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Joe Craig
Ellicott City, MD
StockCentral Administrator
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| 08/02/2007 12:03 PM |
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InvestEd is computer-intensive.
We have a Computer Lab and we also have computers in each of the seminar rooms. All of these computers have to be configured and have software installed.
Keeping the cost of InvestEd under control has led us to an interesting strategy for the computers. We purchase new notebook computers for the event, use them for several days, and sell the computers at the end. The terms of our purchase allow us to transfer the new computer warranty to the purchaser. So, people who buy the InvestEd computers get a really good deal on a "barely used" computer. [If you are interested in one of the computers, we have a few left and the purchase details are available at the InvestEd 2007 website.]
InvestEd is a team effort, so getting the computers, configuring them, and selling them is a team effort.
Jerry Addleman has handled purchase and resale of the computers. Jerry established the specifications for the computers, negotiated with Dell for a really good deal, and got the computers purchased. Jerry is also handling the resale of the computers, and shipping them to purchasers at the end of the event.
We purchased 19 computers. Two of them were delivered to Randy Wilkes, and the rest were sent to Pam Wright, because she lives close to the site of InvestEd 2007. Randy's job was to configure a "master computer" with all of the software that we need. Randy put together a list of software, got copies, installed, and verified that everything was running. Then, he sent the two computers to me for a dry run of cloning the single master computer onto the other 18.
This year's computers run Microsoft's new operating system, Vista. It turns out that Vista includes some great tools for "deployment." I was able to take the master computer that Randy configured, and then make an "image" of the C drive. I'll bring that image with me to Costa Mesa, and use another tool to install the image onto the C drive of the other computers.
At the end of the event, we'll gather in the Computer Lab with all of the computers, reboot them and type in the special code to reset each computer to its factory configuration. Then, we can box them up and send them to their new owners! |
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Joe |
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