..from Tony Wong in Architecture:
A year or so ago a study showed that Windows was the most hacked OS with
Linux a close 2nd and Netware/Mac way at the bottom. Here's a recent
study that has some rather suprising, but expected results.
It just goes to show how security is only as strong as the weakest link.
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/02/20/osxserver/index.php?redirect…
Tony Wong
Growing pains hit Dell's customer service
By John G. Spooner
CNET News.com
February 20, 2004, 4:00 AM PT
Dell continues to win market share and turn out record quarterly
profits, but two recent surveys show that the company has slipped,
when it comes to a more subjective measurement: customer service.
According to two new reports that rate the satisfaction of PC buyers,
Dell's scores have declined in recent months. While statistically,
the results are not catastrophic for a company that prides itself on
offering superior service, it's a potentially troubling trend Dell
executives acknowledge and have taken steps to address.
The March issue of Consumer Reports, which came out last week,
included a survey of 4,100 consumers, who gave Dell 62 points out of
a possible 100 for its support on desktop PCs. Although it still
managed to top competing brands Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, which
scored 54 and 51, respectively, Dell's rating represented a decline
from the magazine's last desktop support survey, published in June
2003, in which it received a 64.
Apple Computer led the pack, with 74 in the recent survey, while
Gateway scored 61. A score of 80 would mean that respondents were
very satisfied, while 60 is described as fairly well satisfied.
Differences of more than four points in the survey were meaningful,
the report said.
While the most recent changes appear incremental, Dell's overall tech
support scores for desktop PCs have dropped substantially since 2001,
said Jeff Fox, senior project editor at Consumer Reports. Dell scored
a rating of 74 in December 2001 and a 65 in September 2002.
Dell's score has "stayed down and hasn't gone back up," Fox said. "We
can't say why...but they haven't solved whatever problem that brought
it down, whether that's increased volume (or) outsourcing. It's
probably a number of different factors."
Consumer Reports' findings are echoed by data from research firm
Technology Business Research (TBR). The Hampton, N.H., firm's
fourth-quarter report on support satisfaction among corporate buyers,
published this week, shows that Dell's satisfaction rating slipped to
80.98, down from 83.4 in the third quarter of 2003.
..complete article at:
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5162141.html
---------------------------
Good Morning,
Please pass the following information to the people in your
department that may benefit from the elearning presentations. Thanks!
Information Services & Technology would like to announce a web-based
learning alternative with over 50 new computer courses to help you
increase your computing knowledge.
Courses include:
Getting Started with your PC, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access,
PowerPoint, Office XP Upgrade), Photoshop, and SAS
You're invited to a MindLeaders presentation, see the benefits for
yourself!
Fort Garry, Wed, Feb 25, 12:05 - 1:00, 160 Dafoe Building
or
Wed, Mar 24, 12:05 - 1:00, 160 Dafoe Building
Bannatyne, Thurs, Feb 26, 12:05 - 1:00, Theatre A BMSB
or
Thurs, Mar 25, 12:05 - 1:00, Theatre C BMSB
For further information please contact:
Maggie Ford, 474-8499, Maggie_Ford(a)umanitoba.ca
Debbie Norman, 474-8125, Debbie_Norman(a)umanitoba.ca
Hi Everyone:
I just received this email message from Apple Canada regarding their up
and coming music roadshow (see message below).
Regards,
Doug
Begin forwarded message:
> Subject: Join The Music Revolution. From the garage to the Grammys.
>
> http://www.apple.com/ca/musicrevolution/
>
> JOIN THE MUSIC REVOLUTION
>
> From your garage to the Grammys.
>
> Apple revolutionized personal computers by creating technology that
> everyone could use and understand. Today this commitment continues
> with innovative, affordable new technology for the aspiring musician
> in all of us. Now virtually anyone can compose, record and release
> their greatest hits. However, the revolution doesn’t stop there.
>
> Professional Music Engineers can rely on Apple innovation to
> supercharge and simplify sound design in ways never thought
> possible.Combine that with the all-in-one ability to shoot, edit and
> produce a music video DVD withiLife ’04...and perhaps a Grammy is
> closer than you think.
>
> Plus some of the biggest names in the music production industry will
> be there to give you the inside track on all the coolest new music
> products including: Antares, eMedia, ILIO, M-Audio, PeachPit Press,
> Spectrasonics, Waves and Yamaha. Come to this free, full day seminar
> and learn how to get an “All Access Pass” to perform,record and create
> digital music on a Mac.
>
> What You Will Learn
>
> - Record audio and MIDI with easy-to-use tools
> - Use real-time effects and loops to enhance your opus
> - Go pro with Logic professional audio software
> - Output surround sound to DVD featured solutions
>
> The seminar will include a showcase of the very latest hardware and
> software from Apple,
> including:
>
> - GarageBand
> - GarageBand Jam Pack
> - Soundtrack
> - Logic Express
> - Logic Pro 6
>
> http://www.apple.com/ca/musicrevolution/
Toronto Convention Centre goes wireless:
..from January 23, 2004 issue of Computer World
In an effort to yield to the demands of conference planners and
participants that are seldom without their laptops and PDAs, the
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) unveiled its new wireless
local area network recently to give its clients and staff increased
functionality. The conference venue chose a routed Internet protocol
architecture, which will allow the MTCC to provide continuous
wireless services to over 1,000 mobile users simultaneously. All on a
single antenna infrastructure, this wireless network will enable th
MTCC to provide its clients with the Internet access and networking
capabilities they need, as well as eventually giving its staff access
to its corporoarate network and wireless portable phone system, the
MTCC said.
