Blog Posts

The Continual Rise of the SSD

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Just over a year ago I wrote how Solid State Drives (SSD) were soaring in popularity. At that time we offered a number of SSD models from Intel. But due to production constraints, we were on the verge of adding a few Samsung SSDs to the mix. Around this same time we began fielding a number of requests for Samsung SSDs.

Once considered a luxury item, SSDs have moved into the mainstream within the past two years. Our customers tend to be tech savvy and performance demanding to the core. So I wasn’t surprised to find widescale adoption of SSDs as I dove into the sales data.

VMware User Group Conference

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I spent yesterday attending the Seattle stop of the VMware User Group (VMUG) Conference. It was a totally worthwhile event for catching up with all that is going on in the VMware world. If you didn’t already know Puget Systems has been a VMware Partner for quite some time now, we even use a number of their products to run Puget Systems.

Traffic: Puget Systems vs. Netmarketshare

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We thought it would be fun to compare a few of the statistics gathered by Netmarketshare to those we track through Google Analytics for visitors to Puget Systems.

According to Netmarketshare, they are the standard in tracking technology usage market share. They have been collecting and analysing data since 1999 and, while not without controversy, are highly regarded in their approach to ranking the most popular operating systems and web browsers.

My first few weeks with Linux

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I posted a few weeks ago regarding my move to Linux. I received some great feedback from our readers, and encouragement to continue posting about my experiences. If there is something specific about the Linux experience you would like me to discuss, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Hopefully, you will find these posts helpful.

Two weeks have passed since I walked away from Windows and a couple of things have really struck me in that time.

What Our Customers Have to Say About Windows 8

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Windows 8 has been out for about a year and a half now, and it is common knowledge that Microsoft’s newest operating system has received mixed reactions. The new start screen (I still have to stop myself from calling it Metro!) is a jolting departure from the user interface that Windows users have been accustomed to using since 1995. One unique thing we do here at Puget Systems, is we reach out to nearly all of our customers after they have had a chance to use their new PC. We ask them how it is working for them, and what we could have done better. We learn a LOT. So, what do our customers have to say about Windows 8, and what is Puget Systems doing to respond?

New Apple Mac Pro vs Genesis Workstation PC

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By now, most folks have seen Apple’s updated Mac Pro – or as I like to call it, the trash can. I kid, I kid! In all seriousness, though, we are often asked how our workstations – like the Genesis line – compare to the hardware Apple has put in the new, miniature Mac Pro. Read on to find out…

Windows to Linux

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This weekend I did something I never thought I would do: I moved away from Windows.

I ran Windows 7 on a Traverse laptop since I came to work here almost 18 months ago, and personally since I was a kid, starting with Win 3.1x.

After all that time amd experience I can’t take it anymore. I have jumped ship and I am not coming back. This weekend I wiped my Windows install and loaded Ubuntu 12.04 LTS onto my primary drive. Physically, installing the new OS was easy; only after installing the OS did I realize there was a psychological effect I had not really counted on.

Focus Pocus

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I recently attended an industry event with speakers representing a number of the largest technology companies in the world. An executive from Lenovo kicked off the event with a presentation that explained how their future was dependent on how well they could sell smartphones. I don’t doubt his sincerity because a few weeks later Google off-loaded their Motorola handset business to Lenovo for a few billion and pocket change.

Not long after this event Lenovo purchased IBM’s server business to take on Dell and HP which have expressed varying degrees of interest selling PCs over the past few years.

Depending on the week, HP is either “all in” on smartphones or leaving them behind to focus on something new and exciting. It’s getting nearly impossible to say who is selling what anymore. Many of the traditional PC companies appear to be selling everything except PCs!

Which brings me to the point of this post: Focus is difficult.

Like a Spoiler on a Honda Civic

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On my way in to work today, I was passed by a small blue Honda Civic. It raced and weaved through traffic, sporting a bolt-on spoiler, and an exhaut pipe that made it sound more like a go-cart than a legitimate driving machine. I allowed myself my moment of sarcstic thoughts. “Really? Your Honda Civic gets around with such great velocity that you need a spoiler to keep your rear axle firmly planted??” Maybe I’m just getting old, but I looked at that vehicle and I didn’t see the style and power the installer may have intended. I saw immaturity and insecurity. This driver self-identified with performance and power. He didn’t have the right tool for the job, so he bolted on the parts.

Surviving CES

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Attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas reminds me of the years my grandfather took me to see the Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey Circus as a young boy. There was so much going on that it was difficult to concentrate on one display. It was also loud and crowded and occasionally didn’t smell quite right. But every now and then I saw something magical that I couldn’t wait to tell my friends about.