kudos to SanDisk

After using Windows ReadyBoost, I cannot recommend it:  I did not notice any performance enhancement...
 
I was using ReadyBoost on a SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive.  I decided to cease using ReadyBoost, and use the drive for storage.  I was unable to format the drive (I suspect ReadyBoost may have written to the drive too much:  as with other types of storage, flash drives have limitations as to how many times they can be written to).

I contacted SanDisk for assistance.  We traded a few messages about troubleshooting back and forth.  After not being able to get it to work, I was told to send the drive to them...and they would pay for shipping!  (I had to print the label, and package the drive.)

I always tell people, BEFORE purchasing something, inquire as to the return policy.  I recommend you consider SanDisk for your memory and storage needs:  I was not put through "support-hell"...I gave them the benefit of considering their suggestions, and they trusted I had done reasonable effort to resolve the issue.

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When I plugged the new drive into a Windows XP computer, the U3 software launched...and seemed to be causing my computer to become unresponsive.  I was able to remove the software, but it did not go very smoothly.  I have an identical SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software, and have had no problems with it.

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Microsoft offers free support for Vista SP1 installs

Vista users encountering problems when they upgrade to Service Pack 1 can breathe easier: the company is giving away free support for those installing the service pack.

The transition to the service pack has not been problem-free for many users, some of whom have seen their computers fall into endless reboot cycles and struggled with broken applications after installing the upgrade.

Normally, only Windows Vista users who bought the retail product would be eligible for free support but, for SP1 installation, even users with an original-equipment-manufacturer copy of Vista on their computer can get Microsoft's help, according to the official Vista blog.

"We are offering free-of-charge support to anyone who is having issues installing Windows Vista SP1," Microsoft blogger Brandon Le Blanc said.

Unlimited installation and compatibility support is available at no charge until March 18, 2009, according to the Microsoft Service Pack 1 support site.

There are three options available under the free support plan for U.S. users: e-mail support, which will be answered within one business day; online chat, which has a current waiting time of around 40 minutes; and call, available only for users who have a software-assurance agreement, professional contract, TechNet subscription, or MSDN subscription, or for those who come under the Microsoft Partner Program.

Support will be handled on a case-by-case basis, a Microsoft spokesperson said, and the user will always be advised if costs are involved.

Whether enterprise customers will also receive support without cost will depend on their agreement, the spokesperson added.

Dell announces ProSupport for IT, and good news it is!

"Dell Breaks the Mold of Tradional Support" reads the headline out of Round Rock, Texas, as they announced ProSupport for IT in hopes of "Breaking the mold of tradional, one size fits all, services offerings..." (For the full Dell press release click here.)

As an IT professional whose employer uses Dell workstations, servers and other periphrals almost exclusively (we have a few Mac's, a workroom full of Xerox printers, etc.) it has been a love/hate relationship when it comes to getting Dell Customer Service Representatives (DCSR) to provide what I need and in the time frame I need it.

Either the experience is unbelievably easy and quick or I end up wishing I was chewing broken glass rather than spend another moment with an unresponsive, sub-human being whose singular goal appears to get me to hang up out of frustration. (The later scenerio has become quite rare in the BUSINESS world, but still prevalent in the HOME user enviroment.)

The ProSupport for IT website seems intuitive and rich in content...it is my intent to report my personal experiences in depth as I 'test' the site AND when next I need IT support from Dell.Stay tuned!