HoodaThunk?

Class dismissed. Now, what about Windows 7?

Well the class is done now that the week’s over. I did both far worse than was required and far better than I’d hoped after my long hiatus from the actual, day-to-day hands-on work. Actually, today’s lab exercise was pretty blasted good, considering, and I definitely scored the top test in the class for today’s run.

I have many weeks of practice labs ahead of me as I prepare for the real thing in a few months. More to come on that later on but it’s good to be able to actually look at blogs and news reports again!

Update: Oh, yes! Almost forgot this report from the End User blog at Amazon. Microsoft is looking to prime the pump for later this year by offering discounts and upgrade specials on their new O/S, Windows 7. From the blog:

Microsoft, trying to revive its flagship PC operating system in the middle of a recession, said today that it will price the primary edition of Windows 7 for home users 17 percent below the retail price of its predecessor.

The unusual move was one of a series of Windows 7 pricing announcements made by the company Thursday morning in preparation for the scheduled Oct. 22 launch. Under the plan, Windows 7 Home Premium will be available for $199.99 in stores, $40 less than Windows Vista Home Premium.

Even before adjusting for inflation, that matches the original price of Windows XP Home — which was released in 2001.

Given the reports I’m hearing, Windows 7 will be worth the upgrade price. I’ll post more on that as the date approaches. (And no, I’m not going to be one of the early adopters. I’ve been in this industry long enough to know better than that.)

June 26th, 2009 Posted by ricjames | Human Interest, Internet, Technology | one comment

A sad week for Hollywood icons

As I mentioned earlier I’m in a week-long class for an industry certification that has my attention fully utilized. That hasn’t completely cut me off from the outside world, however, and yesterday’s news from Hollywood appeared to cap off a very sad week. First, late-night heavyweight Ed McMahon died earlier this week. I recall him well from watching him back up Johnny Carson.

Then, yesterday morning came the news of Farrah Fawcett’s death after fighting a long, withering battle with cancer. Like so many young men back in the day, I found her captivating. (No, I didn’t ever own a copy of her famous “red swimsuit” poster, but I knew enough people who did that I can still recall the image to mind with extreme clarity.)

Finally, as I was leaving the office yesterday afternoon I spotted a tweet on my Twitter list that referenced Micheal Jackson’s reported heart attack. By the time I got home and got my laptop running, it wasn’t just a report and it wasn’t just a heart attack – Jackson was dead at the age of 50. It’s impossible to be my age in America and not recall listening to his music during high school and college. He was called the King of Pop for a reason and his music literally could not be outrun or avoided. Events of later years and a refining of my own musical tastes may have seen his image tarnished and his music relegated to the back of my mind but he was truly a powerhouse – the powerhouse – of pop music in the 80’s and early 90’s.

A sad week for Hollywood, indeed.

June 26th, 2009 Posted by ricjames | Human Interest | 2 comments