Because users are often unpredictable, admins like to restrict how much control and access they have on their devices. However, when deploying a new set of devices, the significant question of “How much control or freedom should we give the users?” doesn’t seem to get enough consideration. For some network administrators, and for some end users, this question may seem to have a simple answer, but once you’re considering hundreds of different devices, and/or hundreds of different users, it becomes a big, complex conundrum. It is a matter of serious consequence for your system and network security, as well as device usability and user satisfaction.
ipad
All posts tagged ipad

A friendly pair of machines
So, this week was the last week of my traineeship. It’s all over now. This year really has been such a good experience, in so many ways. Not only did I get to try out working in IT, but I got practical experience in a range of areas, I got a qualification to go with it, and I had a generally good time doing it. I’m really happy that I did it and proud that I got through the Cert 3, and I think what I’ve learnt this year will serve me well going into the future.
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So, for most of this year, I’ve had an iPad on loan from the House, so that I could share in the iPad experience, and better support them. Now that the year, and my traineeship, is nearly over, I have to hand it back and I’m left with a few questions: Was the iPad actually any good? Did I actually use it? Am I going to miss it? Do I want to buy one, now that I’m not going to have this one anymore? Continue Reading
So, a while back, an employee came into IT Support with two external hard drives because they needed help copying some data across. She started telling us that she wanted this and that “copied onto Betsy,” and she needed “Oscar reformatted to work with Mac”. After a few moments, we realised that she was referring to her hard drives by name, as if they were people. Mr Chief and the Professor both thought it was quite strange and funny, but I kind of thought it was totally reasonable. And this got me thinking about what people name their devices and why. Continue Reading
So, you haven’t heard anything about what’s been going on at the house in a while, so I’ve got a few short tales to tell you. Continue Reading
So, the week before last Apple released its new iPhone, along with an update to its IOS operating system. On the same day, Mr Chief finally, after months of trial and error, worked out how to get Apple Push Notifications to work from within the House’s network. And now, I’m going to give you the information he would have loved to have had at the start of all this trouble. Continue Reading
So, the title of this post isn’t exactly accurate, but it does tell some of the truth and I can see it’s drawn you in. I don’t have a fool-proof way of causing an iPad to crash. This is more of a list of problems that I’ve encountered with iPads over the last 4 or so months, including a few things that can cause them to crash.
When Mr Chief spoke at the meeting when the iPads were first given out, one of the things that he emphasised is that “you can’t break the iPad’s software.” He said this in the hope of encouraging those who are unsure about how to do things to have a go, and see if they can work it out for themselves rather than bug us about it or complain that it doesn’t work. Despite his good intentions, he’s not entirely accurate. iPads are like any other device; they’re not perfect.
So, it’s been a while since I told you about what’s been going on at the House (my codename for my employer). There’s been lot’s happening, so I’ve written about as much as I could below. Continue Reading
So, recently the House asked us, the IT guys, to set up a standalone wireless network in a new building. The catch was this building is solid brick all the way though, and is quite long and narrow. This meant that the wireless needed to be quite powerful, with a good range to work across the whole building so people could roam with their devices without losing their connection. Not so easy.
So, I’ve been working at the House (my codename for my employer) for a bit over a month now, and I’m finally getting into the routine of it all. Continue Reading