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Review of the New MacBook Pro Laptops – CRE Rentals

December 15th, 2009

The newly upgraded, 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro (MBP) has amassed a number of rave reviews from the experts, including an Editors’ Choice award from CNET – as well as from PCMag.com, Laptop Magazine and ComputerShopper. Reviewers credit the many internal changes, and several important cosmetic ones, for making the entry-level MBP an excellent value for new Mac users.

The base model MacBook Pro retains the classy, aluminum unibody and the slick multi-touch trackpad of its predecessor. The positive additions include a SecureDigital memory card slot, full-size backlit keyboard, a FireWire 800 port, a color-enriched display and a permanent (non-removable) battery good for up to seven hours on a charge. These macintosh laptops are faster, have more ports and offer a longer-lasting battery!

Mid-range and top of line MacBook Pros

One rung up the MBP ladder is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.53 GHz processor, above which there are 15- and 17-inch models available with CPUs up to 3.06GHz. All MBP models have a 1066 MHz frontside bus, 3MB of shared L2 cache (as much as 6MB for the 15- and 17-inchers) and run applications faster than ever. When you choose to rent a MacBook Pro or iMac rental, you can be assured that you’re getting the state-of-the-art in desktops and notebooks.

The basic graphics subsystem is a power-saving NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, offering integrated graphics processing for solid, everyday performance with long battery life – the best choice for an MBP to rent for “cruising” conventions and conferences. The 17-inch MBP and certain 15-inch models have the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics board, offering powerful performance for graphically demanding work.

Powerful, colorful (and green)

The MacBook Pro’s glossy LED-backlit widescreen display has 60 percent greater color gamut than previously, for richer and brighter colors. Everything you see – including the display itself – is spectacularly clear, with performance that is solid. With its seamless glass enclosure, this display is strong, durable, power efficient, mercury- and arsenic-free – and greener than ever.

Every MacBook Pro has a large hard drive, up to 500 GB, or you can opt for a 128 or 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD). The MacBook Pro also supports up to 8 GB of high-speed RAM, has the iSight webcam and a microphone built in, and ups the wireless ante to 802.11n for even faster communications. There are two USB 2.0 ports (three on the 17-inch model), a FireWire 800 port for speedy peripherals and a Mini DisplayPort that can easily power the new Apple LED Cinema Display.

Apple didn’t forget the entry-level MacBook laptop, either, giving it a unibody of its own (plastic, not aluminum), a new battery technology and a few other tweaks. Try MacBook rentals for an upcoming corporate event.

Curious about the new Macs and what they can do for your company? Talk to one of CRE’s expert Account Executives today – send an e-mail, make a call, fill out a Quick Rental Quote form – and find out everything you need to know about the new Mac laptops. You can also read our round-up of the latest Mac desktop computers, as well as an overview of other new Apple technology.

Cost-Effective Training Options from CRE Rentals

December 10th, 2009

With the pace of technological change seeming to accelerate all the time, how can SMBs (Small and Medium-sized Businesses) hope to stay current? It’s not just a matter of getting the latest equipment. You also have to keep your employees updated, trained and equipped. It’s not easy, but online education of various kinds may help you.

There are companies that run well-structured, highly organized online schools, and you might want to look into these. However, there are also many low- and no-cost ways to keep your employees up to date. If you work in digital media, with audio and video applications like Final Cut or Vegas—on powerful quad- and eight-core desktop computers like the Mac Pro or an H-P XW 8400 workstation—then you already know how much time it takes to stay current.

Training Class For your other employees, perhaps working with continuously upgraded software like office applications and operating systems, you can save money by locating some free tutorials online. Get a Macintosh and/or PC desktop like CRE rents, set it up in a spare office or corner of the break room, and establish a training schedule. This way none of your regular workflow is interrupted and you can upgrade skills without downgrading your firm’s productivity.

Use it or lose it?

Remember, too, that the software packages you’ve invested in usually come with tutorials, online help files, sample documents and other training aids. It may be that you are well covered for software training without knowing it. In that case, extend your horizons a bit and you will discover that there is as much, or more, business and marketing training available to help you grow and expand your company.

It should go without saying that most companies need a strong, compelling and (hopefully) original Web presence or “online strategy” in this day and age. Check out these excellent online webinars and seminars featuring search engine marketing topics that will help your organization “conquer” search.

