INTRODUCTION NETWORK ACCESS
GENERAL SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS
IBM/COMPATIBLE PC CONSIDERATIONS
MACINTOSH CONSIDERATIONS
PRINTING
SOFTWARE
CONCLUSION
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ITS Microcomputer
Recommendations
February 05, 2002
- Introduction
With the fast-paced dynamics of the personal computer industry, making a detailed
standardized microcomputer recommendation is similar to shooting at a moving target.
Specific individual user and/or departmental needs must be considered together with
any general recommendation. However with that said, Information Technology Services (ITS)
makes the following microcomputer recommendations for both the IBM PC/compatible and
Macintosh computers. Administration applications as well as ITS supported software have
been considered. These are guidelines only, and the recommendations will be updated on a
regular basis.
Network Access
The UH community is encouraged to use ethernet connections for access to computer and
network services. Please check with your department Telecom Coordinator or Networks/ITS to
find out if your office supports ethernet connections. On the Manoa campus, they may
submit a Telecom Request to the Telecom Office to activate datajacks for network
connections. For units that have their own network or computer specialists, 3COM 10/100
BaseT Ethernet cards for IBM/PCs are recommended. PC/PCI adapters are available via the
Intel Based Personal Computers Contract. Please refer to the Multimedia
section in: Current PC Price
List. Asante ethernet cards and transceivers are recommended for Macintosh computers.
(Network cards not listed on the contracts must be procured by the users, although ITS
will help with installations on the Manoa campus.) General System
Considerations
A 32-bit Operating System is required for many new applications (e.g. PeopleSoft and
Java). ITS currently supports Windows 95/98 and Windows 2000.
Although Windows XP Professional has been released, administrative
applications haven't been fully tested with this OS.
Also, for on-campus computers, ITS will not be supporting Windows ME
or Windows XP Home Edition. These Operating Systems have been developed for home use and is not
recommended for some UH
applications.
Please note that our current version of PeopleSoft only supports
Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0.
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We advise getting 128 MB memory (RAM). Current applications are rapidly using more and
should you decide to upgrade your operating system, this will usually require more RAM
also. These recommendations are given with the experience of past recommendations
and current changing technology. Most of the UH community find it difficult to justify
additional costs of maintenance and upgrades for their personal computer. The
recommendation takes into account that the original purchase will have a lifespan of
approximately 3 years. Also, if given a choice of processor speed increase or more RAM
e.g. purchasing a 700Mhz instead of 800Mhz or purchasing 128MB RAM versus 64MB RAM, opt to
purchase more RAM.
When possible, get the 3 year on-site warranty. This offers the best value and will
save you the time and expense of costly repairs.
CD-ROMs are common devices for software installation and should be purchased with your
computer.
Zip drives are also more prevalent as these devices are able to store approximately
100MB to 250MB (depending on the model) of information. They are used similarly to diskette drives, but are able to store
a minimum of approximately 70 times as much data. With the newer technology, especially multi-media
files, data that won't fit on a diskette could be transferred to a zip disk.
Please remember that the following are general recommendations for desktop computers and
not geared for users with specific requirements. For users who have other special
application needs that require more memory, more disk space, faster CPUs, or faster
CD-ROMs or DVDs (for example, regular users of multimedia), even the recommended
configuration needs to be upgraded. Then again, for users in computer lab environments who
are running programs from a server, their requirements would be totally different. In that
case, the computer specialist for that department would be better able to assess their
needs.
We are also aware of budget constraints in these economic times. However, when a
computer is almost obsolete by the time you purchase it and IF funds are available, it
would make more fiscal sense to purchase the best you can to ensure a longer working
system. Please contact the persons listed at the end of this document if you have
questions or other needs that require more analysis.
IBM/Compatible PC Considerations
The Celeron class chip offers processor speed and affordability for a majority of UH
users who just need a web browser, email client and a business application suite like
Microsoft Office. This computer performs basic applications well but users have very
limited options of expansion or upgrading. (There is only 1 other slot to upgrade the
memory and usually 1 to 2 open PCI slots used for additional peripherals
e.g. a SCSI device.) For the
typical UH user that only will be using it with the above functionality and will not be
upgrading, this computer is recommended. It is strongly recommended that the 3 year
warranty be purchased.
- Recommended Celeron 1 Ghz (<$800)
- Intel 815E Chipset
- Mini Tower Case
Windows 98 2nd Edition Operating System
128MB recommended
20 GB Hard Disk
3.5" diskette drive
CD-ROM
PCI or integrated Ethernet 10/100Base-T card
3 yr on-site warranty
The Pentium class chip is the Intel chip of choice for persons using multi-media and more
intensive graphics applications. They offer a faster cache than the
Celeron. The Pentium III/815e computers offer better CPU processor speed, support the
AGP video cards, and have an integrated sound and network controller, meaning
these functions are on the motherboard. They lack ISA slots for compatibility with older
devices e.g. some older scanners. The main advantage is maximum value for the cost.
The main disadvantage is if something goes wrong with these functions, the whole
motherboard needs to be replaced or additional PCI adapter cards must be purchased.
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- Recommended Pentium III 1 Ghz (<$1,000)
- Intel 815E Chipset
- Mini Tower Case
Windows 98 2nd Edition Operating System
128 MB RAM or more
20 GB Hard Disk
3.5" diskette drive
CD-ROM
PCI or integrated Ethernet 10/100Base-T card
3 year on-site warranty
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- The Pentium 4 processor based systems come with 256MB RAM, 40GB hard disk and 5 PCI
slots and Windows 2000 Pro. These machines are for the more advanced technical specialists
that need the highest processing speed.
