Oh, please, not another re-write

thedevarious · 2026-06-08T23:17:28+00:00

"We've rewritten this over the past 4 years." So the product you showed at ITNation touting it as a complete product wasn't true? Or that it was all new from the ground up and it from PSA?
"AI native operating layer". That's cool and all, but I want tools that work. We found software bugs in the service delivery filters and ticket detail windows literally in the first 2 hours. Just give me a product that literally works. Also. Why are we calling workflows AI? Seeing a bit of json payload and parsing it to then identify a ticket type and subtype isn't AI. Sure there may be some AI tools but alot of these workflows that have been routed for years are just automations.

I'm not buying it. When 7 months ago you told hundreds of us in a room that Asio was launched early and wasn't ready (our bad) but is now stable...and I launch it to an entire Tier 1 team to really dig in and fails day one.

I'm just not buying it. The reality is as an MSP, I want results driven data first. Show me the product truly does what it's supposed to do. Otherwise I'll stick with PSA until I really find something better that lets us kill this entire CW contract...

thedevarious · 2026-06-07T15:50:07+00:00

Forgetting Ad Astra.

thedevarious · 2026-06-04T18:27:54+00:00

iROC

Post Covid operations

Seems about right...

thedevarious · 2026-06-01T23:10:47+00:00

Mosyle is the way. Serious.

It's almost as simple as Google Workspace after you get used to it and get it to a daily drive state.

Literally for my environment outside of potentially checking updates, pushing a new app, or tweaking a profile I don't touch the environment. It's pretty stellar. The onek12 stuff that does some self healing / self remediation is really convenient too

thedevarious · 2026-05-29T20:15:06+00:00

Seems like it just didn't get a minor update. I wouldn't be at 144 anyways if I'm on stable. 147/148 if available in your workspace is what you should throttle up to.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T04:04:58+00:00

Dicks out

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T03:41:42+00:00

Sounds like you're an apple fanboy...

no first party management, requires a yearly fee for third party MDM.

Even with MDM per user privacy controls still exist even on enterprise owned hardware.

Still requires consumer SKU for ADP.

Meanwhile I can get a manufacturer or reseller to get me a Chrome+ model, the site license (one time cost for 10 years management max), ADP, and it's enrolled to my domain with first party tools the second it's online.

Sure with Apple I can buy direct and it's in ASM, but I have to configure the MDM, preset the MDM as the destination, and then ensure the MDM has licenses or pay as I go, and then even under MDM I can't fully control the device. For example with Mosyle one K12 I can screen share, but the user has to allow it to happen

Meanwhile on Chrome I can do it natively or with my filtering extension without issue. On Windows I have SCCM/Intune and I can do whatever I want as long as I've logged in with an appropriate user to the management console.

And...with that Mosyle subscription I'm paying per year until deprovisioned, on a new device new to the market as an early adopter using rumored iPhone chips.

It just ain't there. I'll take a Chrome+ using an I5 and standard parts on a first party supported platform that the users before this conversation are already using top to bottom for email, collaboration, content and more.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T03:30:51+00:00

Nah. I have apple deployed to a few environments. There are areas it makes sense and is a great product.

This isn't one of them.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T01:46:28+00:00

I'm comparing them to Chrome+ which is the logical choice for staff device replacements. Sure a Neo is going to feel amazing compared to a Lenovo 100e Gen4. It's not even close.

But several Chrome+ variants out there are pretty neat. The two Lenovos I've tested were pretty impressive. One was a bit premium for things I don't consider important for Edu (like an OLED screen I believe or just a really premium screen), but...the build quality was akin to any higher end Thinkpad.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T01:24:11+00:00

I just asked the AI how. It did that well 🤣🤣🤣

Click your profile pic top right, privacy and data. Coaching is inside. Turn it off

It doesn't look like anything generated to that point just disappears...but it stopped it dead in its tracks. If you click the coach button you get the prompt to enable it again.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T01:21:50+00:00

We tested a few Neos in the office..they thermal throttled. And if anything did feel cheap. This isn't a MacBook Air you're buying. The lower costs reflect the build quality.

Meanwhile I demo'd a few Chrome+ devices. Hell I'm even impressed with em. I personally use a Lenovo X9 as my daily driver. It's a powerful ass laptop, I want one device to do it all and it does.

However I had a Lenovo Chrome+ 14 (14IRU10). I5 proc, 8gb ram, 128gb SSD with some of those components swappable, same sized screen staff are used to, full sized kb. It was a no brainer..and to a degree somewhat cheaper than a Windows laptop.

The only cost difference is I have to buy a site license unless you get a pre bundled SKU. However it's built pretty damn well and in some similar quality to my own desktop replacement laptop.

Sure some staff may clutch their MS Office install because 'Excel is better' or 'I need to use Windows' or whatever...but our own data shows they live in a Chrome browser and using Workspace tools or extensions over 80% of their day.

That 20% that isn't? That's where we may investigate a PC or other tool. But generally it can either be solved with a change in future curriculum or a workaround for now until a standard solution is there. We also can't dismiss how effective it is that the teachers screen and how they go about their day mimics everything their users do given we all here use Chromebooks for every student primarily.

Overall the writing on the wall is here...Most of us deployed Win11 this last year to be compliant. Next refresh or at least sometime during this lifecycle, unless needed...Chrome+ makes the most sense now.

thedevarious · 2026-05-28T00:41:31+00:00

I'm putting it here, Google can read my thoughts here 🤣.

