As computers become increasingly essential educational tools, experts and students acknowledge increasing headaches associated with this technological advancement.
Computer sciences professor emeritus Edouard J. Desautels explained that the problems associated with maintaining a computer depend on the type, brand, and software of the product.
“The computer hardware itself could last 10 years. If the software is doing the job, you’re fine. If you want to run the latest software, though, it won’t work on old machines,” Desautels said.
Computer technology perpetually progresses as software continues to become more advanced and useful.
“Sub-products are being nicely refined,” Desautels said. “For quite awhile the processors in laptops were the same as those in desktops. Finally, Intel got around to designing a product for mobile use. It has much better time on batteries.”
With continuous advances, computers should ideally be upgraded periodically. “Laptops should probably be replaced every 3 to 4 years, and desktops every 4 to 5 years,” Desautels said.
Desautels also said problems arise from ordinary use of computers.
“The software today is so complicated that it’s very easy to make a little mistake with big repercussions,” Desautels said.
Brian Rust, communications manager for the UW Division of Information Technology, elaborated on the student demand for computing assistance.
“The average volume of calls in the early fall is really high, but by mid-semester it’s pretty low,” Rust said. “The average over the whole school year is about 300 to 350 calls per day. At our peak time in the fall, right before or after school starts, we get about 2,000 calls a day.”
Most students experience difficulties with resetting passwords, utilizing e-mail, or the ResNet system.
“We have about 6,000 students on ResNet,” Rust said.
Some UW students admit to struggling with computer issues.
“I have no idea what went wrong. That is why it was frustrating. I went to start [my computer] one morning, and I got some message telling me that my system files were corrupt and it couldn’t start Windows,” UW sophomore Leslie Sturm said, regarding the Dell desktop she bought before college. “I don’t mind little problems that come up that I can fix on my own or with a little help, but even the people at DoIT couldn’t figure out what was wrong.”
UW sophomore Brian Connolly also had difficulties with his Compaq computer.
“The CD drive just kept opening and closing, for no reason whatsoever,” he said. “It opens and closes fine now, but it doesn’t close or load or anything. It just doesn’t work.”
With such uncertainty in the computer market, students should carefully select their product.
“Generally, the big names have good products,” Desautels said. “Why does the university recommend Dell? Probably because it’s a generally good product.”
Desautels also mentioned IBM, Toshiba, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard as dependable manufacturers.
“You don’t hear much about the losers,” Desautels said.