Users are users - everywhere

Am talking about computer users. Computers users in Dubai, Nairobi, London, Kampala or Los Angeles have one thing in common - they call the computer guy when they are at their wits end. They also tend to pile all their computing problems on the computer guy. Users look at the computer guy and see strange things.

Recently, i embarked on revamping a choking small network of about fifty mixed static and dynamic users largely depending on a SAAS infrastructure. After about two weeks of traffic sampling and random tests, i proposed a couple of changes on the Internet provider's interface. That got done. For the first time, the online speed tests reported the right bandwidth for the network.

Going forward, i got approval for more changes on the internal network. But as in any transition, a few things get in the way and you get a glitch here and there. At times like these, users who have no clue what you are doing come up with crazy suggestions - to help you - or, to help the company. They suggest restarting the router. They suggest (behind your back) getting someone else who knows what he is doing.

As usual, i fixed the problems. Just another network. Done.

When users call me and say: "my computer is not working", i switch from normal hearing mode to selective hearing mode. That way, i start with a problem and end with a solution. That trick works all the time.

~/`~/`.

Android beats iOS

Just a few months since the demise of Steve Jobs, a hot debate has been ignited by the other Steve. I read on technobuffalo.com that Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, aired his thoughts on Android and iOS, admitting that Android has surpassed the iPhone’s functionality in many ways. In fact, there’s one feature in particular Wozniak likes on Android that would have certainly left Jobs fuming: voice commands. Woz said that Android’s voice command capabilities are handled much better, revealing “I have a lower success rate with Siri than I do with the voice built into the Android.”

Jobs candidly admitted his passionate hatred toward Android and went as far as vowing to destroy the OS “because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go to thermonuclear war on this.” Woz has taken a more level-headed approach, saying both OSs have their pros and cons.

Woz said that his primary phone is the iPhone because of its beauty, "but I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do.” In addition to Woz’s voice functionality complaint, the man believes Android has a huge advantage with its navigation capabilities. He also opined that Android gets a bad rap in the user-friendliness department, “If you’re willing to do the work to understand it a little but, well I hate to say it, but there’s more available in some ways.”

So what Android phone does Wozniak prefer? Even with access to Google’s latest and greatest, Wozniak likes the Droid Razr. Still, Woz believes the iPhone is the best overall smartphone, a device he highly recommends to folks looking to get into the smartphone market. ”The iPhone is the least frightening thing. For that kind of person who is scared of complexity, well, here’s a phone that is simple to use and does what you need it to do.”

These comments are what makes Wozniak such a cool guy. 

The man respects both sides of the coin, and in the case of smartphone OSs, doesn’t resort to bashing. Instead, Woz’s comments reveal his inner geekness and love for tech, merely pointing out that both Android and iOS have their good points as well as bad.

Having gone through the above, i remembered that the geek in me had voiced similar sentiments before the geek in Woz did - not that am at his level. No.

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