New computers installed Photo: Daniel Reyes
Click here for a slide show about the recent installation of computers at Watson Library
With few students on campus during the summer, academic computing services has had the opportunity to install 120 new computers in Watson, Anschutz, Spahr and Thomas Gorton Music and Dance libraries.
The computers in these libraries were entering their fourth and final year under warranty,
Thomas Roderick, student technology coordinator, said. However, the older computers will still be useful.
Once a warranty expires the computers are put into a “recycle” cycle, Roderick said.
“When we recycle machines out of another library or lab on campus we take the machines and put them on the fourth floor of Watson,” Roderick said.
Once transferred, the computers will stay there for one year before being cycled out. This practice gets additional use of the computers and prevents the University from needlessly spending money to replace a large number of computers at once. The new computers were purchased on two separate orders and cost between $800 and $900, but the University did receive a discount for buying them in bulk, Roderick said.
Students visiting Watson Library may notice the 35 new Dell computers on the third floor. Roderick said computing services changed from Gateway personal computers to Dell PC’s, but that the model will remain similar. Like its predecessors the new Dells are all-in-one PC’s, which means that the LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors are attached to the computer, forming a single box.
“With these types of computer and monitor stand you have a lot more space on the desk,” Roderick said.
According to Roderick the Gateway computers began to cause problems two years ago.
“The LCD monitors and the hard drives were burning out,” Roderick said. “We went through 70 of the hard drives and 30 of the LCD screens.”
Roderick said the reason they went with Dell was because a large portion of the University’s computer were already Dell.
Even with new computers in Watson there is one thing that Kent Miller, assistant dean of libraries, does not think will change quickly.
“Occasionally there is a problem in Watson with computer availability,” Miller said. “However, the problem in Watson pales in significance to the competition for equipment in Anschutz Library. Money and space have been the major limiting factors.”
In order to ease the strain on students frantically searching for computers, Miller said the Clark Instruction Center, with its 30 computers was opened to students.
The lab on the fourth floor of Watson also arose from the need for a large number of computers on the eastern side of campus Roderick said. Two years ago computing services was approached by Watson officials about opening up the fourth floor for a lab. Since then Roderick said out-of-warranty computers have been cycled into the fourth floor.
“Every year those computers will get replaced,” Roderick said. “But it won’t be with the newest technology.”
With the replacement of the 120 computers nearly complete, Roderick said they can now focus on meeting additional computer needs in the Clark Instruction Center, located on the third floor of Watson, and room 419, located on the fourth floor of Watson.
The CIC recently got new furniture which has increased the computer capacity in the room from 16 to 32 and they will all be brand new, Roderick said. The computers from the CIC will be moved into 419 where older Gateways are currently used.
Once these replacements are made Roderick said the next thing to work on will be a software upgrade that is slated to be done sometime over winter break. A need for more computers will arise with the completion of a new computer lab, which will be situated in the Burge Union. Construction is scheduled to begin Sept.1.