Perfect example of wasted money

[Insomniator]

Just saw first hand a great example (microcosm?) of why the entire government/states are out of money. I work for a state college, like most other places we've gotten memos about budget cuts, sacrifices etc...

We have one LCD TV and a BluRay player in the president's meeting room. That's fine, no big deal.. the marketing department just started making Bluray presentations I guess.

I am given a ticket to program a Universal Remote for the TWO pieces of equipment.

So I'm thinkin alright guess they got a 20 dollar remote from Radio Shack or something and just need the codes plugged in... but nope... I was given a Logitec Harmony One that they paid 400 for (even though you can get it for 180 online, which is still 160 too much..)

At least they didn't pay the guy the 300 bucks they charge to come program it... gotta save somewhere!

Can't beleive I gotta bring a freakin laptop with me to his office to program a REMOTE CONTROL. The whole manual talks about "simplicity" and "ease of use". Wait, I thought the remotes we've been using for 30 years are pretty easy?

 

[purbeast0]

well if it was for my personal use, i would spend more $$ and get a harmony over a cheapo at radio shack too.

oh wait, i already DID buy a harmony!

 

[Insomniator]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
well if it was for my personal use, i would spend more $$ and get a harmony over a cheapo at radio shack too.

oh wait, i already DID buy a harmony!

You use it every day I'm sure for a full entertainment system.

This will be used... once a month for a tv and disc player.

 

[Crusty]

You have to plug it in to configure it.... makes sense if you ask me. Why go through all the effort of making the remotes be smart enough when they can just do it all in software on a PC? Far cheaper to go the software route.

 

[Chryso]

Harmony for 2 items is stupid.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Harmony for 2 items is stupid.

not when somebody else is paying for it

 

[hanoverphist]

you guys assume its for only 2 items. i bet that pres knows exactly what hes doing, and that sucker will be running his system at his house by next week.

i got a $5k laptop for a director one time under contract for a job we were doing for him, specced it out for gaming. the dvd was the main item for him. that laptop has never connected to the office network, its never seen use as the "remote access" it was purchased for.

 

[TXHokie]

It's easy to spend money that isn't yours. I would've bought a new bigger TV with integrated Blue-Ray which would've come with an integrated remote.

 

[Snuffaluffaguss]

$400 bucks for a remote that will save the time and aggravation of the President of your college might not be waste of money when you think about it. What is the President's hourly wage work out too? What about the other staff members in Presidents office? How much time would he/she waste, or non technical staff waste trying to figure out what input to turn to?

I work at a state university and I can tell you first hand faculty and administrators are some of the least technological literate people in world. I can easily see 5-15 minutes wasted setting up the system every time some tries to use it. That time adds up...

- note - the above comments are those of a state employee who programs Crestron systems for a living.......

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss
$400 bucks for a remote that will save the time and aggravation of the President of your college might not be waste of money when you think about it. What is the President's hourly wage work out too? What about the other staff members in Presidents office? How much time would he/she waste, or non technical staff waste trying to figure out what input to turn to?

I work at a state university and I can tell you first hand faculty and administrators are some of the least technological literate people in world. I can easily see 5-15 minutes wasted setting up the system every time some tries to use it. That time adds up...

- note - the above comments are those of a state employee who programs Crestron systems for a living.......

I don't think they're going to be doing much more than turning the TV on and hitting play .

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss
$400 bucks for a remote that will save the time and aggravation of the President of your college might not be waste of money when you think about it. What is the President's hourly wage work out too? What about the other staff members in Presidents office? How much time would he/she waste, or non technical staff waste trying to figure out what input to turn to?

I work at a state university and I can tell you first hand faculty and administrators are some of the least technological literate people in world. I can easily see 5-15 minutes wasted setting up the system every time some tries to use it. That time adds up...

- note - the above comments are those of a state employee who programs Crestron systems for a living.......

I got my Harmony remote for $60. $400 is a complete waste.

What would be funny is if the Blu-Ray player remote had some TV control buttons on it...

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Harmony One=heaven.

My gf and I love mine. It didn't bother me so much, but my gf couldn't stand 5+ remotes and knowing how to use each (with what device).

Now, a TV and Blu-Ray player (which btw, why do they need a Blu-Ray player?) is pretty flippin simple and a Harmony One is wasted on.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss
$400 bucks for a remote that will save the time and aggravation of the President of your college might not be waste of money when you think about it. What is the President's hourly wage work out too? What about the other staff members in Presidents office? How much time would he/she waste, or non technical staff waste trying to figure out what input to turn to?

I work at a state university and I can tell you first hand faculty and administrators are some of the least technological literate people in world. I can easily see 5-15 minutes wasted setting up the system every time some tries to use it. That time adds up...

- note - the above comments are those of a state employee who programs Crestron systems for a living.......

I don't think they're going to be doing much more than turning the TV on and hitting play .