Low-cost training/research station

One of the lesser-advertised benefits of a computer rental is training and research. In SMBs, most computers (like their users) are dedicated to certain daily tasks that are interrupted at your peril. Renting a wifi-enabled tablet PC, laptop, or desktop from CRE will keep your own assets invested in ongoing work, and allow you to keep skills updated as you rotate your computer users through a new training workstation—outfitted with free lesson plans that you’ve just learned about.

Fill out our Quick Rental Quote form now and our expert Account Executives will help you set up whatever you need to keep you on the cutting edge. Let the training begin!

CRE Rentals Looks at Upcoming HTML5 Features

December 8th, 2009

A few technological ages ago, some Web designers purposely made pages that worked best, and sometimes only, with specific browsers. Some still do. The smart ones, though, will rent a PC, a Macintosh or both from CRE, to ensure that all browsers running on both platforms display site pages correctly.

HTML5 The standard tool for creating Web pages is HyperTest Markup Language, or HTML, and the version now in the works is HTML5 which will produce Web pages that will look, sound and work the same way on any browser, from desktop to mobile phone.

Splitting up the work

HTML5 does away with plug-ins for handling video, audio and interactivity. HTML5 will require that they these capabilities are on their own, built-in. Users of new Macs, like the Mac Pro rentals that CRE stocks will not be surprised to find out that Apple claims to be “almost there” with its Safari browser (the “next” version, of course). The same jobs will get done to deliver a faster, richer, multimedia Web experience, but they’re split up differently in HTML5.

Companies will be able to create Web sites that look, sound and work the same on any browser, on laptops, desktops, “net appliances” like Sony PSPs, cell phones, netbooks and anything else with a display and WiFi connection. It may take the legal eagles a while to work out licensing for the A/V formats that will be used for “universal support,” but owners of the desired formats have lots of incentive to make a deal.

Compatibility heaven

It is not just the copy on the page, the soundtrack in the background or any other single component that makes for a “user experience.” This term falls into the “greater than the sum of its parts” category, and now Web site designers, Web app developers and content providers can stop mucking around with browser incompatibilities or doing complex workarounds.

This is a particularly noteworthy advance for mobile devices, as today’s cellphones, iPods and PSP browsers offer only limited multimedia support. The iPhone’s version of Apple’s Safari browser has no Adobe Flash capability despite Flash being on just about every other platform, browser and device. This is just one of the many loose ends that need tying up before HTML5 rolls out.

Rolling, rolling, rolling

WebKit, the developer tool behind many desktop and mobile programs, is on track to be HTML5-compliant “soon,” but Microsoft says that Internet Explorer 8 will not support the “whole spec,” risking even lower market share for IE. Adobe says Apple is dragging its corporate feet in making the iPhone Flash-friendly, suggesting the Cupertino firm may have its own agenda with HTML5, too.

“Apple,” an official Adobe statement says, “has not provided the level of support required to deliver the Flash Player to the iPhone.” Chances are we will hear about Apple “coming around” soon, since the World Wide Web Consortium has announced that HTML5 is nearing its final draft. Mac folks, from vintage iBook users to those doing high-end animation work on a G5 with Kona card rental, will expect Apple to come through. Ease of use is not something users are willing to “think different” about.

If you need the latest technology equipment, request a Quick Rental Quote from CRE and they’ll make sure you get what you need.

Build a Site, Build Your Business, with CRE Rental’s Help

November 19th, 2009

Whether your business involves manufacturing, distribution, a profession or a service, you can build it up by creating a plan to expand your online presence.

09_11_19_Site We recently ran a series on Web design tips (Part 1 and Part 2), so now it’s time to put your new knowledge to good use. Even if you don’t launch a state-of-the-art site, you can help your customer service staff out big time if you put up a site with FAQs, parts manuals, solutions to common problems and perhaps an online chat page.

Don’t worry about it!

Web sites can cost a lot in both time and money. If you don’t have a large monitor, consider renting a LCD monitor (or two) so you or your designer have plenty of screen real estate to handle all the pages, menus, art and tools that need to be right at hand. It might be easier to start with something a tad less complex than a full-blown site, too, since you can “scale up” gradually.

Glamorous corporate Web sites can cost a lot to develop. Do you really have to have a site in the first place? Probably. Does it need to cost a lot? No. Web presence is going to be important to your customers, but start out easy. You can get budget hosting plans for as little as $5 a month, and most of the offers today include everything you need, including shopping carts.

