I am in the process of getting my new computer up and running. In the spirit of sharing some key points/gotchas with those of you who may be getting a new machine soon...and if I recall I was on the bow wave of a few new SEs joining (Bill Worley, Pete H., Olivia, Nate) the team, you too will soon be coming up on your 3 year hardware renewal cycle...here you go with 'things I've learned'. For point of reference my new machine is a Dell Latitude E7470.
For starters it took 3.5 hours to load JMP Pro version 13 from the SAS Global Software Download Portal on the machine via my wireless home network. I've changed nothing in my home network in the last few years. Historically downloading was measured in low double digit minutes...not low hours. The Microsoft Update downloads that I was hit with on first connection to the SAS network took overnight to download.
Some random gotchas with these new machines…maybe you already knew these?
1. As a remote employee, on initial power up of the new machine make sure you are hardwired/cabled into the internet…not connected via wifi. We’re not told this in the deployment instructions…but apparently it’s needed…at least according to the SAS IT technical support agent who helped me get up and running. Connected wirelessly I couldn’t even log onto the computer…it just told me no domains existed.
2. There is NO VGA port. Only an HDMI connector in the box, on the backside of the frame. So I’ll be ordering a dongle or two for the times I leave it behind at a customer site…so we can connect to customer’s AV equipment when all they have is VGA…seems like EVERYBODY has VGA…but NOT everybody has an HDMI interface.
3. There is ONE USB port on the side (right side) of the machine…two on the backside. Problem with the backside positions is when you use the supplied block fixture to provide a cushion and support for the unit to the docking station I use, the backside USB ports are inaccessible, blocked by the fixture. You can remove the docking station fixture block, but my computer is less stable on the docking station. Guess I’ll get used to a wobbly machine since I need to connect my mouse, headset, and usually my iPhone via USB during any one session from home.
