There may be something new in the usual sea of freshmen picking up their computer equipment next fall -- IBM boxes.
The incoming Class of 2001 will be offered a limited selection of IBM-compatible computers installed with Windows 95 and BlitzMail for IBM which will be completed and available by the end of the summer.
These steps, along with the hiring of a new technical consultant for IBM-compatible machines are a part of the trend of increasing support by the College for non- Macintosh computers.
"We're boosting support quite actively for Windows users on campus, but we are not abandoning the Mac at this point," Director of Computing Services William Brawley said.
But many members of Computing Services said the support for Windows-based Intel (Wintel) machines is also a preparation in the case of any necessary platform switch.
Dartmouth is "feeling the pressures of the outside world," Peter Paplow, computing services' new PC consultant, said. "There are a lot of questions about Apple's future. They want to be prepared for any contingencies."
Paplow, who has been working for a week-and-a-half, assists the computer consulting group in support of IBM-compatible computers.
Brawley said Paplow "has a pretty deep and strong background. We're trying to increase the level of support we offer to Windows users because there are so many of them."
The Computer Store, in recognition of the increasing IBM-compatible presence on campus, is currently negotiating with vendors to acquire Wintel software, Brawley said. By Fall term the store should offer IBM-compatible software in addition to Macintosh software, he said.
Computing Services System Manager David Avery said development of PC-BlitzMail began last year because of an increasing Windows presence on campus every year. The project was spearheaded by the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center which needed a Windows-compatible version of BlitzMail.
PC-BlitzMail is currently available in a beta test version from Dartmouth's web page.
There will be two versions of PC-BlitzMail available -- a 16-bit version for Windows 3.1 and a 32-bit version for Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Avery said PC-BlitzMail will be virtually identical to the standard Mac-BlitzMail with regards to messages, Dartmouth Name Directory access, folders and addresses.
The only addition to PC-BlitzMail will be a function that will ensure that enclosures sent between Wintel machines and Macintoshes will be readable by both.
There are no plans to convert DCIS Navigator or DarTerminal to a Windows-compatible version, but both services can be accessed through similar PC programs such as Netscape.
A customized version of the SideCar utility, an authentication system that allows students to access campus-only services, is about to be released for Windows computers, Avery said.
Brawley said the Macintosh is still the recommended system at the College but Computing Services will support an incoming freshman who wants to bring in a Windows machine and will still recommend the student buy the computer through the College.
The letter sent to the incoming class regarding computer ownership states that "support for Windows 95 system is increasing, but still limited at Dartmouth."
Part of the difficulty in supporting Windows computers stems from the fact that PCs have a far greater variety in design and components than Macintosh computers, Brawley said.
Brawley said the College is still advising students use Macintoshes because the College has supported this platform for 14 years. Some curricular experiences require use of Macintosh software for which there is no equivalent software for Windows.
To support users who might want to use IBM-compatible software, all the computers in the Kiewit clusters have been upgraded to Power Macintosh 7300s that contain Pentium chips inside. These computers are capable of running both the Macintosh and Windows operating system.
One of the main reasons for the expected rise in IBM-compatible computers on campus has been the network upgrade project, Brawley said. Upgrading all the campus buildings to Ethernet not only increased speed but also made multi-platform support possible.
