Welp, started the new job at the "150th largest software development company in the world!" (cue music) So far there's only been one real revelation: Though I thought I was working at a Microsoft sell-out shop before, where we used IIS for our web servers, Microsoft SQL Server for our database servers, made customized plug-ins using vba and apps with VB6, and everyone and their brother used Internet Explorer to anything related to the web (that is, everyone who knew how to open a URL outside of their email client), I wasn't close to how bad it could get.

Where I work now there isn't an application that doesn't talk Microsoft, it seems. Before email was done through Netscape Communicator (4.7!). Now it's Outlook. Scheduling was done through Meeting Maker (which, I might say, is a decent app for companies of about 150 or fewer employees and is awfully cross-platform, available on "Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, Java, Palm, PocketPC and RIM Blackberry"). Now we use... yep, Outlook.

In fact, looking at Outlook's settings, we[ at the new company]'ve stopped using email standards like IMAP4 and now use some wacky Microsoft Exchange crud. Oh, I'd heard of Exchange before, but it never really occurred to me that this was not a simple embrace and extend but a complete replacement for standard internet techs. The server's got me signing in via my NT permissions, not a separate email login and pwd. I'm sure there's some way to talk to the server like it's an IMAP4 server, but it didn't jump out at me quickly. I'm even scared to change settings to have my emails sent in plain text! (But, of course, not so scared that I didn't already do it.)

It's bad enough that I could envision myself installing Gaim (which I probably won't; these guys are real sticklers for time management, which is a good thing, I think) and IM'n a few people before I have the IT infrastructure folk show up with my manager to give me a stern ultimatum: Switch to MSN messenger or start looking for another job!!!.

On the trialware front, I'm stuck between an S-corp and an LLC. As soon as the taxman gets back to me on which is better news for my particular situation (and I finish up the help section, admittedly), the app should be ready for sale. Woohoo!