If you are considering getting new software and embarking on a Web project, you might consider a computer rental (Mac and/or PC) so you can dedicate a workstation or two to the job without interfering with other work. If you anticipate having a lot of photos, audio or video material, consider some extra storage like a Xserve RAID rental. You can never have too much storage—ever!

Now go get the customers

Now, you need to drive traffic (customers) to your Web site. Let’s face it, if customers don’t know you’re there, you won’t have a business, no matter how nice your site or how great your product or service. You need to invest what you can, which will mostly be time plus whatever money you can allocate, in promoting your site and your business.

You should devise an e-mail campaign, send press releases to print publications and online services, get trade links, create a Facebook Page, use twitter, post comments on online forums and generally sing a “one note song” about what you are doing. If you need wireless laptops for a “mobile campaign,” or plasma screen rental for a digital signage program, CRE rents all sorts of technology equipment.

Whatever you need, our expert Account Executives are here to help you. You can call us, send an e-mail or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form, and the solutions you need will be on the way. That’s what we do, after all—provide the solutions that keep you going and growing.

CRE Rentals: More Tips on Web Design (Part 2 of 2)

November 12th, 2009

In “Web Design Tips Part 1,” we talked about communicating clearly with both words and images, helping your site visitors find things and employing common sense. Those of you working in both print and Web publishing know the importance of getting the colors right, too, so CRE also has advanced color laser printers for rent. Don’t take your site online without getting good color proofs of your work, and learning how to calibrate your “device chain”—computer, monitor, printer—with “Web safe” colors.

Again, you can’t just push a button and get great art automatically (no, not even on a Macintosh). You will need to study up a bit or hire some professional help. You may not realize it, but many modern desktops and laptops support two monitors right out of the box, so you should really consider one of CRE’s LCD monitor rentals to get a large-format, color-accurate view of your site for you (or your professional assistant) to work with.

Web Design Tips - Part 2

Part 1 had 10 tips. As promised, Part 2 has 15 more great tips (11 through 25) to help you create and host an effective Web site.

11. Blinking or “Times Square scrolling” text displays are completely passé, and hard to read, too.

12. Keep your navigation options easy to spot, right out in the open—and not hidden in a lot of drop-down menus.

13. Since it is faster and much more reliable, use text links for navigation.

14. Settle on a single, consistent navigation scheme. Keep it simple.

15. Don’t use “beginner” or “online interactive” Web site makers. They can be buggy, and won’t deliver consistent, standardized code. HTML is a “markup language,” after all, so the language should be understandable to all browsers…

16. …because your Web site needs to work with all popular browsers, on all platforms.

17. Always insert anchor text on links so visitors know where they’re headed, and so you get the SEO benefits.

18. If you “cloak” links and keep the user from seeing where they’re pointed, you (and your company and your site) can lose credibility.

19. Considering the spread of “popup blocking,” just forget the popup windows. Really.

20. If a link takes visitors to a PDF file, tell them so. Safari and a few other browsers will handle them internally, and well, but others will force Adobe Reader to launch.

21. Do not require people to register for your site unless it is absolutely necessary, such as for a company or legal purposes. People are hesitant to hassle with it.

22. Never—that’s “never, ever”—subscribe site visitors or e-mail correspondents without their consent. If they receive something they didn’t ask for, you’re a spammer.

23. Don’t make new browser windows open, or move or resize existing ones. Control should remain with users. That’s where it belongs.

24. Never link to blacklisted or questionable Web sites. Google, Yahoo, AOL and other large portals are getting very strict about this.

25. Ensure that visitors can search your whole Web site. Make it easy for people to find the information that they want.

Whatever business you are in, CRE has the technology you need to keep forging ahead, flattening out those bumps in the road and empowering you to meet all challenges. Whether you need our ”render farm toolbox” that includes the high-performance graphics capabilities of the 8-core Mac Pro rental, an additional 16 gig of RAM and 23″ Apple Cinema Display, or a dozen laptops for a marketing meeting, CRE has you covered. Our experience Account Executives know how to get you just the right solutions, so call, write an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form right away for a swift, courteous reply.

CRE Rentals Offers Tips on Web Design (Part 1 of 2)

November 10th, 2009

There are a few types of businesses that don’t need a Web site—really!—as well as a growing number that do business only over the Internet. Whatever business you are just starting—with a few computer rentals from CRE and a dream—you may be tasked with building a site yourself. Just how do you go about it if you’re not a design pro?

