http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2010/01/26/blog-snippits-january-2010/ http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2010/01/26/blog-snippits-january-2010/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:41:00 +0000 John Beagle http://johnbeagle.com/?p=119

I write to allot of blogs. Here is a summary of my recent work:

Top 3 Reasons why I rate MSFT a Buy
January 26, 2010

Although I am fully invested and won’t be adding shares in MSFT, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy MSFT at this time.

First Look: Garmin Edge Bike GPS
I just purchased a Garmin Edge 500 because it will help me document my bike path explorations as well as keep an very useful log of all my runs, calorie burn etc.

Hispanola Island and Friedman
Milton Friedman would look at the Island of Hispanola and point to it as an example of the relationship of economic freedom and economic success. Friedman would call Island of Hispanola ‘a tale of two countries – Haiti and the Dominican Republic’.

21% More Meetings in 2010
FutureWatch 2010 predicts that U.S. meeting planners will plan 21 percent more meetings in 2010 than they did in 2009 while spending 3.5 percent less per meeting.

Monore Reinstates Membership in The Middletown Based Chamber
Last year, Monroe city council voted to leave the Middletown Based local area Chamber of Commerce which covers Monroe, Middletown and Trenton.

Computer Lab Rentals
“I put this 100 computer lab together in 1 day with one phone call to Darcy Mann, my Tech Travel Agent from Rentacomputer.com.” -Employee Training Department Manager, Cindy A. Marketing Company

John Beagle, Xponex Web and Media Services

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http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2009/03/23/goodbye-julian-sandler-business-associate-and-friend/ http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2009/03/23/goodbye-julian-sandler-business-associate-and-friend/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:47:00 +0000 John Beagle http://johnbeagle.com/?p=110

The computer rental industry lost a good friend last week, Julian Sandler. Julian was founder, president and CEO of SmartSource Computer and Audio Visual Rentals, formerly Rent-A-PC.

Julian was a pioneer in the computer rental industry, starting Rent-A-PC in 1984, the same year IBM introduced the IBM AT. He started one of the computer rental industry’s first companies. I started my company, Rentacomputer.com (Formerly Rent-A-Computer) 3 years later in 1987.

He grew his Rent-A-PC organization by hard work, organic growth and acquisitions. Under his leadership, the company made 16 acquisitions and currently has 22 full-service locations nationwide with more than 250 employees.

I met Julian two times at International Technology Rental Association (ITRA) meetings. Due to his illness, he was unable to attend this year’s meeting.

The last time I met Julian was in San Diego at the Coronado Island Marriot Resort. There I really got to know the wit, wisdom and charm of Julian Sandler.

Dinner Tour of San Diego Harbor

About 50 ITRA conference attendees took a Dinner cruise of the San Diego Harbor. I had the pleasure of sitting down across from Julian for dinner and speaking with him at length. You could tell he was South African, or British by his accent. He had a charming way with words. At evenings end, I was thoroughly impressed by his wit, wisdom and knowledge of the industry.

He was a gentleman who was firm in his ideas, yet diplomatic in his conversations about business, politics, economics and life. He never bragged about his education or success, yet he had much to brag about. Unbelievably, Julian had a Ph.D. degree in experimental nuclear physics! SmartSource is estimated to have done over $55 Million USD in 2008, which would put his company near or at the top of the computer rental industry.

Julian Sandler was a man of charm, optimism and grace.

Goodbye my friend. Your knowledge and wisdom will live with me, the members of the ITRA and the computer rental industry always.

Peace and goodwill be with you, your friends and your family.

John Beagle, Xponex Web and Media Services

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ITRA 016, originally uploaded by John Beagle.

More than 50 people from the United States, Canada and the UK attended this years ITRA conference in Orlando, Florida this year.

The event’s keynote speaker was Corbin Ball, an international technology advisor with 20 years experience running meetings. Corbin asks, “What’s happening with technology and how will it directly affect me? “

Photo: Corbin Ball, Keynote Speaker

The answer took us down a high tech path of wikis, web 2.0, microblogging, radio frequency ID tags, virtural meetings, conference and trade shows.

Corbin’s talk left most attendees overwhelmed with new ideas and information.

The board put together an excellent conference.

ITRA Board Members are in the photo (Left to Right): Wayne Springer, John Carnahan, Dan Kallen, Steve Shatsoff, Dave Veeder, Tom Hornyak, and Dennis Pugh.

