Lab Notes
We take it back. Recently GCN Lab director Michael Cheek lauded Gateway Inc. for its 5-pound Solo 3150 Fireant notebook with integrated network adapter and modem. He gave the powerful, lightweight portable a grade of A- [GCN, July 12, Page 1].
Under the gun? Achieve 2000 readiness for PCs in a hurry with the GCN Lab's 12-step program
The GCN Lab cannot tell you how to stop the clock from striking midnight 95 days from now, but we do know a bit about PC year 2000 readiness.
Apps come to procrastinators' rescue
When the calendar flips over to 2000, you don't want your office computers to flip out. Many agency offices have already completed remediation for their PCs.
Letters to the Editor
I was disappointed to read your editorial 'Bliley bats .500,' about legislation to prevent the threat to national security that would result from Internet publication of chemical worst-case scenario information collected by the Environmental Protection Agency [GCN, Aug. 23, Page 24]. The editorial contained several inaccuracies and neglected to mention the widespread support for this bipartisan measure, which President Clinton signed into law Aug. 5.
THE BELTWAY AND BEYOND
In government procurement circles, being placed under investigation is a disaster. Government officials or contractors subject to investigations almost always suffer damage to their reputations, even if the investigation does not lead to the filing of charges.
The View From Inside
Now that Vice President Gore is busy on the campaign trail, perhaps we can sneak a peek at the track record of his National Partnership for Reinventing Government proposals for federal information technology. Originally called the National Performance Review, the still-acronymed NPR was modeled after Texas' performance program.
Editorial
If anyone is in the hot seat these days, it's John Carlin, the nation's archivist.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There might be no debate about whether a businessperson's desktop unit molds his or her private choices. In case there is, I want to weigh in on the side of the argument that it does.
ONLINE BUYING
I need a new PC. My old 233-MHz workhorse is showing signs of age, having been banged about from multiple moves, too much tinkering from its owner and, more recently, the ravages of a humid climate.''
Adopt best-of-breed methodology for enterprise automation
Policy changes at the General Services Administration and the Sept. 30 expiration of the Financial Management Systems Software Schedule give rise to a new approach to enterprise financial management software procurement. Along with it has come a debate over which approach to enterprise automation is best for government'enterprise resource planning or best-of-breed.
Click and Buy
No procurement software? No problem.
Free Stuff
Hot topic. Love it, hate it or just tolerate it, the Java programming language is here to stay on the Internet. Programmers who are serious about developing Net applications need to learn it, and they need to keep up-to-date as new tools become available.
When NICs get together in traffic, they can act like a virtual LAN
One of the ways server network interface cards maximize throughput is with a software feature called load balancing.
Server NICS go Gigabit
Call it the data deluge.
Low-cost kits for RAID servers take pain out of doing it yourself
Several manufacturers, including ATTO Technology Inc. and Promise Technology Inc., have developed prepackaged RAID kits for PCs and Macs that come with one or two controllers, cabling, and associated setup and configuration software.
An NT function lets you partition hard drives in segments for RAID
The trade-offs between the hardware and software approaches to RAID often come down to balancing the performance you need against the money you can afford to pay.
DO-IT-YOURSELF RAID
The beauty of redundant arrays of independent disks is that they can be scaled as high or as low as you want. Need a few hundred gigabytes of storage? Buy a single external RAID module from a vendor's product line. Want more? String together several modules with high-capacity drives for terabytes of storage.
Multifaceted ArmadaStation II docking station is pricey at $799
With a name that evokes images of the 'Star Wars' galactic empire or 15th century Spanish warships, Compaq's ArmadaStation II promises to be an overwhelming force, and it does not disappoint.
GOING PLACES
Most notebook computer reviews make little more than passing mention of docking stations and port replicators, the optional devices that provide a permanent desktop connection for mobile PCs. But a clear understanding of docking products can help government information technology managers save money, improve convenience for users and allocate resources with greater flexibility.
Five answers will lead you to the best scanner for your department
Here are five questions, taken from a Hewlett-Packard Co. white paper, to keep in mind when choosing the scanner that best meets your needs:
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