specially encoded. I suppose someone must deal with information that would cause Hell to freeze if ever it came out, but I don’t, so not being able to use a memory stick is an annoyance (though not a major one) rather than a benefit.
I am told that we can no longer access You Tube from the office. I didn’t know that we could beforehand. I thought I was pushing it a bit by having FarceBørk in the background. It’s not as if we have the sound turned up (or even proper speakers) here anyway. It’s a bit awkward listening to music in an open plan office if you don’t use an ipod and earphones, so I’m not entirely clear on who’s been watching You Tube.
As this is the first upgrade we’ve had since 2005, I find myself rather baffled by some of the changes in Word and Excel. I’m sure I’ll get used to them, but for now…
We were supposed to have had the new equipment in August last year. It slipped to September, was delayed until October, put back to November, rescheduled for December and then set for early January. Then I was told that my migration would be delayed a further week, after I switched dates to help out a colleague.
Anyway, I have it now. On my desk is what is known in the trade as a ‘thin client’ and I have to say that it is exceedingly small. I understand that it contains virtually nothing and that everything important is done by the server elsewhere. Effectively the same as the old system, except that they had local drives, even if we mere mortals couldn’t access them. I was amused to see though, that once I’d managed to get the system running (I had to fiddle with all the plugs myself – someone had clearly made a cursory attempt, but not much more) that a number of websites (Gmail for one), still complain that we are using an antiquated and unsupported version of Internet Exploder. On the other hand, it is new enough to allow me, for the first time in months, to read the comments on LJ here, instead of waiting until I get home.
I’m sure it’s all very nice and secure, this new system. We can’t even use memory sticks now, unless they are specially encoded. I suppose someone must deal with information that would cause Hell to freeze if ever it came out, but I don’t, so not being able to use a memory stick is an annoyance (though not a major one) rather than a benefit.
I am told that we can no longer access You Tube from the office. I didn’t know that we could beforehand. I thought I was pushing it a bit by having FarceBørk in the background. It’s not as if we have the sound turned up (or even proper speakers) here anyway. It’s a bit awkward listening to music in an open plan office if you don’t use an ipod and earphones, so I’m not entirely clear on who’s been watching You Tube.
As this is the first upgrade we’ve had since 2005, I find myself rather baffled by some of the changes in Word and Excel. I’m sure I’ll get used to them, but for now…