Keep it simple

World Wide Web Your site needs to communicate your business’s mission and “value propositions” clearly—and cleanly. Give visitors what they need to make the decision that you want, whether it’s to purchase a product, engage your services or donate to your nonprofit. Although Flash animations are entertaining, they are no longer cutting edge. Minimize the “eye candy.”

Whether you are testing your new company intranet with an Xserve rental, or refining the site you already have, some basic design rules will help. It is easier to warn you about common “Web site woes” than teach you good design in a couple of blog posts. We will give you 10 great tips today, and 15 more next time around, to get you thinking (then doing).

1. Some Home pages make visitors click “Enter” or “Continue” to get to the real Home page. Home should be, well, Home!

2. Don’t waste space with an array of badges, Good Housekeeping seals or other certificates. If they are important, include them on your About page.

3. Be sure to include contact information. You’d be surprised how many sites leave out the most important details, like how to reach them or store location.

4. Visitors will leave in a nanosecond if they can’t figure out, immediately, what your site is about. Tell them clearly.

5. Do not “auto play” your favorite tune. If you really do need music, put “mute” and “off” buttons in plain sight.

6. Everybody speed-reads on the Web. Use short sentences, headlines, bullet points and lists to assist readers in “finding and filtering” your site’s content.

7. Forget fancy fonts, six different typefaces or eensy-teensy 5-point type. Don’t make visitors use the zoom control (which many don’t even know about).

8. Limit the Flash animations and video clips. Pages take longer to load, and overuse can irritate people.

9. Don’t go crazy with the color scheme. Super bright or very dark colors take some skill to use correctly, so stay in the “muted middle.”

10. This is your company’s “virtual face,” so no spelling or grammatical errors are allowed. If you’re not the best writer or editor, get professional help.

Above all, don’t let the Web work worry you. Just keep your cool, do some research, look at what good sites do (and don’t do) and do your best. CRE is here to help businesses, with everything from comprehensive office equipment rentals to high-powered workstations for exacting work in science, IT, the visual arts and audio engineering—as well as your bookkeeping and e-mail, of course.

Whatever you need, from laptop to computers (including Mac Pro rentals), our expert Account Executives are here for you. You can call us, send an e-mail or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form online, and the solution is on its way.

Blazing New Trails with Both Macs and PCs

October 30th, 2009

We are truly living in a virtual world now. Many of the best new ideas in computing and communications are technologies that transport your voice, your face, and your mouse, keyboard and touch-tone commands through cyberspace into someone else’s computer or other device. It’s all about “connectivity with control,” at least for this news cycle.

PC remote control

If you need help on your computer, it is now possible for someone at a remote location to log right onto your computer with you and even take control of your system. This is not some advanced, expensive add-on technology. It’s built right into Mac OS X’s iChat application, and is easily done in Windows Vista and the new Windows 7, as well.

This could completely change how your company maintains its PCs. Remote operators can log on to corporate workstations to perform a remote computer repair and/or ongoing maintenance—for PCs across the hall or across the country. You can also train remote employees by taking control of their screens and showing them what to do. If you want to test all of these capabilities without interrupting any ongoing work flow, consider renting iMacs from CRE. The iMac runs both Mac OS X and Windows, so you can test all the different setups and combinations.

Telephonic control

Let’s say you’ve decided to host your own Web site and/or a company intranet. Xserve Rental During the development and debugging period, you can rent an Xserve workgroup server and then, pair it with another high-tech Apple device—an iPhone. That’s right, an iPhone – there are some powerful and innovative apps being developed for remote network operations.

Imagine being on the road and remotely monitoring CPU, memory, disks, uptime, load averages and more, using only your iPhone. iPhone Applications If you have the Xserve set up the right way, you will never be out of touch with it. This incredible power can be in the palm of your hand, today.

More Apple talk

New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller may have inadvertently disclosed Apple’s long-rumored tablet computer device as he was speaking to his paper’s digital media group last week. Keller was discussing his hopes of delivering the news via an assortment of online media when he said, “I’m hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple Slate…”

Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab posted a video and transcript of Keller’s talk. Online pundits and rumormongers pounced on the errant statement as a case of “Nerdian slip” (with apologies to Freud). The Times has allegedly met with Apple executives about the future of digital media and many have guessed that such discussions touched on the possibility of delivering content to an e-reader-like device from Apple. With sales of its desktops and laptops making records every quarter, some still question whether Apple would cannibalize its own business with a netbook or tablet, even one that “thinks different.” Interested in renting a PC or Mac? Request Rental Quote today.

