1. Apple Stores! Isn’t it so neat that someone can walk into a store, experiment with the products, have workers who are very familiar with the products, and – if you decide to – you can buy a device right then and there.

2. Apples have a “cool” factor that is tough (though perhaps not impossible) to match. And many Apple users know how cool it is.

My wife phoned me immediately after last week’s newsletter, about Apple computers not having touchscreens, and announced, “You were way too harsh about Apple this time!”
“But Honey,” I explained, “We get the most responses on the blogs when I’m controversial about Apple.” She replied, “There is a difference between being controversial and adversarial!”

As usual, she is right. My wife said to tell you about her Apple Tattoo. That was a surprise to me too.

I do enjoy Apple, own and use two MacBook Airs that are a big part of every week for work. On the road, I carry two Airs and one Surface. I do use the Surface the most but don’t make up your mind until you’ve tried them both.

Bottom line: I respect Apple and enjoy their products. In fact, in many cases working with top level executives, I recommend to them the Apple (especially the Air) after finding out what their wants and needs are. Some dearest friends, and my lovely wife, are total Mac people too.

3. Apple’s “No-questions asked” 14 day return policy. Where else can you go buy a piece of hardware that you can use, including reloading the operating system with a new one such as Windows, connect every peripheral imaginable to test compatibility, and then can return it if it doesn’t suit your needs? After 14 productive days, you are likely to ask yourself how you ever lived without it. Or not. Isn’t it great for you to be able to find out?

4. Apple is a leader in the marketplace. Not just by selling so much hardware, but in the past, they’ve been “first to market” with features that none of their competitors had even thought of yet. Often, Apple defines the cutting edge. Though there is controversy, many Apple fans will tell you how the Macintosh was the first computer to even have a mouse – and then everyone else copied Apple.

5. Apple products actually work when you get them out of the box. Even “first releases.” Thank goodness, users of Windows products can now enjoy the same experience, but Apple was the first. Apple has the longest running record. Having confidence in the products you purchase is a huge buying factor for most people.

Keep an eye out: Next week will be the 5 more of 10 things to love about Apple.

The post 5 Things to Love about Apple appeared first on Foster Institute.

Is your IT department busy? Of course they are.

Do you want your IT professionals to focus on the most important tasks? Of course you do.

And the IT Engineers at Microsoft are swamped too. They have to choose where they will devote their best talents, their money, and their resources – and Microsoft is funneling their efforts into Windows 8.1. Not Windows 7.

Do you want to be a step ahead of your competition? You have to take risks. And guess what, this isn’t a real risk – it is a perceived risk.

Let your competitors wimp out. Now is your chance to move ahead! Start testing Windows 8.1 today.

If you choose to upgrade to Windows 7, and not Windows 8.1, you are making a real mistake. Stay tuned for more next week. We’ll handle the objections then.

Driving my 6 year old son to school the day after Halloween, he told me that some kids in the class got into trouble because they used blue and pink crayons to color a picture of a pumpkin. The teacher made those kids redo their pictures. My son was proud because he “colored it right the first time!” How dare that teacher. Since then, and for the rest of his life, I’m going to urge him to be different. Most successful people are. His only restriction is to be nice to others. As long as he isn’t hurting anyone, it is essential for him to “get out of the box!”

My intent is to stir up some anxiety and influence you to “get out of the box!”

The post Do NOT Upgrade to Windows 7! appeared first on Foster Institute.

These days, without IT, your organization may come to a grinding halt.

Have this realization engrained upon your brain as you make the right decisions that relate to IT.

The post Has Technology Infiltrated Your Core Business? appeared first on Foster Institute.

Technology moves ahead very quickly anyway. Some of your hardware may not support some systems you need to support now without expensive upgrades anyway.

A technology called server virtualization can allow you to migrate servers off of ancient hardware onto new hardware that you already own. That means you may be able to retire old hardware without purchasing any new hardware.

When you are budgeting, remember that an IT Vital Systems Reviews from a qualified independent third party should never come out of the IT budget. Allow IT to spend their budget on products and services to keep your systems up and running. IT Vital Systems Reviews are an investment akin to “insurance against having problems in the future” than an expense.

If your physical servers are old, replace them. If you aren’t using server virtualization, consider moving to that technology since you will have fewer servers to be concerned about upgrading in the future.

The post Yep, Replace Those Ancient Servers appeared first on Foster Institute.

As with any service that is based in the cloud, the service providers have the opportunity to fine tune, upgrade, and repair said services.

Here is an entertaining, short, four-minute film of what might happen if Siri takes her intelligence too far: www.flixxy.com/psycho-siri-short-film.htm

Keep an eye on the new offerings that allow interpretations of voice inflection, such as an angry or happy voice, recognition of facial expressions, and other ways computers will become more “human”. Service providers literally have the opportunity to improve the intelligence every minute of every day.

Please post your comments on this blog.

The post Why Siri is Such a Big Deal–Are You Serious? appeared first on Foster Institute.

In fact, because I arrived early for a meeting and have time, I’m typing this blog entry using the sleek Apple Bluetooth keyboard connected to my iPad. I often find that I use my iPad more than a computer on any given day.

Besides e-mail, I also use OmniFocus extensively. OmniFocus allows a listing of “to do” items based on your whereabouts. This allows me to accomplish ordered tasks in places with the following situations:

• No phone or Internet connection
• No Internet access, but I have phone access
• My laptop’s 4G card has a signal
• Using Wi-Fi or standard Ethernet connection
• I am using a lighting fast fiber connection

My effectiveness skyrocketed with this tool.

As many of you know, I frequently travel five days a week and notes in Evernote track all the reservation details and confirmation numbers for ten flights, four hotels, four rental cars, and the time and address of all the locations I need to visit.

Even though Kindle is an Amazon tool, the Kindle app allows me to carry many technical books without the weight and size of the printed versions.

The travel apps for airlines are very helpful too—especially for people who travel frequently.

The instant-on feature, small size, and ability to easily connect a “real” keyboard are some of the most valuable features to me.

I never see my slate device as replacing my Windows machines; however it is a nice compliment. Of course, if and when all services move to the cloud, then slates may be tools that practically eliminate the need for a laptop.

How do you feel about the iPad or other slate devices? What are the applications you use the most?

Please post your comments on this blog.

The post Why chief executives get an iPad or another slate device appeared first on Foster Institute.