[lit-ideas] I need advice/input...

Okay, guys.  I need some input.

It be that time again ....meaning time to stop trying to upgrade hardware
and break down and purchase yet  another new computer.

Actually 2 new computers -- one for home and one for a business.

Essentially  laptop vs. desktop is the central issue.

List members I know have some similar general situations in terms of work
space (home to office, file sharing, etc.) to what I'm encountering and I'd
love to know what works best for you, warnings from your bad experiences,
notices of your good forays through the swamp of technology.

I've been doing a couple-month stint as Interim Administrator/Consultant for
the local Synagogue. The previous Administrator had been in place for 11
years.  She was not as technologically aware as a business office needs one
to be these days.  She purchased a new computer for the office 4 years ago.
It has 248 MB RAM.  Yup, you read that right.  the MS Office software
installed is Office 97.

I have persuaded the Board that a new computer with 1 or 2 GB of RAM and an
installation of Office 2007 is, well, IMPERATIVE.

For $500 or so I could get a desktop for the office that would have adequate
spec's for their needs.

At home, I've been monkeying around with my computer access.  I finally gave
in and cut land-lines (the local phone company is just untenable at this
point -- I'm sure Southwest Bell, CenturyTel, etc. are rapidly going the way
of the dinosaurs -- the TMobile ad that's been running on TV is kinda
interesting).  Right now I'm using a wireless configuration on an old,
inadequate laptop, and a Motorola Moto Q smart-phone (which I'm borderline
in love with),running Windows Mobile.  I use gmail (and attendant branches
such as google docs, etc.), and try to utilize web-based app's as much as
possible.

I'm likely going to be doing part-time Consulting for the Shul for sometime,
but prefer to do as much of it remotely as possible.  The Shul's e-mail is
also web-based, which helps.

Here's what I keep running up against when I'm choosing new computers for
the Shul, and for myself personally.

Laptops which are available now have (as far as I can determine from
advertised spec's) equivalent capabilities to desktops (which I'm thinking
are going to go the way of mainframes).  Question:  what pragmatic
advantages are there to using a desktop rather than a laptop?  I am fairly
certain I'm going to go the way of the laptop for my personal use -- a new
one using the same wireless configuration.  I can't, off-hand, think of any
drawbacks -- on the other hand, I'm labouring under sleep deprivation and
lack of experience with utilizing a laptop exclusively.

Security issues are the only things I can think of that would be issues at
the Shul office re. laptop vs. desktop.  I'm inclined to go w/ desktop.  Are
there any good reasons to choose a laptop over a desktop???

I can access much of what I need to of office files from my laptop.  Flash
drives and web app's help a good deal (e.g., folks attach Word documents
created in current versions to e-mails which they send to the office.  The
MS Office 97 installed will not read them, but if I open them as a Google
Document and it works beautifully).  How long is it going to be until
packages like MS Office are a thing of the past?  The cost of Office 2007
isn't horrid -- $500 roughly -- but if there's a web-based alternative it
would be pretty cool.  One thing that is in pretty constant demand in the
office is desk-top publishing.  I'm leaning strongly toward Office 2007
simply because our website will export its calender to Outlook, allowing
access to the Administrator, Secretary, and Rabbi for appointment setting,
etc.  I haven't used MS Publisher -- the thing is set up to use PageMaker,
but I've heard good things about Publisher.  I thinKkI'd like to move stuff
like newsletters to publisher, as it could integrate data with Outlook
(calendering, e.g)  The current set-up at the Shul is horribly splintered --
data like event information, calendering, congregation database info, etc.
are all in different "places" and there is a monstrous problem with double,
triple data-entry.  File sharing and integrating data in a way which is
accessible for all the various purposes (the same data should be available
to the e-mail setup, the desktop publishing, the
reminders/alerts/calendering, etc.) is my goal.  Seamless integration rocks.

I'm kinda free-floating ideas here, cuz my experience with this list tells
me someone is going to mention options and issues I haven't thought of <g>.

All of a sudden I'm in a Cheers mood ....."where everybody knows your
name...."  Ah...cyber communities are lovely.

Julie Krueger

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