Back to a Windows shop

[digitalcitizenx]

I will be working in a Windows only shop this next week filling in for a vacationing manager.

There is no Unix, Linux or Mac anywhere in this place. I just hope the team and system behaves itself while I am there.

I suppose I could get good at solitaire again.

I start a permanent job the 26th and can't wait to get there.

Actually this one week job will accomplish two objectives. I will be working for a customer of my permanent job so I will gain a unique insight into the operations of the customer especially as it relates to the company I am going to work for.

None of the support personnel from the permanent position know I will work for this one customer for a week and I can get a little head start on what I will need to change, if anything, on my new company's way of dealing with this particular customer.

I am also in a very unique position in that I am very good friends with the owners of both businesses. I think this could be a dream job come true for me.

[Megaptera]

I hope it goes well for you, good to read good news!

[Bapun007]

Best of luck for ur new job .

[Michael Dorais]

Congratulations on your new job! I think the job is something to be thankful for in spite of them using your less-than-favorite operating system (I presume).

I have worked professionally with Microsoft DOS and Windows for most of my career as a software engineer (about 20 years). It pays the bills. However, I use Linux (Ubuntu 8.04) exclusively for my personal computing at home now though. But even on that platform I am able to stay connected with Windows related work important for my job. I run Windows on my VMWare hosted on Linux and connect to my Windows computers at work through Terminal Server client. The free (though not open-source) VMWare Server works for me because my company standardized on VMWare for its development and testing workstations. I am able to take the VMWare virtual machine image from work that uses a company site-license of Windows and run an instance of it at home for company work and company-related research and learning. It works just fine. Of course Virtual Box and Xen, which are open-source I believe, are options if you want to run Windows on your Linux box at home (that I'm presuming you have).

Also at home the rest of the family prefers Windows for their laptops, but we all inter-operate well sharing a Linux Ubuntu Server running Samba, and a Linux-friendly HP network printer.

Best of luck!

[kamaboko]

I know a number of IT and software developers in the defense industry as well as private sector. All of them are exceptionally talented too, otherwise they wouldn't be where they're at. I can tell you that "none" of them take sides on OS's. They want to be experts in all the OS's they must work with, and see clear benefits and drawbacks with all of them. They pride themselves on interconnectivity and creating solutions. A suggestion for you...dump the "us vs. them" attitude and make it a point to be an expert in all things Windows while you're there. If you think you are already, you're not. I have friends at NASA who have been working with Windows for years and could talk your ear of with minutia you'd only find in whitepapers, but are still learning.

[ST3ALTHPSYCH0]

A suggestion for you...dump the "us vs. them" attitude and make it a point to be an expert in all things Windows while you're there.


Best. Quote. Ever.
More people need to take this attitude.

[murderslastcrow]

I agree- knowing multiple platforms well, rather than insisting merely on knowing best only the obvious one, is to be short-sighted. If most people use Windows, and Windows has problems you can get paid to fix, and they're too afraid or stubborn to try something else, why not make money off of that?

You see, I'd be fine with that ideology if there were just one more element included- their actual knowledge that there IS something else that won't cost them a dime, rather than a Mac being the only way out.

But yes, good luck, I hope your new opportunity falls into place and you enjoy your work there.