Shiny new technology

[king_pellinor]

I've just been upgraded at work to use a Citrix terminal.   The advantage is that I can use all my programs from any computer anywhere, and it's all so much faster because rather than use my own PC to run local programs, I now dial in to the server which runs them for me :-)

Except... I only ever use Outlook, Internet Explorer and Word/Excel.  And my PC could run those all perfectly well, and I had web access to Outlook anyway.  So my home PC allowed me to do anything I'd ever want in any case.

And because it's now the server running the desktop for me, it runs it with the same settings as it uses for everyone, which means clumsy large icons and a strange blue-grey desktop.  Oh, and it's locked things down - I can't even move bookmarks around in IE any more, even if I can find them because for some reason they've locked away the ability to show the menu bar permanently.  I have to summon it with the alt key every time I want it, or else have the Favourites Bar permanently taking up half the desktop.

So: remote access I don't need, a speed boost of nil, all my customised layouts gone, and forced to use programs with mittens on, effectively.

Hurrah, I love progress!


PS: I did sneakily ask what would happen if I ignored Citrix and just used the programs I already have, which work better.  The IT chap looked shifty, and said that nothing would break.  He then said they'd probably be wiped sometime soon so I couldn't :-(

Or I could just use my own laptop and dial in through the firms' wi-fi to get to Outlook Web Access - I have my own Word and Excel, so could do the job better on my own hardware... :-)

Comments

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

How odd. I have just returned to my desk from testing my login to our new Citrix system.

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

It looks like a good enabling tool - unless you're forced to use it, in which case it seems to be a great inconvenience.

Oh look, a time lag in typing in this window. Didn't get that before Citrix... :-(

[kargicq.livejournal.com]

We have Citrix. It's configured in such a way that if you need to get a file onto your own PC, you can't drag it from the Citrix window, oh no, you have to email it yourself (and then use web access to Outlook, which does allow you then to save locally). This seems odd to me. Still, can't complain, as it allows me to work from home slightly more easily when required.

[evilmissbecky.livejournal.com]

I had to use Citrix at my old job, when the accounting department moved off site from the main office. I hated it. With the passion of a thousand burning nuns. Our connection was hideously slow and we were constantly getting dropped and losing our work. To this day I blame Citrix on my habit of saving a document I'm working in every single time I make a change. Literally. Writing fanfic? I save after every single sentence.

TL;DR? I wish you luck my friend!