--DHS National Cyber Alert System Unveiled
(28/29 January 2004)
The Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division
has launched a National Cyber Alert System, a program that will send
e-mail security alerts of worms and viruses to anyone who chooses to
subscribe. The alerts will be digitally signed to distinguish them from
phony alerts used by attackers to spread malware.
You can subscribe to the "technical alerts" mailing list or the
"less-technical-jargon/home-user alert" mailing list at:
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/signup.html
For more details, please see:
http://www.us-cert.gov/
--------------------------------------
Power Mac G5 (M9031LL/A ) specifications:
Single 1.8 GHz G5 Processor;
512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (8,000 MB Maximum);
160GB Hard Disk Drive, SuperDrive;
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 8X-AGP Video Card;
PCI-X Expansion Slots;
Gigabit Ethernet. and 56K modem.
Limited Offer Price:
$2169.95/ea
To put the pricing into perspective, currently a 1.6GHz Single
Processor G5 Tower is $30.00 _more_ than the promotional priced
system listed above. Also the motherboard in the Power Mac 1.8GHz G5
is superior in speed (133MHz faster), RAM expansion (8000MB, instead
of 4000MB) and faster PCI architecture (PCI-X).
Contact :
Doug Hamilton
Senior Apple Computer Consultant
Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba
474-6196 or 474-7000
http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/
-----------------------------------------------
Police in the Netherlands have arrested 52 people suspected of using the
so-called "Nigerian e-mail scam" to defraud Internet users by sending them
spam e-mails asking for their help in transferring a large sum of money out
of Nigeria or some other troubled country in exchange for a generous
percentage-fee. A task force of 80 officers raided 23 apartments, seizing
computers, fake passports and 50,000 euros ($62,000) in cash. Most of those
arrested were believed to be Nigerian. [Wired.com, 2 Feb 2004, NewsScan
Daily, 2 Feb 2004]
http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,62124,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5
------------------------------------------
--FTC's Launches "Operation Secure Your Server"
(29 January 2004)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other similar entities around
the world are sending e-mail messages to owners of servers, asking them
to check their servers' configurations for open relays or open proxies,
which spammers can exploit to disguise their identities. The e-mail
messages also contain a link to information about fixing these server
vulnerabilities.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,89548,00.htmlhttp://news.com.com/2102-7355_3-5150455.html?tag=st_util_printhttp://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/30/ftc.spam.ap/index.html
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 10:00:27 -0600 (CST)
From: Dianne Cox <cox(a)cc.UManitoba.CA>
To: um-compureps(a)lists.UManitoba.CA
Subject: plea for a mac or two
hi folks
I have a plea from a researcher with little funding for the
loan or low rent of one or two macs for 6-8 months - they
are low tech and have been using an lc520 and a mac2fx until
lately when they are biting the dust. So they'd be happy
with older machines. any offers?
Dianne
---
Dianne_Cox(a)umanitoba.ca /(204)474-9793 Fax:-7920 /Rm 623 Engineering-3
User Services /Academic Computing & Networking (IST) /U of Manitoba
AirPort Extreme Firmware 5.3 is a firmware update for the AirPort
Extreme base station that includes support for the Wi-Fi Protected
Access (WPA) specification.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120305
-------------------------
For iBooks with serial numbers in the range:
UV220XXXXXX to UV318XXXXXX
exhibiting the following symptoms:
Scrambled or distorted video
* Appearance of unexpected lines on the screen
* Intermittent video image
* Video freeze
* Computer starts up to blank screen
The iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program covers repair or
replacement of the logic board in specific iBook models manufactured
between May 2002 and April 2003 that are experiencing specific
component failures affecting built-in and attached external
displays.
http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq
-----------------------
Security Update 2004-01-26 includes the following updated
components: Apache 2, Classic, MailSafari, Windows File Sharing, AFP
Server, ASN.1 Decoding for PKI, cd9660.util, Directory Services,
fetchmail, fs_usage, rsync, and System Initialization.
For 10.2.8 Server
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120304
For 10.2.8 Client
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120302
For 10.3.2 Client
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120301
For 10.3.2 Server
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120300
For 10.1.5 Client and Server
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120303
------------------------------
Sanitizing Mail on Panther Server
With Mac OS X Server v10.3 Panther, Apple replaced Apple Mail Server
with the Postfix and Cyrus software packages. Because of the
versatility of the Postfix mail package, it's possible to use common
UNIX and open source tools to perform various tasks with your mail.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/01/27/sanitize_mail.html
-------------------------------
Mac OS X - Panther for Developers
Project:Omega is pleased to announce that the book titled, "Mac OS X
- Panther for Developers", is now available as a free 5.4MB PDF
downloadable file.
http://www.projectomega.org/article.php?lg=en&php=devpanther
--------------------------------
Trolltech is running a Qt/Mac development contest that will award
prizes to the developers who submit the best original and ported Qt
application submitted on or before Friday, May 7. (Qt is a
multiplatform, C++ application framework that lets developers write
an application once, which will run natively on Mac OS X, as well as
on Windows, LINUX/UNIX, and embedded Linux with a simple recompile.)
The contest categories are Best Original Free Qt Application, Best
Ported Free Qt Application, and Best Original Commercial Qt
Application. Trolltech will award the winner and runner-up of each
contest category with iPods. The overall contest winner will receive
a Power Mac G5. Winners will be announced during WWDC 2004.
http://www.trolltech.com/qtmaccontest
-------------------------------