Also vendors from HP, Samsung and others were at the trade show displaying the latest Tablet PCs, high tech printers and Video Walls.

Some of the people in attendance included:

Abcom Computer Rentals – Sonny Goyal
ABS Computer Rentals – Erik and Erika Wainiopaa
AC Technology, Inc. – Kathy Schultz
Atiwa Computing, Inc. – Wayne and DeDe Springer
Atlantix Global Systems – Tanya Adams and Sean Hutcheson
BMS Computer Rentals – Jerry and Chris Thompson
Computer Rentals, Etc. – Cuyler Tremayne, Rhonda Simien, Milko Figueroa
Computer Rental Systems – John Carnahan
Desktop Visual Products, Inc. – Rick Frandsen
DE Systems Ltd. – Dave Dugas
Hartford Computer Rental Co. – Dan Kallen
Hire Intelligence International Ltd. – Chris Hutber
Mac Rentals – Larry Langbort
MCR Integrated Technologies – Steve and Dena Mangum
MCR Rental Solutions – Dennis Pugh and Jack Brown
Meeting Tomorrow Audio Visual – Bill Powers
Computer Rent – Dave Wood
Micro Rental Service – Tom and Carol Hornyak
MicroStar – Doug Turner
PC Consultants of SW Michigan – Dick and Juanita Kohfeldt
RentAComputer.com – John and Susan Beagle, Darcy and John Mann
Rentfusion – Amit Parekh, Rhonwyn Godwin, Radha Singh
SmartSource – Steve Shatsoff, Julian Sandler, Niraj Jain, Robert and Jennifer Kastner
Rentsys – Laura Polasek and Chad Frank
Rush Computer Rentals – Electrorent – Dennis Clark, Craig Burgi, Rojer Bishop
Smart Computer Services – Robert Lowry and Will Lowry
Technology Rentals of America – Dave Veeder
Vernon Computer Source – Anthony C. Randazzo

We had 2 digital cameras provided by Meetings Tomorrow. A video is being put together that includes a brief introduction from many of the people mentioned above.

Many ITRA members are also members of the Tech Army Organization. All ITRA members have worked with Rentacomputer.com.

I have to say it is wonderful to have friends all over the world. Also thanks to Chad Frank from Rentsys, who played golf with me at Falcons Fire golf course near the convention.

room camera shot, originally uploaded by Xponex.

People always ask me what I do for a living. When I tell them I rent computers, they usually scratch their head and ask why.

“Why would anyone ever want to rent a computer?,” they ask.

One good example is classroom computer training. Renting is far easier and cheaper than owning for off-site training. This is a wonderful environment to train staff from all over the world.

My company installs computers, networks, projectors and even the IP surveillance cameras in rooms like the one in the photo all over the world, but primarily in the US. 

The computers are preloaded with the client company’s software for training. All computers are networked and have the same specification.

This is just one example, there are many other examples of the cost effective and convenience advantages of renting computer and audio visual technology.

Call me crazy, but since 1987, I have non-stop, been renting computers to businesses in the United States, Canada and now Europe.

Visit Rentacomputer.com for more information.

You turn the corner and a tank is coming right at you. But that’s impossible, you’re at a trade show. How can that be? Answer: Its an amazing flying screen and it gets attention alright.

Colored lights can hipnotize and so are flying screens. Flying screens are suspended objects capable of displaying computer images and ever changing multi-colored lights from a variety of angles, heights and directions.

Flying screens are unique shapes that can be projected upon utilizing projectors and spotlights or they can be as simple as a 42″ Plasma Screen hanging from the ceiling or on a floor stand. Flying Screens appear to be just that, flying in your face.

Almost getting run over by a tank made me think about how important it is to have an active trade show booth. Attention getting images and sounds are your company’s image.

Next time run over compeition with a Flying Screen Tank.

Can Vista configurations be ghosted on PC’s to create a uniform installation on multiple pcs? Find out here…

ICC Enterprises is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Raj Jain is the Chief Executive Officer of a company that has been in the business to business technology rental industry since 1984. Raj thinks the the B-to-B computer technology rental is going to $1B in 5 years.

ICC & Rentacomputer have been partnering in rentals and service for over a decade.

Rentacomputer.com and ICC Enterprises are both members of the International Technology Rental Association and the Tech Army Organization.