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Largest benefit of Desktop 5.5
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 2:02 pm
by SmithGW
Nobody has mentioned that largest benefit of Desktop 5.5, which is its antiviral security feature. Not only does it protect from current viruses, but allows headquarters to update the virus checker during transmissions. Anyone who was involved with the virus problem a year or two ago should appreciate this.
My .02 cents about the slow down after 5.5 update.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:37 pm
by Daryl1
Desktop 5.5 has many improvements. I am sure there will be more versions as we go forward. MLS has improved dramatically since the beginning. I was called to Clerk just as the Stake was implamenting new Dell's with the new MLS system and scraping out the DOS and MIS system.
Yes MLS has room for more improvements and features. MLS still has some refreash problems but not as sever as it once did. Many have been fixed. Many bugs have been fixed in 2.4.3 Yes I agree there is a bottle neck with the printing feature in MLS. That will have to be fixed with programming.
Hints to fixing the printing quality and speed is in another thread so I will not go into that here. It is related though. Adding more memory is a fix for start up. 256-MB is now not enough. After calculating everything It almost uses all of it and comes close to freeze up.
Once up and running the system settles down and 256-MB is then sufficient. Adding at least 512-MB will be a good fix but adding more is better if budgets allow. Be sure to go through and get authorization from Stake and make sure Stake Technology Specialst approves or does the work.
For the Dell Optiplex GX270 the min is 128-MB and max memory is 4-GB. Be sure and use only non-ECC memory cards. Always use match pairs. Example two 512-MB two 1-MB cards or two 256-MB cards. Always use slot 1& 2 first then 3 & 4. Most Dell's came with two 128-MB cards which make 256-MB total currently which is now not enough.
Upgrading to 512-MB looks like most people have reported no more start up problems. I remember when computers first started more memory is always better for system performance and printing. Let's look at the positive side at least the current Dell's have lots of room for more memory and expansion. That would of been a gross error on someones part to have had machines with a max memory of 256-MB. But they are not they can be upgraded to 4-GB
I have a little over 600-MB on my personal computer which is almost maxed out and it has been running very good since the year 2000. It never freezes up and starts fast. It use to start slow, print slow, and freeze up continually until the memory was increased to the most I can run that the chip set will allow and a bigger hard drive and updated bios did the trick. It is running XP Home version. Maybe in the future we will see mac's. The operating system is more stable and does not have millions of holes in it. Nothing is perfect at this time though.
Updating the memory will be the cure to slow starts, and freeze ups. There are bugs however in MLS that I am sure the developers are working on to correct in the next version. The printing problem is in relationship to having the correct driver, setting dpi (dots per inch) to lowest setting and letting the MLS developers figure out how to correct the bottle neck in the software. I do not have Java expirence or the time to find it.
The laser 1100's are out of date and need to be updated in the furture soon. That will help things.
I am sure someone will send a memo out to the Stake and Stake Technologists soon about the memory problem and have suggestions for those Stakes that have not already updated.
I enjoy keeping old things going. Making what we have been given, made to work, by improving upon it. However electronics get tired and must be updated from time to time due to heat and laws of physics which I will not get into at this time. That will be for another forum.
MLS is getting better and better, Desktop 5.5 is an improvment and I am confident there will be many more updates and changes as suggestions are considered and bugs are fixed.
More memory is the cure to a slow start and will fix many other issues including printing. Printing uses lots of memory. Respectfully dispite what others have stated I know for sure from practical expirence more memory is better. I have seen memory fix small and large systems. This is one time that more is better. Most of the time bigger is not better this is an exception.
Am I wrong here? I am only going from what I have seen happen and from how computers work. Does anyone know what the optimum memory is for XP Professional?
Thank you.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 8:56 am
by russellhltn
Mr. Techno wrote:Does anyone know what the optimum memory is for XP Professional?
Depends on what you are doing, but I'd say the return on investment starts declining after 512MB. For most people it will be somewhere between 512 and 1GB.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 11:22 pm
by Daryl1
I agree for most applications 512-MB to 1-GB is sufficient. We went with the 1-GB and everything is running very good now. No more problems.
Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:42 pm
by Obi Hyer-p40
I have a lot of reports from my wards and other stake clerks that their computers are much slower with the Desktop 5.5 on it. The Dell computers were a great step up from our old DOS computers but they do run pretty slow with this new image on it.
My solution is to log into the computer first thing when I come in and if I wait about 5 minutes before trying to run any applications, the computer works OK. It just seems to take a long time to boot with the celeron processors.
Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:21 pm
by rmrichesjr
Have you seen the recommendations in earlier postings in this thread about increasing the amount of RAM? That seems to be the most common solution, other than just waiting, of course.
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 3:32 pm
by bhofmann
rmrichesjr wrote:Have you seen the recommendations in earlier postings in this thread about increasing the amount of RAM? That seems to be the most common solution, other than just waiting, of course.
Waiting is the cheapest solution!
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:28 pm
by thedqs
bhofmann wrote:Waiting is the cheapest solution!
Though if you are trying to get some last minute changes in before a meeting that the information is needed in then waiting is no longer an option.
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:56 am
by bhofmann
thedqs wrote:Though if you are trying to get some last minute changes in before a meeting that the information is needed in then waiting is no longer an option.
Ha ha! True!