- Additional Equipment:
17" SVGA monitor
optional: zip drive A 17" SVGA monitor can be used for
any of the above recommended configurations. Other monitors and computers are available as
our faculty and staff encompass a variety of needs. Please check the Current PC Price List
for other configurations and options regarding Intel Based Personal Computers for the
University of Hawaii. More information about the UH Intel contract can be found at PC Contract;
while the PDC Systems vendor web site is poi.pdcsystems.com/uh/.
- In addition to the UH Intel contract, UH has recently joined the Western States
Contracting Alliance (WSCA) which allows non-mandatory purchase of computer equipment at
discounted prices. Please refer to the following links for more
information:
www.hawaii.edu/infobits/s2001/wsca.html
www.hawaii.edu/its/micro/pc/wsca.html
- The UH
Dell Store is customized for the University of Hawaii to make it
easier to make an order on-line under the WSCA contract. Detailed ordering
and purchasing instructions are available.
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- Macintosh Considerations
Mac Recommendations:
A) G4/733 MHz
128MB recommended
40 GB Hard Disk
CD-RW drive
Zip drive (internal, optional)
Ethernet 10/100/1000BaseT
17" monitor (optional)
or All-in-one IMAC
B) G3/500 MHz (all-in-one imac)
128MB
20 GB Hard Disk
CD-RW drive
Ethernet 10/100BaseT
built-in 15" CRT
Zip drive (external, optional)
The pricing for the two examples were obtained from the Apple Store. You would need to click on the link for
"UH Custom Apple Store for Institution Purchases".
An iMac G3/500 MHz with built-in 15"
monitor, 128MB RAM, 20GB hard drive, CD-RW drive,
10/100 Mbps Ethernet, USB, Firewire, built-in sound, and internal 56K
modem sells for $899. The iMac has only two memory slots (one is filled
from the factory) and no PCI expansion slots. However, most of the
features are built-in e.g. monitor, ethernet, firewire, USB, sound, and
video ports. There is no built-in diskette drive, so consider purchasing
an external USB diskette drive ($79) or external USB Zip drive ($99 for
the 100mb Zip drive, $149 for the 250mb Zip drive). For basic internet
browsing, e-mail and office applications this machine should be
adequate.
A PowerMac G4/733 MHz system with 128MB RAM, 40GB hard
drive, CD-RW drive, 10/100/1000Mbps ethernet, USB,
Firewire, built-in sound, and internal 56K modem sells for $1529. A
Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 73 17" monitor sells for $259. This
Macintosh allows for expansion with a total of three PC-133 SDRAM slots
for memory, and 4 PCI slots. There is no built-in diskette drive, so
consider purchasing an internal Zip drive ($90) or an external USB
diskette drive ($79). If you have legacy external SCSI devices that need
to be connected to this machine, consider purchasing the Ultra SCSI PCI
card option for $44. This machine should be considered over the
iMac for those that need more processing power (e.g. if you are using
applications such as Photoshop), expansion capability, or flexibility in
choosing a monitor.
Printing
PostScript printers should be considered for printing from UH administrative systems.
The preferred connection for these printers is via LPR, a printing utility that generally
uses an ethernet connection and has the capability to identify your printer to the UH
network. ITS has been recommending the internal JetDirect Ethernet adapter cards with the
Hewlett Packard LaserJet 4 (or higher) printers with Adobe PostScript. Administrative
applications requiring printing have also been tested with the HP 4000N printer with an
emulated PostScript. Since the same PostScript is used in HP's other laser printers, we
can recommend the HP 2100TN, 4050N, 5000N and 8000N printers for administrative use as
well. Anyone purchasing other printers must take full responsibility for testing all
applications for themselves and resolving any incompatibilities with the vendor on their
own behalf.
Printer Specifications and Pricing:
Please check the following URL for information regarding the technical specs and
estimated pricing for black/white HP laser printers. Note that the 'N' in the model
numbers e.g. 4100N, 5000N refer to a network printer, which is recommended for the
administrative printers.
HP Laserjet Printers Comparison
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- Please call or e-mail for current education prices. Some suggested
vendors selling HP printers include:
1. Memco Systems (Memory Co.) 522-0000
2. Micro Warehouse
- James Vernocchi, Higher Ed., vernocchij@mwhse.com
- (800) 696-1727, ext. 7144
- 3.
PC Connection
- Todd Bryan, Education Account Manager, Tbryan@pcconnection.com
(800) 800-0019 ext. 33038
4. Insight
- Vicki O'Reilly, voreilly@Insight.com
(800) 467-4448 ext. 5973
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- Software
Efforts have been made to license programs that are necessary for the University community
to accomplish their work. With the exceptions of the Operating Systems software i.e. DOS,
Windows, WFW, Win95 or Win98, most of the software have been either site licensed or are
available as freeware for University work. The licensing agreements vary for specific
programs, so caution is advised - program sharing with colleagues at other universities or
social friends would be a criminal offense for some of the licensed programs.The
following links detail some licensing agreements and programs that ITS supports: University Site Licenses
Conclusion
Please talk with your local support staff or contact Osamu Makiguchi (956-3877), Therese Nakadomari (956-8316), or Byron Watanabe (956-6969) regarding IBM/Compatible PC
configurations or Teresa Sakata (956-2399) for
Macintosh assistance in tailoring systems to meet your needs.
Please check the following for current departmental price lists: Technology Price Lists
Maintained by:
Byron Watanabe |
Copyright © 2001 University of Hawaii
Last Updated: 02/05/02
March 27, 2002
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