GPA - GP Answers - Group Policy

Team:

Yesterday, I had a chance to talk with Manny Vellon from Likewise software.

We talked about getting Macs and Linux into your existing AD. Crazy? Or a great idea?
You can make up your own mind..  Here's a summary of what we talked about:

1. Why would you want Macs and Linux into your AD?
2. Learn about free software to integrate Macs and Linux into AD.
3. Understanding why a "central account database" might make sense for your team.
4. How and why you would want to integrate Macs and Linux to utilize GP.
5. How to be on a LINUX machine and manage Group Policy (crazy!).
6. How to set up Linux and Mac desktop configuration items using Group Policy

If you want to listen to this 15 minute interview, just click here.

Here are the resources we reference inside the talk.

• Mac link
• Linux gnome link
• My Windows/Linux integration book (older, but still quite useful!) (Signed copies here)
• Or, get it on Amazon (there are 6 five star reviews) here (Cheaper, but not signed)

That's it. People are signing up every day for the LA GPO class. Are you going to make it? Drop me a line so I can try to get an accurate headcount.

Thanks, talk soon!

Jeremy Moskowitz
GPanswers.com (Group Policy Community)
PolicyPak.com    (PolicyPak Software)

Team...

Several pieces of good news this week !

1. LAX Class -- On on on ! March 22 - 26th.

We've got the first seven people signed up for my GPanswers five-day training class !

That means the class is ON ! Now, the only problem is.. will you be able to get one of the remaining seats?

If you were waiting for the class to be OFFICIALLY ON, well, we are now. So, don't miss out.

Sorry, we cannot "save you a seat." You can save your own seat when you use a credit card or utilize a PO. Then, your seat is a GUARANTEED. Sign up at...

http://www.gpanswers.com/training/live-courses.html
or call Diane at 302-351-4903 for POs / special arrangements.

Special deals available for "Lone Wolf or Self-Pay" consultants, and discounts available when you sign up 3 or more.  Must call Diane to take advantage of these specials.

Sign up today. See you in LA.

2. I've been granted another year as a Group Policy MVP. There are exactly nine GP MVPs. Yowsa. Anyway, thank you for supporting my efforts here.

[MORE BY CLICKING CLICK FOR MORE]

Team:

A while ago, I had an interview with the CTO of BeyondTrust Eric Voskuil and made it available to you.

Well, the Wall Street Journal today has a very interesting profile of Eric's interesting career, and you should all check it out.

From fighter pilot, to successful company, to being bought out by Microsoft and back to the successful company, Erik has has had quite an amazing rise.

Check out the WSJ article here.

Check out my MP3 interview with Eric last year here.

Congrats Eric on all your success !

PS: I have ONE more DISCOUNT slot for my Los Angeles master Group Policy class starting March 22. 

If you're ready to become your team's "Top Gun / Tech Guru", then sign up at www.GPanswers.com/training and enter code FIRSTSIXLAX. You'll get a $300 discount off the week's training.

You, just you.. because this is the last seat I have at this discount rate.

If you need a PO, then call Diane at 302-351-4903 and we'll make it happen for you ! See you in LA !

In keeping with this week's theme of "Not Group Policy-related" stuff, I wanted to share with you my recipe for how I get Music, Pictures and Video all around my house and around my life.

Here's the thing: There are a LOT of ways to skin this cat. But for me, I was looking for something simple, that worked, and used as much existing technology as I already had.

This is a walkthrough of how I chose to solve the problems for my particular (modest) needs.

In my world, I already had the following devices: Upstairs bedroom TiVo (Generation 2), Downstairs Den TiVo (Generation 3/ HD), and an iPhone 3GS.

All these devices already play music, show pictures and display video.

The question was: how can I deliver all *MY STUFF* to them whenever I wanted?

Here we'll learn:

• How to set up a home "server" and store everthing there
• How to stream to any TiVo in the house (most things)
• How to stream your world to your iPhone
• Some technical bits (some GP related) on how to fix some little technical "left overs."

If you're like me, you're often asked "What kind of laptop should I buy?"

This question might not directly affect you, since many IT organizations dole out laptops to the whole staff, including you.
However, since you're seen walking around with a laptop, or have that geeky-vibe about you, I'm guessing you've been asked more than once "What kind of laptop should I buy?"

You might be tempted to say "Buy a Macbook" - if only for the reason that you DON'T have a Macbook, and therefore would be unable to help the person in the future. (See this for the example of the problem: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/computers)

Anyway, with that in mind, here's "Jeremy's Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2010."

Again, there are a LOT of ways someone COULD do this task. This is what I send to people in my inner circle (friends, family, etc.) when I get the question.

These suggestions should be "good enough" for the common man / woman. Any one person's particular needs may vary, but you, the IT Pro, should be able to "print out and hand over" these suggestions and have them work for about 90+% of the people you come in contact with. Again, desktop and laptops can be "infinitely configured." But you don't have time for that. You want to get back to real work.

So, here is a document you can send to anyone who has ever asked that question with some "straight dope answers."

Jeremy's Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2010
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
We're going to answer some questions here like:

() Netbook or real laptop?
() Where can I get good deals?
() What kind of hardware (and warranty) should I get?
() Should I get Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit? Can I get Vista?