The Spiceworks community is absolutely amazing. Top-notch, dedicated people all helping each other out. I really enjoy participating in the community. The browser-based interface actually has a button for “Ask a Question” and another for “Answer Questions”. There are also dozens of topic groups to which you can subscribe, and there are product reviews, “best-of” lists, and everything you can imagine that is IT-related.

Finally, it is free. That’s it. Simple. If you try it out you won’t believe it’s free. Last year I installed Spiceworks at a brand new IT job the week before a regulatory audit. I had everything I needed for hardware and software inventories, antivirus and the like within one day, workstations and servers included! During the 5 day audit I turned to Spiceworks several more times for quick, on the fly reports that got the job done.

Give yourself a break, and be recognized as the shining IT Star that you are. Try Spiceworks today!

KB Alertz

What is kbAlertz.com?

kbAlertz.com is an e-mail notification system that scans the entire Microsoft Knowledge Base every night, and e-mails you when updates or additions are made to the technologies to which you subscribe. They also have a great search system. Every night they scan the Microsoft Knowledge Base. If technologies you’re interested in are updated, they send you an e-mail. You only get one e-mail a day, and only when new articles are added. Subscribing is easy. Simply fill out your e-mail address and select the technologies that you’re interested in.

Some of the Top Update Categories (as selected by users) include:

.NET Framework, ASP.NET, Device Drivers, Internet Explorer, Office, Outlook, Outlook Express, SQL Server, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual Studio, Windows 7, XP, Vista.

Finally, here is a link to an exhaustive list of topics available for which you can receive instant alerts whenever there are patches released:

KB Alertz Full Topic List

Enjoy!

KB Alertz

Today I’d like to introduce you to a great IT Resource called the Microsoft TechNet Program.

Microsoft TechNet delivers complete, straight-forward technical resources to help IT professionals efficiently evaluate, deploy and support any and all Microsoft software solutions. I first signed up for Technet in the mid 90’s when I also registered my PC Consulting Business as a Microsoft System Builder. Microsoft sponsors local, live TechNet events that you can attend. If I went to one, I went to a hundred of them. They have excellent technical presentations, and sometimes an additional vendor with a complimentary IT product. Information, answers, and free samples abound!

There were typically about 300 people there so it was a great networking event — pun intended! Microsoft just gave software away. I remember coming home from one Technet event with a full copy of NT Server 4 and 10 Client Access Licenses. Come on! It was expensive. I used it for years and learned so much that I eventually became a certified MCSE instructor, but that’s a different story. Technet  has webcasts, an online knowledge base, the free TechNet Flash IT newsletter.

TechNet Plus features premium Web-enabled and live support resources for quick access to Microsoft experts, software, and technical information to enhance your  IT productivity and planning. Plus, it allows you to evaluate new Microsoft technologies without time limits. Translation: free software for your personal and technical development that doesn’t expire. Very generous. Microsoft knows how to support the Techies that support and promote their products. I have really enjoyed the benefits of the Technet program. And it’s something that your company will most likely pick up the tab for at only $349 per year.

Overall, Technet will help you keep your technical skills sharp and give you access to the information you need on a day-to-day basis to solve all the technical problems that come your way. This is an essential “IT Toolset” if you live in the Microsoft world.

Find out more here:

Microsoft TechNet

Resources for IT Professionals

Which CPU or Graphics Card is better for gaming? For Rendering? For Graphic Design? Find out at today’s featured InfoTech Access site: Tom’s Hardware. I’ve used Tom’s site for years. You can compare processors and video cards side-by-side on a number of different performance criteria. There are tutorials and how-to’s on everything from building your own computer to upgrading, modding, water cooling, and overclocking.

Launched in 1996 by Tom Pabst, Tom’s Hardware focuses on technology and is loaded with in-depth articles, reviews, and comparisons of PC hardware. Because they have been at it so long, the site is a great resource for historical info. I’m always comparing older CPU’s to the latest and greatest to show clients what they can expect from upgrades. The site features coverage on CPUs, motherboards, RAM, graphics and displays, storage, and computer peripherals and includes videos, a forum, and a blog. Tom’s Hardware has established itself as an accurate and trusted resource for IT information and gets my vote every time!

Check them out at http://www.tomshardware.com

Also, here’s one of my favorite links, the CPU comparison charts:

CPU Comparison Chart

Did you know that there are some special Google searches that focus in on specific topics, blocking out millions of unrelated results? Here they are:

For Microsoft related searches there’s www.google.com/microsoft

For Linux-specific searches there’s www.google.com/linux

For BSD-specific searches: http://www.google.com/bsd

For Mac-specific searches: http://www.google.com/mac

For US Government-specific searches: http://www.google.com/unclesam

For University-specific topics: http://www.google.com/options/universities.html