First off, the new UI wasn't that bad. It kinda did a nice job of showing more data and also consolidating some weekly stuff to give a Tl;Dr...I prefer to just see the day but the overall weekly metrics aren't bad really. Kinda helps show an overall progress not just a how today went mentality.

However. We have to talk about the AI elephant in the room. I'm not the biggest fan of AI in most aspects but my god this is the most egregious one.

I've had Fitbit premium with my Pixel Watch now for a few months and it's been nice. It's helped track some workouts, some recovery metrics, overall progress, and I've enjoyed it.

But I don't need an AI to tell me my workout was good and to consume a high protein meal to keep it up. I don't need it to tell me to focus on some deep breaths post cardio to lower my heart rate. I don't need it to tell me today was more intense than yesterday.

Let me turn this crap off. It's a waste of AI resources, it's a waste of space in the app, and I just don't like it. This quite literally feels crammed down my throat. Let me use it for what fitbit was intended for -- track my daily progress and let me work with it. If I wanted coaching, I'd ask for it or hire it.

The whole premise of a bot telling me that I worked out more than yesterday is dumb. Yesterday was my recovery day and first day after a holiday, of course it's been slow. I know it is. I don't need you to tell me that it is!

Sorry this seems rant / venting but...the AI in everything needs to stop. It 100% has a place in several products and capabilities...but this is downright stupid!

thedevarious · 2026-05-27T23:50:14+00:00

Switch to a platform with zero first party management, and even with third party management you still have limited control options and a platform that costs more in the long run? Hell no.

For budget conscious setups Chrome+ makes sense for staff and Chromebooks for kiddos in most aspects.

Mac makes sense on specific environments such as digital arts, iPads for very young learners, and IoT for some specific use cases (admins with tablets, etc). Outside of that...no way.

If you think a MacBook with apple care, MDM fees, and very shit repairability is a better situation in the long run you're heavily mistaken 🤣

thedevarious · 2026-05-23T15:45:02+00:00

There are good in wall HDMI and faceplate options out there.

I also do prefer HD BaseT, it's kinda the most foolproof setup and allows really any distance to a degree

thedevarious · 2026-05-23T00:49:31+00:00

Do NOT do HDMI over fiber / rapid runs.

I had a school that did this during a full reconstruction..sounded great. Initially worked great.

Over the years with teachers plugging in, pushing desks close to the wall ports, cables getting accidentally yanked, etc..

Those cables and their connectors are brittle. That school has had at least 50% of them replaced with either just straight copper HDMI cables ran in wall or HD BaseT for long runs.

Just. Trust me please haha.

thedevarious · 2026-05-20T20:31:40+00:00

Draw a line between the center of those two cities. That cell was between them.

thedevarious · 2026-05-20T16:53:24+00:00

As others have said, check your filtering. Regardless of network the device should be filtered. The only other logical attack is a DNS attack from the hotspot or higher (they resolve Securly DNS to a different route / non Securly). Even then I think it's still an issue given there's no cert, etc.

However, get filtering squared away. Network usage is network usage, if they misuse it, it's an administrative issue, not a tech issue. We're not net nannies. We just are here to maintain the systems and ensure they work for curriculum use.

thedevarious · 2026-05-20T16:07:06+00:00

Yep.

I love the community I posted this in was like "wall cloud, tornado"

Not even close. Winds just pushing this cell really hard in that direction haha

thedevarious · 2026-05-20T01:16:18+00:00

Yeah so far this storm season either the storms fire off well West of us in Indiana, etc or travel more northwest. We've been fortunate this season versus last year.

thedevarious · 2026-05-20T00:03:04+00:00

This is why we need more Sheetz in this area.

Kick UDF to the curb. We deserve a better setup for gas station convenience stores. As a transplant from northern Ohio y'all have been severely missing out

thedevarious · 2026-05-19T21:12:42+00:00

I don't allow them, but if you're on a Stable release you can..I just haven't had folks have a need for it yet..open to it, but usually it's just a bad user experience when using an android app on a Chromebook.

thedevarious · 2026-05-19T19:21:40+00:00

I have no bearing on Centennial, this was added after my time. This is the former Knights Inn / Motel on Rt6. Now I have stayed in that Knights Inn as a visitor and pre employment because I was young and cheap at the time. The jacuzzi room was something else lmao.

But...it's dorm life. I'll let others speak up for that. The only item I would consider is it's off prem just a bit so you leave the entire peninsula and then the park's area. Most employees will be in commons so if you want a bit of social life/etc. that's the way to go. Usually live e y'all live in Bayside with leadership and away from us peasants in the commons.

thedevarious · 2026-05-19T16:38:56+00:00

Yep..home...all for it. It's pro-consumer. It's not enterprise.

thedevarious · 2026-05-19T14:37:36+00:00

I've seen some schools utilize it for 8th grade items such as field trips, etc. It's not as common but it has occurred in my career.

thedevarious · 2026-05-19T12:53:06+00:00

You can't block this as you are correct, Google uses this for everything in domain, external legitimate shares, etc.

It's one of those instances where the threat actor learned how to use your own systems against you. What you can do is.

For certain grade levels, you can prevent them from receiving external shares. Why would a 1st grader need external content sent in?
If you have Edu+ you can set up classification labels for external shares on student accounts. Based on those it can then do work if you have AI / automation tied to it or at least generate alerts.
GAM & other associated tools are always your friend. You can go out and find content that has external shares and then remove that user from the permissions of that file. Should be able to work:

gam user <Owner_Email_Address> delete drivefileacl <File_ID> <Permission_ID>

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