oneafrikan.com

_ Open Resource | InfoWorld | The Windows Idiot Tax | November 22, 2005 10:14 PM | By Dave Rosenberg

The Windows Idiot Tax: For those who still believe that running Windows instead of Linux is cheaper or more cost effective let me give you a real world scenario I discovered today.

Windows:
Server hardware 2 x $1250 = $2500
Windows Licenses 2 x $700 =$1400
User Cals 3 x $30 = $90
SQL Server 2000 Standard 1-cpu $1850
Windows TOTAL= $4840

Linux:
Server hardware 2 x $1250 = $2500
RedHat download = free
MySQL = free (non commercial use)
Linux TOTAL=$2500

My real world example was when I first started out - it’s cheaper to get hold of tools to develop on, and it’s cheaper to set up the infrastructure… and in my experience to date, there seems to be this overwhelming mentality that anything except MSFT stuff is crap, unstable, unscalable and not worth lookng at.

I say ignorance is bliss…

Update:
I’ve just emailed a client regards a new db server and costs thereof, and their response was “Surely it’s only the machine we have to buy?”…. Nope, you gotta buy the machine first, then Windows license, then db license, and then you gotta factor in scaling to that as well.

The problem, as I see it, is that most people don’t really absolutely _NEED_ MS SQL server. In fact, they wouldn’t necessarily know or care about the difference if you asked them, as long as it worked. All they _NEED_ is a relational database… and there are other options out there to achieve the same thing…

I’ve been watching in anticipation as Ryan Carson has been getting DropSend ready to go live. It’s been a long and interesting road for Ryan, not without it’s challenges, so to finally be able to talk about it is exciting for me, and I’m sure super exciting for him and Gill. And I can honestly say that I think he’s hit the nail on the head. Squarely.

What is it?
DropSend allows you to store and send files, easily, and online. It’s that simple, and I think it does it well.
From the horses mouth:

• Send photos, movies or music to family and friends
• Back-up important files
• Get those large illustration files to clients
• Transfer files from home to work, or vice versa

I think there are many applications for many industries, and I’m sure that there are many intrepid individuals that are going to like this - think large databases, architectural files, pdf’s and of course CD images. With up to 25GB of space for $19 a month, with unlimited sends, there’s plenty to play with.

At the moment I’m sending a large 58.8MB file to a developer friend in South Africa - something I’d never be able to do via email, and certainly not without my own FTP server (which is how I would normally do it) - using the desktop application DropSend offers for Windows. It worked first time logging me in, and at 22MB so far, I think it’s safe to say that it’ll all be fine.

The web app itself is clean and simple to get around, with little or no useability issues that I can see. I really think my Dad would be able to use it, but am not sure about my Mom (sorry Mom!). I’m certain any of my more tech savvy friends will find it a snap too. All the standard stuff is there to manage your account, and if you need to upgrade, then it’s pretty easy to do that too. There’s also a Gifts section, where you can download some pretty neat stuff direct from DropSend - nice touch there, and knowing Ryan I think it will always be chock full of stuff that is cool now. The desktop app for me is the killer ‘tho, ‘cos it means that I don’t have to visit the site to upload if I don’t want to, but can access my files from anywhere when I need to. It’s super easy to use, and shows you a status bar as things progress.

Well, I’ve just been told the 58.8MB file has been uploaded successfully, I can see it’s on DropSend server, and I need to go to bed Thanks for the awesome app Ryan!

If you need to store / send / share large files with anyone, and they have web access and an email address, then I suggest giving it a try - It’s free to do so, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Update: I’ve just sent another mate in London the same file using the web app…

web 2.0, web apps, file sharing, file sending, dropsend, drop send, ryan carson, carson systems, web startup

_ Fireblog » Blog Archive » £38,000 is the average annual cost to pitch if you’re a UK design agency

There are an estimated 4500 commercial design agencies in the UK - 56% of which employ less than 5. The research results demonstrate that an average £171 million is spent annually on free pitching for a sector that recorded a fee income of just over £4billion in 2004/5. The research also showed that 26% of all free pitches/tenders are not awarded due to ‘change of marketing direction or lack of budget on the part of the client.

There’s an interesting thread running on the cost of pitching for design agencies in the UK, with some real research done to back up the gut feel.

Personally it irks me that someone (who is supposed to be in business too) can expect to get time for free, for a pitch from any agency. It just doesn’t make sense. Some people call it a cost of doing business, and others write it off as a necessary expense in a crowded, commodotised market. This all may be true depending on where you sit, but I think it’s done because people let it happen. I mean, if you call out a plumber to have a look at your plumbing, you pay a call out fee.

Anyways, what do you think - necessary cost of business, or irritating expense?

design, agency pitch

_ Scoble talks about why web people don’t like Microsoft:.

As I’ve been going around the world I’ve been meeting with many people who’ve built their companies on non-Microsoft stuff. Some of whom have companies worth billions of dollars now. Some of whom you’ve never heard about unless you read TechCrunch. Here’s 12 reasons Web 2.0 entrepreneurs like Ross tell me that they aren’t using Microsoft’s stuff

Pretty interesting, with a vibrant discussion around the why’s and why nots…
All started by ross Mayfield’s post about Microsoft turning on a dime.

What platform would you use if you were building a web app now?

microsoft, web 2.0, open source

_ INDUSTORIOUS CLOCK ||| MONO*CRAFTS

Pretty cool eh?

;-)

_ ColorQuiz.com - The free five minute personality test!

Just done the ColorQuiz test on a whim, and got some results that are different to the ones I got a few years back…. interesting stuff.
Have you taken the ColorQuiz?

colorquiz