By Sheree Pell
Students can look forward to going on-line rather than standing in line after the upgrades were made in the computer labs across campus.
During the month of September, 19 computers in the West Kerr Hall lab (W71) were out of order. This forced students who wanted to use a computer to stand around and wait for a free one.
“I have waited up to a half-hour for a computer [at W71] this month,” said Ian Singh, a fourth-year business management student. “We need faster, better computers.”
And trying to give students faster computers is the reason for the long lineups last month. T he school has been replaced the old 386s and 486s with new Platinum 75s in computer labs E130, B405 and W71.
Networks were also being reconfigured in W71, which put a large chunk of computers out of operation during one of the lab’s busiest times of the year as students tried to activate their email accounts.
“There hasn’t been an adjustment of this magnitude in five years,” said Brian Lesser, manager of academic computing services. “We will continue the process next year, and hopefully, it won’t be this disruptive.”
This week, the upgrades continue as 12 new computers are added to W71. In total, the school will buy 90 new computers this fall.
Lesser hopes Ryerson’s Net Ready laptop computer program will cut the number of students using the labs. The program offers students who purchase laptops from The Computer Shop free Internet access.
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