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Computing Laboratory Newsletter University of St Andrews COMPUTING LABORATORY COMPUTER USERS COMMITTEE AMSTRAD USERS COMPUTER FACILITIES IN TEACHING TEN YEARS AGO SERVICEABILITY FIGURES NEWSLETTER April 1987 .... -" ,�.!,:,� 1-.- ..: .... - .. �-'::' ::"'- ... _- North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SX, Scotland, Telephone 76161 (3) COMPUTER USERS COMMITTEE The Committee met on 11th March. With reference to the minutes of the previous meeting, a requirement was expressed for extra Macintosh microcomputers to improve the access to the Laserwriter. However, in view of the uncertain financial position and the need for a University-wide view to be taken, word-processing software for the Zenith workstations would be investigated with the requirement to improve access to the Laserwriter in mind. Arrangements had already been made to accommodate users wishing to print on the Laserwriter files previously prepared on disk. Local Area Network performance: Difficulties were reported by the Mathematics Institute and the Economics Department in their connection to the VAK. systems via the Cambridge Ring - delays, loss of results and abrupt disconnection and the appearance of spurious characters. It was explained that the CAMTEC software was not reliable and collective pressure was being exerted on the company with other user sites - recent high traffic volume aggravated the problem. Following the failure of the MACE project, the current method of connection to the VAX was an interim one, and a different product (DEXPAND) was being tried, but had run into difficulties: it should give greater throughput and by-pass the Ring-X25 gateway - the least reliable component. The problem of spurious characters had been reported by other sites, but a cure had not yet been found. The relationship with CAMTEC was unsatisfactory - they now marketed other products (such as Ethernet) to the detriment of their support for Cambridge Ring technology. The reported problem of "sticky" cursor movement during screen editing had resulted in long-awaited "patch" from CAMTEC, which did not work. The Director suggested that comments needed to be passed on to those bodies who were recommending the company I s products: it was hoped to arrange soon a meeting with the Director of the Network Executive of the JNT; an approach to the Computer Board for further network funds was being held up until the Ring situation became clearer. Removal of non-NRS names from the network authorisation scheme: The Name Registration Scheme had been set up to ensure that a unified set of mnemonics was used by all JANET sites in order to refer to other sites. These NRS names, which replaced the local mnemonics, were now in the network authorisation file on both the VAX systems, and the removal of the old names had been announced, although a request for their retention had been received. Because of the advantages of using the universal and up-to-date NRS names and the disadvantage of the old mnemonics gradually becoming invalid as site addresses changed, it was decided to keep to the proposed change-over, as announced. Student Works tat ions project: The choice of Zenith IBM-compatible microcomputers had already been announced, and an order for fifteen for the North St site had been placed .. delivery was due at the end of March. Some of the building wiring remained to be done and some software items were yet to be selected and purchased. Individuals planning to run classes on the workstations could try them out from mid-May; it was hoped to have the local area network April 1987 (4) (5) installed by the end of June. Procedures had to be set up for COMPUTER FACILITIES IN TEACHING down-line loading of software and print queues. Courses on the use of the workstations would be given from September, although earlier In order to improve the computer facilities available for teaching of access could be arranged. Outside working hours, entry by card-key undergraduates, money was allocated by the University in the current was planned. year to set up a computer classroom which would be equipped with workstations to be available in the next academic year. The use of The Committee chose Mr Oevereux, Mr Fowler, Professor Hine, Or Malek, computers in teaching now has applications in many subjects and there Dr Werritty and Mr Sinclair to form a sub-group to advise the has recently been a national initiative, funded by the Computer Board Laboratory on the setting up of the facility (including choice of and UGC, to improve the quality and variety of software available for software and booking arrangements) and on the long-term running of the this purpose. In addition, it is intended to make the equipment services. It was agreed that the interests of the students would be available, when not required for teaching, to individual staff and sufficiently represented by the members of the sub-group. The choice students to partially satisfy the