Pandora for business

[Kumaki]

Well, there is no security risk in my business that the Pandy could do.  I'm pretty sure that Pandy does not have the power or ability to run the EHR or billing program we use, and that is the only place where PHI (Protected Health Information) appears.

I can't speak to the rest of the world, but I can tell you that the United states has very strict laws, and very severe penalties for divulging PHI.  PHI can ONLY be shared amongst professionals who are facilitating the patient's treatment.  As a biller, I am seeing to it that the doctr gets paid, and am thus facilitating the patient's treatment.

 

[Grench]

Well, there is no security risk in my business that the Pandy could do.  I'm pretty sure that Pandy does not have the power or ability to run the EHR or billing program we use, and that is the only place where PHI (Protected Health Information) appears.

I can't speak to the rest of the world, but I can tell you that the United states has very strict laws, and very severe penalties for divulging PHI.  PHI can ONLY be shared amongst professionals who are facilitating the patient's treatment.  As a biller, I am seeing to it that the doctr gets paid, and am thus facilitating the patient's treatment.

That is a very amusing and narrow view.

The Pandora is a general use computer.  If placed on your network with the right credentials and software, it should be able to communicate with and even administer the servers that your applications run on.

I use it fairly regularly to administer my Linux servers using SSH and SSHFS.  Remmina even allows for administration of Windows machines through a graphical interface.

If you're in hardware configuration and administration, the Pandora is actually VERY handy.

A few months ago I purchased a new Asus router.  Using just the router and the Pandora I was able to connect it, download the Tomato OS for it, back up the factory router OS, install the Tomato OS, configure the Tomato OS and test it via both wired and wireless connections while standing at the router.  Yes, I could have done that with a laptop, but it would have been much more cumbersome.

Alternatively if you're a photographer, the Pandora runs Gimp.  You can view, edit, collect, copy, sync back to the server and distribute your photography files on location - whether that is at a wedding or at a sled dog camp in Alaska.

So, are there business uses for the Pandora?  Certainly  - depending on the business and the technical skill of the user.  Just like any other portable general use computer.

Oh, and it can play music and games pretty darn well too.

 

[klapse]

I'm likely to be self employed for a while in the near future, and I'll likely be doing business on mine. But, that's one of the benefits/drawbacks of being self employed, you're generally supporting yourself unless you're doing quite well.

Wha.. How/why do you stop supporting yourself if you're doing quite well?

 

[Kumaki]

I'm likely to be self employed for a while in the near future, and I'll likely be doing business on mine. But, that's one of the benefits/drawbacks of being self employed, you're generally supporting yourself unless you're doing quite well.

Wha.. How/why do you stop supporting yourself if you're doing quite well?

That is when you start supporting other people, too (by giving THEM jobs)  what he means is...you're ONLY supporting yourself...unless you're doing really well.  Which is the reality of most small businesses.

 

[Kumaki]

@grench

The billing software we use requires things to be written to very specifi places within Windows.  Yes, I know a Pandy CAN run limited versions of Windows, but this requires at LEAST XP.  Show me a Pandy that could run XP.  Good luck.

The EHR software requires a certain level of Java and Adobe reader, also puts things in very specific locations on Windows, and would require at LEAST XP to run.

The software is NOT compatible with Linux systems.  It is compatible only with Mac and Windows.

And you just can't run a high enough eversion of Mac OS or Windows...to make this stuff work.

And even THEN you still need a sign-on and password to get into the software for any information.  So, even if the Pandy COULD be made to run the software we use (and I highly doubt it) if someone left their Pandy in a bus station...any idiot could not just pick up the Pandy and access the PHI.

Pandy can do a lot, yes, and I do not come CLOSE to utilizing all of it's ability....but there ARE some things it just plain can't do.

My point was that, for me and MY business...I see no area where there would be any security problem in issuing Pandys to employees.

Especially, seeing as how if someone REALLY wanted to wreck havoc with my systems...assuming they could access it (and I know no system is totally secure) they would likely need a full-power computer to do it.  And if they wanted to...they might even be able.  But not with a Pandy.

