Decision Central

Bypass the technical jargon and marketing double-talk, and figure out what's best for your organization. Decision Central will help IT leaders identify the technologies that can have the biggest impac

  • John Sheesley // Nov 25, 2008 12:03pm

    Deciding when it's time to quit

    There are just some projects that refuse to die. They take on a life of their own. At some point, you just have to cut bait. But how do you decide when it's time to quit and just go on?

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 21, 2008 5:37pm

    Do smart phones really provide productivity gains?

    There was a time when all you could do with a phone is talk. Now, with the iPhone, the Blackberry Storm and Google's Android phones, the ability to talk seems to be a minor feature. Has feature creep eliminated the productivity gains in these devices? Or are they worth all the bells and whistles?

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 18, 2008 1:12pm

    Deciding to create a culture of innovation

    Innovation isn't one of those things that just happen. You have to make it happen. This video shows how one Internet entrepreneur dropped out of college to start a business built around innovation.

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 14, 2008 9:12am

    If computers are like cars, then who's GM?

    We often use cars as analogies for computers when trying to explain things to users. Can a further analogy be drawn? Is the computer industry also like the auto industry? Not exactly, although you could made a few comparisons.

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 11, 2008 1:13pm

    Sometimes it helps to be a little crazy

    Einstein was famous for saying that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Einstein never worked in IT of course. And sometimes being a little crazy helps get things done.

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 10, 2008 2:31pm

    Do we really need one more mobile device?

    Here's a video showing Intel CEO Paul Otellini demoing a new mobile Internet based device. After notebooks, netbooks, MIDs, and cell phones, do we really need one more mobile device? What do you think and how will it affect IT?

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 7, 2008 12:12pm

    Be an IT leader, not a lemming

    You're supposed to be an IT leader - using your knowledge about technology to help improve the organization. But are you a lemming instead? Forget the stereotype, being a lemming might be worse that you think.

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 6, 2008 2:20pm

    Does Geek Squad give a good or bad impression of IT consultants?

    Quite a few people don't deal with IT people directly in their line of work. Instead, they do so only when they have problems with technology we provide. Others only experience IT through customer support channels like Geek Squad. Does Geek Squad give a good impression or bad impression of IT?

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 3, 2008 2:20pm

    Name the key factor driving your voting decision

    We're fortunate to live in a country where we get to help decide who are leaders are going to be. It's not always any easy choice, and you don't always get the best candidates to choose from. What are the key factors that help you decide who to vote for?

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 28, 2008 12:28pm

    How can TechRepublic help you decide about products?

    A recent study by Jupiter Research and BuzzLogic has suggested that blogs are more influential in product decisions than friends on social networks. What can a site like TechRepublic, which has a mix of bloggers and social networking, do to help you make better product decisions?

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 27, 2008 2:21pm

    Process 300 million transactions a day without going crazy

    And you think you've got a busy day. How'd you like to be the CIO responsible for processing 300 million transactions a day? This CIO Session video comes from ZDNet and discusses what Visa CIO Michael Dreyer has to do to keep Visa running smoothly.

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 24, 2008 9:34am

    What influences you in making a final product decision?

    When you have a product purchasing decision to make, there are usually dozens of different makes and models to choose from. Trying to sort out the differences isn't always easy to do without taking input from external sources. What things help influence you to make a final purchase decision?

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 22, 2008 12:11pm

    Make better decisions with less information

    Is it possible to have too much information to make a decision? The obvious answer is yes, but what's key is how you define what 'too much' information is. By minimizing the amount of information about a situation, you can come up with a better decision making result.

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 20, 2008 2:48pm

    Is price no object to the typical Apple customer?

    Apple recently freshened the Mac line, including souped up CPUs and new graphics from nVidia. What didn't change however was the Mac price point. Although there's now a (barely) sub-$1000 Mac, most Macs are higher priced compared to many Windows machines. Is price less of a factor to a Mac customer?

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 17, 2008 12:32pm

    If you sit out Vista, what are your alternatives?

    Steve Ballmer has finally come out and said that it's ok with him if you sit out Vista and stick with XP until Windows 7 ships. But will you wait? And when 7 ships, will you sit out that as well?