increasing demand for access to of word-processor and statistical package was being investigated by ad computing equipment. hoc groups whose findings would be reported to the sub-group before a decision was made. The Laboratory would coordinate the acquisition of In the first instance, a classroom is to be set up in the Old Union teaching software from other universities; funds were available to Building in North Street. To allow greater access, the room will be purchase MINITAB if chosen. Information would be sent to departments fitted with a 'cardkey access' lock, similar to the computer terminal on externally available software, including information from the area in the Library, which will allow 'out of hours' access. The Computers in Teaching Initiative Support service at Bath. The workstations will be Zenith 159 models which are fitted with twin Computer Board had set up a part-time appointment to compile lists of five-and-a-quarter inch floppy drives, 1 Megabyte of memory, colour software deals and to improve upon them where possible. graphics (EGA standard), and running the MS-DOS operating system. These machines are of the IBM-type, offering compatibility with what Card reader: This had now been removed from SAVA: the Committee is, in numerical terms, the most popular microcomputer. The choice of agreed to proceed with its disposal. such equipment is inevitably a compromise. Various factor.s had to be considered in the choice of workstation - hardware quality, available software, cost, eas. of use, after-sales support, etc. In addition, it was decided to look at equipment with assured delivery and to ignore rumours of 'future' products. Following the Computer Users Committee meeting, the Computer Board announced that the Minor Facilities Grant for 1986/87 would be the The University now has a discount agreement negotiated by the Inter same as for the previous session. The Board had earlier warned all University PurchaSing Committee for the complete range of Zenith universities that the MFG funding for the current session was likely personal computers and monitors. Some models are available at speCial to be considerably reduced so this announcement came as a welcome educational prices while the rest of the product range is subject to d surprise. di�count of around 40%. The Computing Laboratory hopes to be able to use a part of these funds Ini'tially, there will be about 15 workstations which will be linked to improve the Laserwriter service in order to meet the needs .l.nto a local area network, in this instance North Star hardware expressed at the Computer Users Committee. It Ls anticipated that running Novell Netware software. The latter is rapidly becoming the effort will be dire�ted towards making the �aserwriter more generally f 'luasi-s tam2ard f for networks of personal computers in which the accessible from rBM PCs (and compatibles such as the Zenith performance of software currently seems to be more cr\.\cial than the workstations) as well dS the Apple Macintosh. However, a modest hardware. Available on the network will be a 30 Megabyte file system expansion in the number of Macinto�h computers is also anticipated to and two/three printers, as well as a tape streamer system for back-up. improve access to tht'! existing "desk-top" publishin.-;)" facilities. The remaining item to be finalisad is the choice of software for the wo.ckstations. It is planned that each station will have a word processor, spreadsheet, data management program and statistics package available a� well as the Basic and Pascal programming languages. In addition, authoring software for computer-aided learning and graphics AMSTRAD PCW8256 AND PCW8512 USERS development programs will be available for the writing of specific programs. There are again several factors to be taken into account so A new version of the Locoscript word processor is now available from that the final choice will again be a compromise between desired Locomotive Systems, suppliers of the original Amstrad word processor facilities and available finance. In addition, it is hoped that the software. Called Locoscript 2, the software is priced at £19.95 and first fruits of the CTISS (Computer Teaching Initiative Support incorporates many improved features, eg the ability to print, via an Service) which is coordinating the c1Jij;,t"ent round of Computer Board add-on interface box, on a wide range of printers including projects for producing teaching software will be available to augment Daisy-wheel types. Support for a wide range of extra character styles the teaching software available. and sets is also provided, eg Cyril1ic. For further details, contact B Campbell (ext 8114). April 1987 April 1987 (7) (6) SERVICEABILITY FIGURES In cases where departments required specialised (and more costly) SAVA SAVB software, then it is envisaged that those departments purchase the hrs.mins hrs.mins software for running on the workstations.
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