From: John Conover <john@email.johncon.com>
Subject: Re: Computer Economics Was: Re: Illth
Date: 7 Aug 1999 18:50:35 -0000
Michael L. Coburn writes:
>
> So... Whats your point. You've made a good example of what I'm talking
> about: In the case of MS OS each user MUST download and install his own
> stuff or he must wait for one of the 1000 PC techs to come do it because
> in the vast majority of cases there really isn't any wy to install ONE
> central copy for everyone's use. And even when such software is
> intalled and shared there is little chance of updating the ridiculous
> "registry" for each machine and in separating the user's "personal" crap
> from the actual company data. Unix servers and DESKTOP SYSTEMS do a
> MUCH better job of this than does MS. The IS department (as you wish to
> call it) is charged with the responsibilty of security and that includes
> protection against loss of data and extended downtime due to morons.
> IT IS NOT the job of IS to maintain a cast of a thosant PC techs or to
> impeded the progress of the organization with a bunch of bureaucratic
> horseshit. I suggest that if you suspect your IS department of the
> latter then you should insist on firing the assholes and getting someone
> who can do aproper job of it.
>
Yea, the numbers I have seen tend to show that the PC is the most
expensive machine to support in the world, on a per user basis-about
$3K per year, per PC, in a large company, (not including initial cost
for HW of SW-just maintenence and support costs.) Several studies have
come up with similar numbers.
Now, whether the productivity enhancement is offset by the high
cost-of-ownership for a PC is debatable.
Whether it could be done in a more cost effective manner-like maybe
the Network Computer, (NC,) concept-is debatable, too.
Not surprisingly, IT workers are the largest segment of the workforce,
(surpassing automotive workers this year.)
John
BTW, the cost-per-unit-of-computation numbers are very high for a PC,
too. Most PC's are idle over 95% of the time. Of the time they are
being used, 65% is for word processing, 14% for spread sheets, 12% for
games, (mostly solitaire,) with most of the remaining as a smart
terminal (ie., databases and browsers.) Again, these are numbers for
the industry as a whole, YMMV. The studies were sited in EDUPAGE last
year, and the workforce numbers come from the DOC.
--
John Conover, john@email.johncon.com, http://www.johncon.com/