Word IS Winter 2000

IS Projects Update

Robert McKenney, FAAMA, Director

In the Summer edition of this newsletter, we outlined six projects that would be undertaken during the 2001 fiscal year. Of course, there have been a few more projects/activities added to the plate that will most certainly complement the ones outlined below:

Changeover from WinFrame to MetaFrame for remote connectivity

This has been accomplished. Overview sessions were conducted that demonstrated how the upgrade now gives more "Windows-like" functionality. In addition, we are experimenting on a limited basis with access not only to the College's network and GroupWise, but also the Internet. To do this successfully, we have been working with Campus offices in reviewing how we might increase the speed of connectivity for our users.

Makers of modems may advertise speeds of 56Kbps, but they fail to communicate to customers that such speeds are not obtainable when analog lines are involved plus factoring in line noise. Although we cannot control the type of line that the customer may be dialing from, we are looking at opportunities to at least increase the connection speed potential at our end.

We are excited that we will shortly rollout Internet access to network applications, in addition to GroupWise that is currently available on the Web. This will enhance one's ability to connect remotely, and if you are already at a remote site with an Internet connection, you can connect to your network applications and files without a long distance charge.

Deployment of Microsoft Office 2000 applications

Again, this change is being timed to match the changeover in other areas of the Medical Center. Also, we are working to upgrade individual workstations prior to deployment.

Electronic communications traffic and storage

Both an upgrade of GroupWise and the e-mail server will be rolled out during this fiscal year. Currently, we have a demo unit on-site for testing. This rollout will be accompanied by training/overview sessions for customers so they may gain an understanding of what may be expected in using the updated GroupWise version.

Individual workstations upgrade

Approximately 37 units have been targeted for upgrade. As units are upgraded, the older ones are wiped clean and may be (1) sent to storage for parts, (2) surplused, or (3) allocated to a user/office that may be in need of such a unit.

Plug and play capability

The plan is to put in place "plug and play" capability for medical students in the ISP area and Meiling Hall Student Computer Lab, thus allowing students to hit the Internet and tap into other College/University resources by using their personal laptop. The computers in the Meiling Hall Student Lounge are being moved to the Ping-Pong room in the Meiling Hall basement (following renovations). In addition to those existing units, at least 12 plug and play ports will be made available which will be installed during the renovation process.

Voluntary Laptop Program

Speaking of plug and play, the laptop program is still in place, and the offered models have been recently updated. Discussions have been ongoing with IBM to enhance one's ability to order such units at the lowest price possible.

The current Web address is http://is.med.ohio-state.edu/laptopprogram.html.

Also, it should be noted that the IS Office has a tape upgrade in place that will extend tape backup coverage to Saturdays and Sundays. Backups have been for Mondays - Fridays due to the need for manual changes. This process will now be automatic and managed by an IS technician.

Targeted for the end of this calendar year is the upgrade of projectors in the Meiling Hall auditoriums and lecture hall in Hamilton Hall. The units will be the same as the one currently used in the Heart-Lung auditorium, thus an added value in terms of use and service.

As always, please give us a call at 8-5635 if you have any questions, or would like to know more about any of the above projects.

Our wishes for a happy and safe holiday season!

Holiday Buying Guide

Brian Wilson, Web Operations Manager

It’s that time of year again! As we move in to December, many of you are looking to purchase a new computer for your home, or possibly a machine for a child who is away at college. $1,000 seems to be a popular figure when looking for an amount to spend on a system these days. I took a look back to our December 1997 WordIS to see what machine we could get for around $1,000 then. Here’s the specs on one of the machines we recommended:

1997 - Hewlett-Packard: $899 without monitor
Pavilion 3100 - Pentium 166MHz Processor
16 MB RAM - 2 GB Hard Drive
16X CD-ROM - 33.6 Kbps Fax Modem
Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Works

Yes, a blazing 166 MHz Processor with a mammoth 16 MB of RAM. Remember that this was only 3 short years ago. I picked up one of these machines on Ebay for a friend last month for just under $100!!

Now, without further ado, here is this year’s recommendation for a machine around the $1,000 mark:

2000 - Dell.com: $1,176 including monitor

Dimension 4100
Pentium III 850MHz Processor
256 MB RAM
20GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
NVIDIA TNT2 32 MB Video Card
12X DVD Drive - 56K Modem
Windows 98 SE or Millennium Edition (ME)
SoundBlaster card with Harmon/Kardon Speakers
Internet Keyboard and Microsoft Intellimouse
3 Year Next Business Day On-site Warranty
17” Monitor

We are also asked quite often about other computing needs such as printers. In some cases, with rebates, printers have becomes so inexpensive that they can sometimes be purchased cheaper than a replacement cartridge for an existing printer! These types of printers (for example, the Lexmark Z11 – retail $60) are fine for a printing of basic text documents. They are quite slow on their printouts (around 3-4 pages per minute). I used this printer for around 6 months, and was quite happy with its performance.
I have since stepped up to a Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 930C printer. This printer does show a marked improvement in print quality (especially color) and speed (around 8 ppm). The retail on this printer is around $179. This is the printer that I would recommend from personal experience.

Digital cameras have become much more of a mainstream item in the past year. More and more people are beginning to use these cameras in place of their old 35mm cameras. Prices on digital cameras range from around $100 to the thousands of dollars. The main considerations when looking at a digital camera are its resolution (number of pixels), the type of zoom, and how the camera transfers data to the computer or printer.

Currently, one of the best “bang-for-the-buck” cameras is the Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart 315 ($300). It is a 2 mega-pixel camera (this is mid level for resolution these days, but plenty for the average user), and has an infrared port that can send images directly to IR capable printers. The only real drawback to the camera is its zoom capability is limited to digital only, which can cause slight distortion of the image when the zoom is used. If you will be taking shots that require a tight zoom, you may want to take a look at a camera that offers an optical zoom.

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