RasterWeb: Rambles: goodtools

Let's say you're starting a new job. Ok, new job, cool. Now, let's say your new job requires you to use a computer, maybe you're a writer or something, I dunno, just someone who would need a computer. Maybe you'll need Word (sorry to hear that) and maybe a web browser, email client, etc...

Now, what if you showed up for work, ready to go, people say 'hi' and you've got a good outlook on things, they show you to your desk and...

no computer.

Hmmm, well, let's pretend there is a computer. But it's about 10 years old. You start to think to yourself, 'what am I doing here?' or 'did I make a mistake?' or worse 'Hey cool! This computer is better than what I have at home!'

Today I got an email 'Hey someone new is starting next week, is the computer in that empty cube ok?' I then remember that the 'empty cube' has a Quadra 700 in it (if you use Windows think 386/486) which we never got around to replacing with a PowerMac 7100 (low end Pentium) and wasn't even plugged it. So I'm thinking it's time to replace a ten year old machine with a 6 year old machine...

The Quadra 700 was fine for interns. As an intern, you need to suffer. I know. I was an intern. Actually, when I was an intern things were different. This is back when the world of computers was a much stranger place. No one knew what the internet was, there was no Mosaic, and Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was considered neat. Back then there was almost no one who had a computer at home that was better than the one at work. It was unheard of. Over the years, as prices dropped, we saw that people would have better machines at home than at work. We've seen that businesses don't upgrade computers very quickly, at least the businesses outside the tech sector. Nowadays people are working on old machines at work, and spiffy new machines at home. Of course if you're like me you suffer because at work you get a new computer every year but at home you're making due with a machine that's 3 or more years old, due to lack of sufficient funds.

Oh, back to the story. I don't know how many times I've been told last minute that someone new is starting and they need a computer. You know, these things take time. When I order a new computer, it takes a while to get it and it takes some time to setup and install it. Which means you either scrounge up an old machine for them to use in the meantime, which will be slow and underpowered, or you keep a decent machine around but don't assign it to anyone. If you do the latter, people will constanty ask if they can have that machine. You can't exactly tell them that it's reserved for someone who needs a better computer than the one they're using. Well, maybe you can... I suppose you could hide it, or tell people it's waiting for RAM or a hard drive or a network card or something. Either way, you just can't win.

To some people these things might not matter. What do I know? I'm a computer nerd. I do know this: as of me writing this, a G4 with lots of gig of drive space, and lots of megs of RAM, and a 21" monitor are good things. I like them. Other than that I have no real point. I guess the point is, if you're going to do a job, and do it right, you need certain tools, if your employer expects you to do the job good, they should provide good tools. Yeah, that sounds good...

note: I've always been nice to interns and tried to be helpful. I was one once too... (Some interns were jerks though, and were treated accordingly.)

When I said "no knew what the internet was" I lied, there was one person in the office who knew what it was: Jim Romenesko.

  Last Modified: 04.02.2001 by rasterboy