To Buy or Not To Buy? What a question!

"We have an old computer that my brother put together from parts of a used car. Will this work for my daughter to use in her dorm room at the college?" Sounds like a weird question, but we get similar ones all of the time from parents and students who are coming to Grinnell College. The answer to that question is "Not if you want it to work on the network!"

So, what do you bring then? There are so many decisions now as there are hundreds of configurations of hardware and software. So here are some guidelines from our past experience as to what is needed.

Mac or PC?

Both types of computers are used on campus and supported on the network. We have approximately 20% of campus computers which are MAC and about 13% of students on ResNET have macs. Linux computers are also supported on campus, however there are less resources for assistance.

What Hardware Should I Buy?

We don't recommend any specific brand of hardware as each person seems to have had their own unique experiences with hardware issues, however we do recommend that you purchase a laptop to take advantage of our wireless network. We work with CDW, who pass along our discounted pricing to students. They have Compaq, HP, IBM, Sony and Toshiba computers. They will have some systems on their Grinnell web page, but you can search for other systems as they have hundreds. You can purchase the system directly from them, our representative will be able to answer your questions.

Dell, HP, Gateway and Apple also offer "academic pricing" to students/parents when you tell them that you are purchaing for a student who is going to attend Grinnell College. It is generally better to purchase the "business quality" system rather than the home version. For example, HP/Compaq's business line is better than their Presario line. Furthermore, one should always shop around for the computer that best fits his or her needs.

You can view the Computer Purchasing Guide from Dell Computer. Although it is endorsed by the Dell company, it contains useful information for those considering the purchase of a computer for school.

What Network Components Will I Need to Connect in the Dorms?

The computer will need an ethernet card or network interface card (NIC). This is a card, not a modem, that is used to hook the computer directly to the campus network by plugging into a wall jack. We recommend 3com, Intel and NetGear cards. We tend to avoid the cheaper ones as they tend to cause connection problems.

Most desktop systems will have an interface built in. Almost all new laptops have a build in Ethernet (wired) adapter. Older laptops may require a PCMCIA card adapter which is installed in a slot on the side of the unit.

Grinnell College also offers wireless network access (see the access points), so a wireless network card may want to be purchased with a laptop or PDA device. Some laptops have wireless built in. This technology is not necessary for desktop systems as most dorm rooms do not receive a wireless signal.

What Operating System is Required?

We support Windows XP professional and home versions. We also support Mac OS 9.x and 10.x.

We do not support Windows ME, 95 or 98 on the network. We will help a student having problems with connecting, but if we cannot get it to work, they will need to upgrade to Windows XP. Windows ME does not work well in a networked environment and the networking abilities of 95 and 98 are limited.

What Software Should I Buy?

The major type of software that is needed is some type of "office" package like OpenOffice, Microsoft Office or Corel's WordPerfect Office. These contain spreadsheet and word processing capability. OpenOffice is freeware, includes all major components (word processor, spreadsheet program and slide show presenter) and is quite compatible with Microsoft Office. You can get the beta version, which has more features and also includes a relational database management system, though not yet fully compatible with Microsoft Access, and is somewhat less stable. You can also get the stable version, which doesn't look as nice, includes less features but is relatively bug-free. If you'd rather purchase one of the other two, you can look for "academic" pricing on software as a student. You can get this pricing from sites such as www.academicsuperstore.com, the Apple website or CDW. If a course requires a specific software, it will be already installed in the public computer labs, therefore any other software is optional.

Do I Need a Printer?

Since there are laser printers and color inkjets available in the dorm and public labs, you do not need a printer in your room to be able to print; however, most students like the convenience of being able to print email and smaller documents while they are working, without having to walk to a printer on campus. If they want a higher quality print, they go to a lab or send a document to a laser printer from their room.

Should I Buy a Warranty

A warranty on a new computer is a good thing, especially since we are quite a distance from any computer repair facilities. On-site warranties make the vendor send someone out to campus and are more expensive. Regular warranties cover parts and labor, but not shipping. Laptop computers usually have costly repairs so we recommend purchasing the extended warranty for a laptop. Remember that a warranty is like an insurance policy, sometimes you never have to use it, but when something goes wrong, it is nice to have it covered, especially for those people who don't know much about computers.

Resources

Grinnell College has partnered with CDW, a large computer retailer, to provide students with a reliable source for computer equipment at academic price levels. The Grinnell CDW website can be found at www.cdwg.com/grinnell.

If you have any further questions, please contact Karen McRitchie at ITS (email: mcritchi@grinnell.edu) or 641-269-4531. .