Clicks & Notes

26 February 2005

The Mac Mini and Switching from PC to Mac

If I had the extra cash lying around, I’d love to add a Mac Mini to my stable of computers…

TechnologyReview.com - Mac Mini – More Than Meets the Eye

  • suggests numerous ways to make use of a Mac Mini, including:
    • 1: As a Portable Depot for Digital Pictures
    • 7: As a Hardware Firewall for Laptops
    • 8: As a Physical Security System, for controlling security CCTV cameras, coordinating alarms, etc.
    • 13: As an iPod Feeding Station

Computerworld - Mac mini to the max – Part 1 and Part 2

I also have a hunch this will be a godsend to IT departments in mixed environments where Macintoshes and Windows-based PCs have to play well together. Why? Because a lot of companies likely have extra keyboards, monitors and computer mice lying around. And since the Mac mini comes with none of those peripherals, it’s perfect for IT folks eyeing Mac upgrades for older models – or thinking about trying a Mac or two in their corporate environment to see how it might work

Working Smart - I Finally Took the Plunge

  • notes on making the transition from PC to Mac
  • (via Lifehacker)

Update 28 February 2005: Personal Technology (Wall Street Journal) - While Switching to Mac Will Improve Security, It Isn’t for Everybody

In general, the best candidates for a switch to the Mac are those who use their computers overwhelmingly for common, mainstream consumer tasks.

⇒ Filed under:  by jen @ 11:29 pm

Web Application Development Links

Builder.com - Fight over ‘forms’ clouds future of Net applications

  • factions within the W3C are split between supporting XForms and current standards-based HTML forms; meanwhile there are XAML, Flash MX, and XUL to consider

XML.com - The Google Wake-Up Call

WebPasties - Guide to Using XMLHttpRequest (with Baby Steps)

The XMLHttpRequest object is a handy dandy JavaScript object that offers a convenient way for webpages to get information from servers without refreshing themselves.

Update: [JPSPAN] - javascript:xmlhttprequest

  • an extensive list of links to references, tutorials, examples, tools, etc.
  • (via kottke)

Computerworld - Common Web Application Vulnerabilities

  • survey of web application vulnerabilities, and ways to mitigate the risks, including those posed by:
    • authentication
    • session security and session IDs
    • SQL injection vulnerabilities
    • Buffer Overflows
    • cross-site scripting (XSS)
⇒ Filed under:  by jen @ 9:50 pm

The 3-6-3 Rule for Software ROI

Thinking Faster - Software ROI expectations:

  • the 3-6-3 rule provides suggested timelines/guidelines for designing, building, deploying and receiving benefit from software:

    6 months - start to finish, we want to try to limit any software release that we build to 6 months or less. If the development gets longer, we are apt to miss a technology or business window. We need substantial functionality, but not at the risk of bloatware or delayed releases.

    3 months - how long it should take, start to finish, to deploy our enterprise and workgroup productivity and innovation tools… The faster a customer can implement and deploy a meaningful solution, the easier it will be for them to accept and embrace the solution.

    3 months - how long it should take for the software to pay for itself… We want to build software that will provide a meaningful benefit within three months of the completion of the deployment. No one wants to wait for a return on investment on software any more.

⇒ Filed under:  by jen @ 9:20 pm

© Jennifer Vetterli, 2005