beech@ms.uky.edu (Wayne Beech) (07/19/89)
Hello, I work for the University of Kentucky computing center and am currently on a committee to evaluate/recommend the course that instructional computing should take over the next few years. The main point of uncertainity deals with how much computing should be done on PCs, how much on a centralized mainframe, and how much on departmental systems. I would like to get descriptions from other universities as to what the instructional computing environment "looks" like; in particular, 1.) what types of machines do you have and in what quantities? 2.) how are these machines connected? 3.) what types of applications are run on the various machines? 4.) what advantages/disadvantages do you see with your current setup? 5.) how is the licensing of software handled? If I get sufficent responses I will summarize this data and post it back to this group. Thank you. -- ============================================================================= UUCP : !ukma!beech BITNET: beech@ukma DOMAIN: beech@ms.uky.edu
siegman@sierra.Stanford.EDU (Anthony E. Siegman) (07/20/89)
How to develop a campus computer environment: 1. Build a campus network. Ethernet, with Ethertips for those who want low-cost access from PCs, is a good choice. Make it free (like the sidewalks and roads on campus), at least up to the building exterior walls. Let each department decide, fund and install what it wants inside its building. 2. Get a central Unix machine or two (DEC, Sun, whatever), fairly small, to handle mail and access to outside networks. Run 'em on the lowest-overhead basis possible; use STANDARD machines, STANDARD (largely free) software; do NOT let any techies who want the latest, glitziest toys make the decisions. 3. Get a discount plan going, preferably in your Bookstore, with the best possible discount or consortium prices for Apple (Macintosh) and IBM PC clones, plus site licenses (or better, heavily discounted prices for on-campus purchasers) for major software: two or three of the best text editing/desktop publishing packages like Word, WriteNow, TeXtures, ditto spreadsheets, major languages, etc. 4. DON'T do ANYTHING ELSE centrally. Provide information, access to discount prices, and transmitted downward funding TO THE POTENTIAL USERS AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE WORKING LEVEL; and "let a thousand flowers bloom". The users will soon find out what THEY want, and will transmit the information to each other. A few wrong turns or blind alleys by individual purchasers can never be as disastrous as a wrong choice by an "informed" or "expert" central committee committing the whole university. 5. Don't have anything to do with NeXT. [P.S. -- I'm dead serious about item 4; I've seen the recommended procedure and the unrecommended procedure both happen, several times, on several campusesand I'm dead serious about this "contrarian" advice. But unfortunately your central Computer Center will never let it happen (unless they, or someone iyour central administration, is extraordinarily wise). Empires to be built, you know...] --Professor A. E. Siegman --Director, Edward L. Ginzton Lab --Stanford University
usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (07/25/89)
Professor A. E. Siegman writes: > ... > 5. Don't have anything to do with NeXT. Why is that? Joel Dujsik dujsik@frith.msu.edu Michigan State University