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 11, 2008 2:23pm

    What buzzword would you eliminate from the English language?

    There are just some words that you hear over and over that don't mean anything and just drive you crazy. If you had the power, what word or words would you eliminate from the English language?

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 12, 2008 11:33am

    One CIO's strategy for battling accountants

    If IT has an arch-enemy in an organization, it's usually finance. We have strategies and solutions that can help make the business more efficient, but accountants are often too concerned with the bottom line. Here's how one CIO deals with accountants.

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 3, 2008 12:18pm

    How do you decide who gets what machine?

    You can only hold on to old machines for so long. Eventually equipment has to be replaced. Doing so requires a strategy. How do you decide who gets what machine in your organization?

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 17, 2008 2:04pm

    Synergy: Buzzword or code word?

    In a previous post I asked TR members to list some of the most hated buzzwords they've encountered. The word Synergy came up quite often. However, is the word more of a buzzword or a codeword? I think it's more of the latter.

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 5, 2008 11:45am

    Business intelligence: New trend, retreaded buzzword, or oxymoron?

    You've heard the buzzwords before: Business Intelligence. Data Mining. Decision Support Systems. What does Business Intelligence really mean and are we finally getting near to delivering to business the information it needs to succeed?

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 15, 2008 3:03pm

    Snap decisions may be the best ones

    What's the best way to make a decision? Take your time and think through all your options and their consequences and then decide or go with your first reaction? Sometimes snap judgments can be best.

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  • John Sheesley // Aug 28, 2008 1:13pm

    How to get poor by making more money in a new city

    Are you planning to chase a job to a new city? Hopefully you're getting a raise in the process, but are you really coming out ahead? Check out this calculator to find out.

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  • John Sheesley // Apr 14, 2008 12:51pm

    Welcome to Decision Central

    Bypass the technical jargon and marketing double-talk, and figure out what's best for your organization. Decision Central will help IT leaders identify the technologies that can have the biggest impact in their organization, and which ones to avoid. Welcome aboard!

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  • John Sheesley // May 2, 2008 1:16pm

    Do you pay attention to software EULAs?

    EULAs are necessary evils when it comes to installing software. You can ignore them, but do so at your own peril. At the same time, I don't think many people pay attention to them. Take our poll about EULAs and see how you compare with other TechRepublic members.

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 19, 2008 1:08pm

    Building Enterprise 2.0 with Web 2.0 technologies

    The buzzword Web 2.0 is kicked around quite a bit, but there's actually a little bit of something to it. This video from ZDNet shows how you can use Web 2.0 technologies to enhance information flow in your organization.

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 22, 2008 3:26pm

    What do you look for in a laptop? And who's the best?

    When you choose a laptop for yourself or your organization, what's the key factor you look for? And what's your favorite vendor? Take the both the polls here and make your voice known.

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 24, 2008 2:56pm

    Give a presentation like Steve Jobs

    Being an IT leader is more than just making a plan. You need to sell others on your ideas. Here's a video from TR's sister site BNET that takes apart Steve Jobs' presentation style and shows you how to use it to your advantage.

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  • John Sheesley // Oct 20, 2008 2:48pm

    Is price no object to the typical Apple customer?

    Apple recently freshened the Mac line, including souped up CPUs and new graphics from nVidia. What didn't change however was the Mac price point. Although there's now a (barely) sub-$1000 Mac, most Macs are higher priced compared to many Windows machines. Is price less of a factor to a Mac customer?

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  • John Sheesley // Sep 10, 2008 11:55am

    The Palin pick shows the benefit of bold decision making

    When you're faced with having to make a major decision, you may sometimes want to go the 'safe' route and pick a tried and true solution. Sometimes however, you can have a bigger impact by making an unexpected choice. Change the game by making a bold decision.

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  • John Sheesley // Nov 3, 2008 2:20pm

    Name the key factor driving your voting decision

    We're fortunate to live in a country where we get to help decide who are leaders are going to be. It's not always any easy choice, and you don't always get the best candidates to choose from. What are the key factors that help you decide who to vote for?

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