May 24, 2008

The May 24 show preserves several important pieces of Computer Talk history and Dr. Dave's consulting philosophy. He and Evil Steve explain that the segmented archive on DaveMason.com had become the website's most-used feature, giving listeners months to revisit an answer and forming what Evil Steve calls a repository of Dr. Dave's brain. A personal interlude finds the brothers recounting a Randy Travis concert, a wholesome “need a push” joke and Dr. Dave's genuine surprise at how much he enjoyed the performance. Paul Zway then calls from Panama City during Expedition 08, using Skype while testing whether laptops, phones and a Land Cruiser could support an international business; the technology talk quickly gives way to an enormous lobster that Paul calls an ocean cockroach. Back in the consulting world, Dr. Dave says a computer that will not boot may need a Windows repair rather than data recovery and condemns charging frightened owners for work they do not need. He also identifies the underserved space between consumer products and enterprise technology, urges people to choose tools because they serve a purpose rather than because marketing creates insecurity and closes by pairing technology's extraordinary promise with risk, education, effort, responsibility and truth.

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Proposed air date. The available recordings may not contain the entire broadcast.

Recordings preserved for this date