Windows 7 Debuts… Today!

October 22nd, 2009

One of the main marketing phrases for the long-awaited Windows 7, officially released today, is, “Your PC, simplified.” This seems to parallel one of the main themes of the recent Mac OS X upgrade, Snow Leopard 10.6, which simplifies and accelerates many basic operations like starting up, opening folders and saving documents. Windows 7 is claiming better, faster ways to find and manage files, with handy tools like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews. Computer desktop rentals available from CRE Rentals have already proven the stability and usability of both Mac and Windows for scores of customers doing every conceivable type of work, and we will continue to do so with all new OS releases.

Microsoft Windows 7 Software Logo

CRE will evaluate the Windows 7 software with its computer and laptop rental inventory to ensure that the speed improvements, a big part of the hype, translate into stable support for both 32- and 64-bit applications. Windows 7 PR releases claim it will help you take full advantage of high-end CPUs. If true, this will give businesses doing CPU-intensive work—animation, video editing and audio engineering—a compelling reason to make the transition.

Good looks, good features

Windows Vista’s signature feature, the colorful Aero environment, was a resource hog that barely worked on some early-2007 PCs promoted as “Vista-capable.” Windows 7 should perform well even on small, low-horsepower netbooks. CRE will be testing Windows 7 on its desktop and laptop rentals, but will make a measured, transparent transition and keep all modern Windows OS installs—XP, Vista and Windows 7—available for its diverse customers.

Operationally, the taskbar has been revised, and the thumbnail previews improve on Vista’s and work well even with multiple windows open for one program. The system tray offers far more user control and customizing, while User Account Control (UAC) is now usable—whereas the Vista version was so annoying that “off” was most users’ default. Another new feature, called Libraries, uses “virtual folders” to combine the contents of specified folders into a unified view. If you’re using Sony Vegas or other high-end video editing program on a powerful PC like H-P XW 8600 computer rental, this will really help keep your video clips at your fingertips.

There’s always something

Reviewers have pointed out a few disappointments. HomeGroups sounds great—it lets you share media and documents across a network—but it doesn’t let you make your own password, making you copy its 10 auto-generated characters of alphanumeric nonsense. To top it off, Microsoft takes a giant step away from interoperability by requiring all HomeGroup-connected PCs to run Windows 7. Not only is there no Mac compatibility, there isn’t even Windows compatibility. On the plus side, there should be no problem at all installing Windows 7 on an Intel Mac, like the Mac Pros, MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs that CRE rents.

Windows boosters are hoping that “7″ is the lucky number that finally earns Microsoft-powered PCs parity with Macs among the creative pros. Whether you need a powerful PC, a legacy PowerMac G5 with Kona card, an Intel Mac or a special-use t0uch-screen tablet PC, CRE has you covered. Call or write our Account Executives for expert advice, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form. At CRE, we keep you working, no matter what.

Is “7″ going to be lucky for Microsoft or not? Let us know.

CRE Declares “Peace” in Mac-PC War

October 20th, 2009

When Apple announced its new Macintosh in the legendary “1984” commercial during the 1984 Super Bowl, it positioned the diminutive computer as the “anti-PC.” It boasted point-and-click simplicity with its novel “mouse,” a graphical user interface with “folders” and “windows,” and the desktop “look and feel” that redefined the relationship between humans and computers.

Now, 25 years later, that little breadbox with the 9-inch grayscale screen has evolved into the potent Mac product line of laptops. iMacs, servers—and the creative pro’s number one favorite, the Mac Pro. Add Apple’s Final Cut software and an AJA Io HD rental from CRE Rentals and you have an editing and post-production solution that puts you in the big leagues. There are certainly some cutting-edge PCs out there, and some very good Windows software, too, but somehow the Mac made a splash with creative types, from art directors to filmmakers.

Chips and dips

Mac vs. PC The 1980s and 1990s brought one pitched battle after another, which grew into a war between the Mac and everything associated with the PC. Apple’s CPU maker, Motorola, today a major cellphone maker, was the good guy, and even made a short-lived Mac clone. Intel, CPU maker for PCs, was the bad guy, but Microsoft, as the power behind all the various PC brands, was the chief villain in the eyes of Apple partisans.