 

[TrashyMG]

Show me a Pandy that could run XP. Good luck.

Challenge accepted.

 

[slaeshjag]

 

It wasn't at a usable speed though  

 

[Grench]

@grench

The billing software we use requires things to be written to very specifi places within Windows.  Yes, I know a Pandy CAN run limited versions of Windows, but this requires at LEAST XP.  Show me a Pandy that could run XP.  Good luck.

The EHR software requires a certain level of Java and Adobe reader, also puts things in very specific locations on Windows, and would require at LEAST XP to run.

The software is NOT compatible with Linux systems.  It is compatible only with Mac and Windows.

And you just can't run a high enough eversion of Mac OS or Windows...to make this stuff work.

And even THEN you still need a sign-on and password to get into the software for any information.  So, even if the Pandy COULD be made to run the software we use (and I highly doubt it) if someone left their Pandy in a bus station...any idiot could not just pick up the Pandy and access the PHI.

Pandy can do a lot, yes, and I do not come CLOSE to utilizing all of it's ability....but there ARE some things it just plain can't do.

My point was that, for me and MY business...I see no area where there would be any security problem in issuing Pandys to employees.

Especially, seeing as how if someone REALLY wanted to wreck havoc with my systems...assuming they could access it (and I know no system is totally secure) they would likely need a full-power computer to do it.  And if they wanted to...they might even be able.  But not with a Pandy.

Please look up Remmina and get back to me.  OK?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remmina

http://remmina.sourceforge.net/screenshots.shtml

Your custom software doesn't have to be installed ON the Pandora.  With the right credentials it can take over your XP workstation and view/manipulate/use the software running on the XP box.

Like I said, you're taking a narrow view and assuming that the software would have to be installed directly on the Pandora in order for it to be usable.

 

[Binky]

Does it really need adobe reader? Would one of the many FOSS PDF viewers work?

 

[_wb_]

We can have recent versions of Java on the Pandora, and PDF readers are also no problem. There is no technical reason why software intrinsically needs Windows or Mac OS, if the programmers used some decent level of abstraction, it should not be hard to port it to other platforms. You just have to pressure these software companies to either port their stuff to ARM Linux, or give you the source code so you can do the porting yourself or hire someone to do it for you. I don't understand why people so easily accept software being available only as binaries for a very limited set of platforms, as if it's a law of nature that software can only be compiled for one or two different platforms.

 

[ptitSeb]

You can also compile windows software on the Pandora, with little effort with Winelib. You'll need "wine run time" to run it, be it is not so hard to port if you have the sources...

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Arguments regarding your job:

There is some ways to encrypt data. Simple ways like TrueCrypt, or complete like this advanced one:

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/11367-beta-pandora-full-system-encryption/#entry211865

Also, with or without alternative OS like Slackware, you have access to all software any computer can provide. It's not limited like a mobile phone or a tablet.

The battery life is awesome, you don't have to constantly care for AC/DC supply. Not to say you can also bring spare batteries with you.

While in suspend, the Pandora is instant-on, you lose no time.

The touchscreen is very precise, you can draw on it with the stylus.

 

[hedwards]

I'm likely to be self employed for a while in the near future, and I'll likely be doing business on mine. But, that's one of the benefits/drawbacks of being self employed, you're generally supporting yourself unless you're doing quite well.

Wha.. How/why do you stop supporting yourself if you're doing quite well?

It means that if your business grows large enough you can start paying other people to do the IT work so you can focus on business.

 

[hedwards]

We can have recent versions of Java on the Pandora, and PDF readers are also no problem. There is no technical reason why software intrinsically needs Windows or Mac OS, if the programmers used some decent level of abstraction, it should not be hard to port it to other platforms. You just have to pressure these software companies to either port their stuff to ARM Linux, or give you the source code so you can do the porting yourself or hire someone to do it for you. I don't understand why people so easily accept software being available only as binaries for a very limited set of platforms, as if it's a law of nature that software can only be compiled for one or two different platforms.

