Vista – how the View
has changed
Pat Valiquette
Manager, Help Desk Services and
Mobile Computing Program
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
1
Myra Williams
Photo
1947-2008
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
2
High Points for Discussion
•
Selection process for the Mobile Computing Program (MCP)
– Hardware
• Leading technology
• Form factors
– Software
• Operating system
• Applications
• Student feedback
– Survey
• Discussion
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
3
Rensselaer Overview
• Educates the leaders of tomorrow for technologically
based careers
• Private institution founded in 1824
• 6,200 resident students – 5,000 undergraduate, 1,200
graduate
• 450 faculty, 1400 staff
• Schools – Architecture; Engineering; Humanities,
Arts, and Social Sciences; Management and
Technology; Science; and IT program
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Mobile Computing Overview
• Laptop required for undergraduate students
• Single standard high end T-xx model including
software at an excellent price
• Students can purchase, lease to own, or bring own
• Laptop used inside and outside of class
• Over 6,000 laptops on campus
• http://www.rpi.edu/laptops/
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
5
The package
• Value
– Working with Lenovo and other partners we offer our student an
outstanding laptop package at a good price
• Appropriate
– The laptop image has much of the software that students need, backpack,
and security and ethernet cables,
• Commonality
– Classmates and faculty are using the same platform and software
• Service and support
– With a single platform we are able to wrap outstanding user assistance and
repair around the MCP
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
6
The package
Value
Working with Lenovo and other partners we offer our
student an outstanding laptop package at a good price
Appropriate
The image has much of the software that students need,
backpack, and security and ethernet cables, and iClicker
Commonality
Classmates and faculty are using the same platform and
software
Service and support
With a single platform we are able to wrap outstanding
user assistance and repair around the MCP
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
7
Hardware Criteria
New
– Are students excited when they
open the box
– What is the expected end of life for
the selected model
– Is this years model/hardware
significantly ahead of last year
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
8
Hardware Criteria
Availability
– Can we get the number of systems
delivered when needed
– Distribution is done on campus the week
before classes begin
– Distribution is a coordinated effort with
assistance from Residence Life, the
Office of First Year Experience, and
many volunteers from around campus.
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Hardware Criteria
Form Factor – 2007 Ranking features
– Laptop Size (screen size):
14in standard, 14in wide
15in standard, 15in wide
– Hard Disk: 100 GB 7,200 RPM,
120 GB 5,400 RPM, 160 GB 5,400 RPM
– Battery: 6 cell, 9 cell
– 164 Respondents (132 male, 28 female)
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
10
2007 Survey Results
• Screen Size: All students clearly preferred 15in models,
males clearly preferred wide, females preferred standard
• Hard Disk: All students preferred 100 GB 7200 RPM,
males preferred fastest, females split between fastest and largest
• Battery: All students clearly preferred 9 cell battery,
males clearly preferred 9 cell, females clearly preferred 9 cell
• Fall 2007 Model (what the adults decided)
T61-15in wide screen
160 GB 5400 RPM hard disk
9 cell battery
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Software criteria
• Vista operating system - Fall 2007
– Latest and greatest
– Classroom deployment
– Student pilot program
• Office 2007
– All MCP participants can upgrade to Office 2007. Very little feedback from students – they
just accepted the new Office product and used it. Many faculty and staff encountered a steep
learning curve with the change to Office 2007
• Compatibility with other applications
– Were applications Vista ready
• For the most part - yes
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
12
High Hopes
Windows Vista would be a new and exciting operating
system that would quickly become a campus
standard.
Reasons for this Hope:
Vista deployed in our public labs
Student pilot program technology
Reality: Early Vista experience was disappointing
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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High Hopes
• Students re-image their laptop -- 2,000 per year
Hope: Vista will reduce the need/desire to re-image
Reality - Vista has not reduced the students
desire/need to re-image. No significant change from
previous years. Some have downgraded to XP
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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High Hopes
Mutliple images needed for XP systems
Hope: The new HAL technology enable a single
image to work for all Vista ready laptops?
Reality:
• Will imageX technology replace Ghost?
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Issues
• Long start up and wake up times for Vista student
laptops.
• 2
• 3
• 4
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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2008 Student Survey
• Form Factor Survey
–
–
–
–
Screen size (weight)
Disk drive size and speed (cost)
Battery, 6 vs. 9 cell (weight, cost, time)
Operating system, Vista vs. XP
• Interest in Tablets and light weight laptops
– Yes, it fits in an mailing envelope
• Campus demographics
– Gender, undergrad vs. grad, current laptop and OS
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Survey Results
97 students – 25 female and 72 male – campus xx
female and 100-xx male
Screen size 14 inch 39%
15 inch 61%
Break down
14 inch 60% female 32% male
15 inch 40% female 68% male
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Survey Results
Hard drive - most popular choice 160 GB 7200 rpm
5400 rpm – 12 %
7200 rpm – 88%
Battery – 68% wanted the 9 cell
Female – 52% 9 cell, male 75%
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Survey Results
Operating system that students felt would serve best for
fall 2008:
For Vista
For XP
24%
76%
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
female 21%, male 25%
female 79%, male 21%
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What will we do this year?
Vista – we have past the critical points and feel this OS
will serve our campus best.
Office 2007 - not an issue for our students
Single model for 2008 -T5X series ThinkPad
15 inch wide
160 GB 7200 rpm drive
9 cell battery
RFP likely for 2009
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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What will you do?
•
•
•
•
•
Vista, XP, Linux
Office 2007
14 inch, 15 inch, tablets, light weights, combination
Multiple hardware options
Large complete image, base image with student software
download options
• Distribute on campus, home delivery, CTO
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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Discussion
ThinkTank – Wake Forest
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