punia@uvm-cs.UUCP (David T. Punia) (05/02/85)
References: <376@uvm-cs.UUCP> This is a short reply to clear up some of the misconceptions that invariably accompany announcements such as I posted awhile back on the University of Vermont's decision to require incoming freshmen to purchase microcomputers. A more detailed discussion of some of the motives and rationales is being prepared and will follow soon, I hope. That posting will appear only in net.college and net.cse. Thanks to net.micro and net.micro.pc for not flaming a (some may feel) marginally acceptable topic. I'll handle hardware questions there. The required minimum configuration: AT&T PC 6300 (NOT 7300), dual floppies, 256K RAM, monochrome monitor, MS-DOS, BASIC, Pascal, and a word processor. Who is being required to buy? Freshmen entering the Division of Engineering, Mathematics, and Business Administration only. What's the cost? The requisite configuration, plus a mandatory maintenance contract, will be less than $2000. What about financing? Financing arrangements will allow students requiring the microcomputer to purchase it over four years for less than $2200, including maintenance. What about financial aid? Machines purchased to meet entry requirements will be eligible for coverage by financial aid as determined by the financial aid office. Will other compatibles be acceptable? Courseware is being developed specifically for the AT&T, with it's higher resolution graphics. Basically, no. The University: The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. Only about 15 percent of UVM's funding comes from the state of Vermont, and most of that goes to the costs of educating Vermont students. It is not a "state run" institution. A much longer article will be posted as soon as I can get through all the articles that have been posted. That'll be one to sink your flame- throwers into, I promise! -- REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR FAVORITE DISCLAIMER David T. Punia, Dept. of Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 802-656-3330 USENET --> ....!decvax!dartvax!uvm-gen!punia CSNET ---> punia@uvm