That's kind of naive considering how many applications still use DOS or worse mainframes still sometimes use COBOL based software that hasn't been updated in probably 20 years beyond maintenance.

Yes, what you're saying should be correct, but business don't usually pay for anything more than the bare minimum to get it working as the benefits would be in the future and the costs would be booked under the current budget. (And yes, that's incredibly stupid, but we can't fire all the accountants into the sun, no matter what that might do for productivity)

 

[ekianjo]

You can also compile windows software on the Pandora, with little effort with Winelib. You'll need "wine run time" to run it, be it is not so hard to port if you have the sources...

Has any software been ported with Winelib ? Apart from the solitaire game in the repo ? 

 

[Kumaki]

Even so...it would be a HELL of a lot easier to just use a full-powered compy if you wanted to wreck havoc.

I'd still like to see someone run XP on Windows - at a useable speed, and THEN try and run the software we use...at any usable speed.

My point is the security risk is basically non-existent.

 

[hedwards]

Even so...it would be a HELL of a lot easier to just use a full-powered compy if you wanted to wreck havoc.

I'd still like to see someone run XP on Windows - at a useable speed, and THEN try and run the software we use...at any usable speed.

My point is the security risk is basically non-existent.

I'm sorry, but no. Crackers will hit the first thing they can and use it to work their way to more important systems. This whole security by obscurity BS only works out when people aren't interested in getting in.

Saying that security risk is basically non-existent is probably one of the most ignorant things I've seen posted on the topic of security. You'd be surprised all the things that have been exploited over the years. Bringing a device like this onto a business network is inherently risk. Sure, because it's an obscure device, it's not as likely that there'll be a kit available for it, but anything powerful enough to do work on is powerful enough to be a vulnerability.

Plus, while Linux exploits seem to be less common than Windows ones, it's not impervious to cracking and various other concerns.

 

[ptitSeb]

You can also compile windows software on the Pandora, with little effort with Winelib. You'll need "wine run time" to run it, be it is not so hard to port if you have the sources...

Has any software been ported with Winelib ? Apart from the solitaire game in the repo ? 

I'm not aware of any port. But Winelib and Wine for Arm is quite new, so it's a matter of time, + I haven't found a software Windows only interresting to port, but I haven't looked hard I must say. At least it is possible, and the XMSol port (as well as Takaeda's emulator) proves it.

 

[Kumaki]

Even so...it would be a HELL of a lot easier to just use a full-powered compy if you wanted to wreck havoc.

I'd still like to see someone run XP on Windows - at a useable speed, and THEN try and run the software we use...at any usable speed.

My point is the security risk is basically non-existent.

I'm sorry, but no. Crackers will hit the first thing they can and use it to work their way to more important systems. This whole security by obscurity BS only works out when people aren't interested in getting in.

Saying that security risk is basically non-existent is probably one of the most ignorant things I've seen posted on the topic of security. You'd be surprised all the things that have been exploited over the years. Bringing a device like this onto a business network is inherently risk. Sure, because it's an obscure device, it's not as likely that there'll be a kit available for it, but anything powerful enough to do work on is powerful enough to be a vulnerability.

Plus, while Linux exploits seem to be less common than Windows ones, it's not impervious to cracking and various other concerns.

AGAIN...my point is....I serious freaking DOUBT the goddam Pandy could run this software at any decent speed.  I (excuse mt French) fucking challenge you to make it happen....at any useable speed.

sorry for my language, but you are quite frankly beginning to really piss me off.

 

[_wb_]

Of course the Pandora could theoretically run Windows XP and its software at a decent speed. You just need to convince Microsoft and whatever software developer that makes your software to port their stuff to ARM. I don't think there should be huge amounts of their code written in x86 assembler code, so in theory, they just have to recompile their stuff. In terms of processing power, the Pandora is more than enough to run Windows XP-era software - provided that it can run that software natively, not with the overhead of emulation.

Of course Microsoft is never going to do that, and they're also never going to release their sources so nobody else is going to do it either.

Does the software you need actually need Windows? If it's distributed as Java bytecode, then in theory it could work on other platforms too.