And today? Today, all new Macs have Intel CPUs, and powerful ones, at that. On Intel Macs, like the iMac rental available from CRE, you can run Windows both natively and under virtualization (with such products as VMware and Parallels Desktop). If you have a business and you’re upgrading workstations, you only need a couple of iMacs to replace whatever office PCs you’re running.

Covering all the bases

If your demands are a little greater, upgrade to the Mac Pro rental to keep all your work going forward in both OS environments. The quad- or 8-core Mac Pro will fill the bill no matter how much horsepower you require—for animation, video and audio work, Web and publishing layouts, 3D, texture mapping and the whole range of high-intensity creative jobs. In fact, no matter what the job—on a Mac or PC, for office applications, interactive presentations or video editing—CRE has got you covered when you need a potent computer workstation rental.

Truce time

There is little left of the bitter Mac-PC war. Apple’s devices, from its computers to its non-Mac products like the iPhone, iPod and iTunes money makers, prove their productivity every day. In addition, all tech professionals respect the power, affordability and utility of the best PCs, like the powerhouse HP XW 8400 that CRE rents.

Macs are shining so brightly these days that they may steal a little bit of the late-October limelight that Microsoft was hoping to keep focused on its Windows 7 release (learn more about Windows 7 features). Apple sales are big, for Macs, iPhones and iPods, and ongoing improvements to the MacBook line (like MacBook Pro rentals) have lifted Apple’s laptop sales figures to double that of its desktops.

Our expert Account Executives can show you how two former foes, the Mac and the PC, can work together to bring you solutions for events, trade shows, rush jobs and creative “crunch time.” Contact one of our Account Executives by e-mail or phone, or use our online Quick Rental Quote form, today.

Who do you think won the battle? We would love to hear from you.

Take Project Management Solutions for a Test Drive

October 8th, 2009

No matter what kind of business you’re in, you have projects to manage and tasks to complete. Over the centuries many systems have evolved to keep you on track, on schedule and on budget. Project management tools are now primarily software-based, although they can run as applications locally or reside on a Web server.

Desktop applications

Project Management Software Desktop software like Microsoft Project, Primavera Project Planner and OmniPlan is installed on your PC. These typically are the most responsive programs, and offer familiar, graphically sophisticated interfaces. If you are just “test driving” a time-limited free trial, you can avoid a lot of headaches by getting a computer rental so you don’t have to worry about uninstalling various packages you try.

Desktop-based project management software normally stores data in files, although applications that allow network storage often store data in centralized locations. If you have vast amounts of customer or inventory data to include, you may need an Xserve RAID array from CRE to store it all. Users can even share file-based project software data as long as it’s on a networked drive and is accessed by only one user at a time.

Web-based solutions

Other project management solutions—Workspace.com, Smartsheet, QuickBase—are implemented as Web applications, hosted on your own firm’s intranet or the solution provider’s server. This gets you the normal pluses and minuses of web programs. On the up side, users have access from any computer (Mac, PC, Linux), no software is installed on individual PCs and there is only one installation to maintain.

On the down side, Web-based applications respond slower than desktop ones, and project data is available only when users and servers are online.

Types of applications

Single-user systems assume that just one person will have the project file open at any one time. This works for small companies and firms where just a few people are doing “top-down” planning. Most desktop software is in this category, and some applications (especially inventory-related ones) are optimized for pen-based computing. During your trial phase, consider a Tablet PC rental, too, so you can test-drive these specialized applications.

Collaborative systems support multiple users that may need to edit different sections of a plan simultaneously. Users update and edit their particular part of the project plan, which is then integrated into the whole. Web-based tools, on your intranet or the Internet, usually work this way. So you needn’t be online all the time, some tools offer a “Rich Client” for desktop PCs. This sends updated, individual project data to every team member via a central server when users connect to the network and/or perform certain tasks. This keeps files updated and synchronized.

There is a very handy project software comparison chart at Wikipedia that may help you decide how to proceed. CRE’s expert Account Executives know just what you need in the way of a laptop rental, desktop rental or storage solution when you decide to try out various project management solutions. Get a rental quote now.

CRE would love to hear from you about which project management software you use. Leave us a comment.

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