Bingo. For the TV itself, they need only three buttons: "Power", "Volume +", and "Volume -". And most newer DVD or Blue-Ray players will come with their own variant of a "universal" remote that will already provide the necessary functionality.

This is the kind of thing that, were I a student at this college, I would be making a stink about.

As far as faculty, etc being technically savvy, that argument doesn't work well when you're talking about something as complicated as a Harmony remote. While such things tend to be massively convenient for us, in my own experience people who are less tech savvy do better with a separate remote for the TV and the video player.

ZV

 

[ra1nman]

They could have bought one of the cheaper Harmony remotes. The harmony 1 is overkill for just 2 components.

 

[QueBert]

a Harmony One was a good route to go, it is overkill for 2 components. But if they ever decide to upgrade to a full setup, it will expand with no issues. They could have went with a $1,000 color touch screen Pronto

 

[esun]

Yeah wasteful spending in academia is pretty atrocious. If you think that's bad, consider this: my roommate is technically hired as a GSR (graduate student researcher) on campus right now. That means his adviser is paying him to do research 20 hours per week, which totals something around $1500 a month plus fee remission (which is a lot since he's an international student).

I can tell you with absolute certainty that he has done literally no research all quarter. He has not stepped foot into the professor's lab. The professor is just too lazy to give him any actual work to do, but continues to sign his time sheets nonetheless. They're basically throwing money away.

My mom works in academia and has dozens of stories of wasteful spending. I recall when I first got here they showed us a slide that showed where the money went (research, teaching, etc.). Over 50 % was overhead. It's just ridiculous all around.

 

[clamum]

A $400 remote? I've never heard of such a thing. What a waste, unless of course the fucking thing gives you a blowjob or something.

 

[Balt]

Remember that scene in Falling Down where Michael Douglas goes nutso because there's a road crew fixing a road that didn't even need it, so that the transportation budget doesn't get cut for having a surplus? I think the same thing happens at universities to some degree. If they don't spend the money they lose it.

They are also aware that regardless of how trim their budget is, it's going to be cut during a recession (like now). I think to some degree they want to spend more than they need to during the good years so that they can trim only fat rather than a limb during the bad years.

As a grad assistant at a university in a fairly poor state, I can say that there really isn't that much wasteful spending at my particular school. The computer I was issued for work is fairly ancient and had to be loaned from another department, we don't put staples in our copy machine, etc. On the other hand, there are a lot of faculty members that aren't used very heavily.

The remote thing is ridiculous, though. There are better ways to spend money in academics, but you also have each department usually fighting to keep their own particular part of the budget so they will use every dollar they can I think.

 

[lxskllr]

Or they could just use 2 remotes, it's not that damned hard. When I was in school you actually had to walk your ass over to the equipment to use it :^S

 

[amdhunter]

Anyone have a clue when the Logitech bluetooth receiver for the PS3 will come out for the Harmony Remotes? I think that is when I will jump ship and buy one. (Or if I can get in on a $50 deal like they had going before.

 

[ra1nman]

Originally posted by: clamum
A $400 remote? I've never heard of such a thing. What a waste, unless of course the fucking thing gives you a blowjob or something.

I'm sure the remote won't give you a BJ but I would imagine that there is something out there that has a remote which the harmony could control?!?.......

 

[imported_Imp]

A not for profit organization I worked for bought a director a $90 bluetooth laser mouse when they just came out. Need that for Outlook and Excel, yep.

 

[ric1287]

Originally posted by: Balt
Remember that scene in Falling Down where Michael Douglas goes nutso because there's a road crew fixing a road that didn't even need it, so that the transportation budget doesn't get cut for having a surplus? I think the same thing happens at universities to some degree. If they don't spend the money they lose it.

They are also aware that regardless of how trim their budget is, it's going to be cut during a recession (like now). I think to some degree they want to spend more than they need to during the good years so that they can trim only fat rather than a limb during the bad years.

As a grad assistant at a university in a fairly poor state, I can say that there really isn't that much wasteful spending at my particular school. The computer I was issued for work is fairly ancient and had to be loaned from another department, we don't put staples in our copy machine, etc. On the other hand, there are a lot of faculty members that aren't used very heavily.

The remote thing is ridiculous, though. There are better ways to spend money in academics, but you also have each department usually fighting to keep their own particular part of the budget so they will use every dollar they can I think.

yep...thats why at my old tech support job for the athletic dept the 3 bosses would buy themselves $3k computers every other year.

 

[teiresias]

You have to provide appropriate and superior equipment in order to retain the talent at the college, otherwise the talent will just leave and go elsewhere where they're productivity isn't hampered by having to learn two different remotes.

 

[ric1287]

Originally posted by: teiresias
You have to provide appropriate and superior equipment in order to retain the talent at the college, otherwise the talent will just leave and go elsewhere where they're productivity isn't hampered by having to learn two different remotes.

the best part is, the prez will still probably have the tech guy come in to set up the tv everytime he uses it.