Switching a College from Desktops to Laptops?

tverbeek asks: "The college of art and design where I work is going to start switching next year from a labs-with-desktops approach to computers, to a students-with-laptops approach. The president appears to have made up his mind that we're doing it, so that's not really up for debate. We'll be starting by equipping all the full-time faculty this year, then next year start requiring (as in 'you can use financial aid to pay for it') each new student to buy a laptop that meets our specs (Apple or Dell, depending on major). Does anyone have experience with this kind of transition? What were the biggest complications?" "How did you handle software licensing, especially for high-priced apps? How do you do software installs/upgrades? What do you do for resource-hungry apps (e.g. CAD, 3D rendering)? What about traditional lab configuration issues like anti-malware software, classroom restrictions on IM/P2P/network gaming, standard configuration options, etc. that would seem impossible to do with computers you don't own?

I know that many other colleges have done this sort of thing, but what about *art schools* or other colleges with high-end needs but mostly non-technical users, and where something like Photoshop is considered a 'core' application more than MS Office? Also, I'm especially interested in info about much more/less support staff the laptop approach requires; my intuition says that 1000 unsecured laptops will take more work to support than 300 locked-down desktops, but I need data."

Comments

It's tough, but works.

[DerGeist]

My college tried this approach, didn't fly. First they tried "lending" laptops to students. Guess what happend? Broken laptops. Lots. So they had to buy them from then on.

You're taking the intelligent route and making them pay for them on their own, though, so that's a step in the right direction.

Generally the feedback was students liked the mobility but hated being forced into buying a laptop.

Licenses weren't hard; they worked just like a normal lab environment, licensces are obtained from a central license server either on campus or a trusted facility of the software vendor.

As for the malware thing, in order for a laptop to get on the network, it had to prove it was up-to-date each time, and had to prove it was running university-approved, up-to-date anti-malware (provided free by the institute). This worked marginally well with only a few outbreaks.

The downside? Tech support, and lots of it. Students got confused, broke stuff, or generally got mad when things didn't work on the first try. The solution is a tech help desk, staffed by students or well-informed tech support people, where you can simply bring your laptop in and have it checked out by a "professional." That seems to clear up most of the problems.

Art students had little to no trouble, as they all bought macs. :)

Re:It's tough, but works.

[st.isaac]

Art students had little to no trouble, as they all bought macs. :)

I work at a liberal arts helpdesk, and I completely agree. The only problem with macs we see is a busted hard drive or a mis configured NIC. 90% of the computers at the desk are PCs, and they always take a while to clean. Plus, sometimes the PC virus goes ahead and deletes all the student's files - its kinda like being a doctor, "I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do."

Re:It's tough, but works.

[utlemming]

The department that I am in at my University has mandated Laptops as a cost-saving measure and also to increase the experience of the students. It was discovered that the students that have laptops do better in classes, get their home work done, and have a better experience in classes. Also, they aren't alway trying to change the settings that the dork before them changed -- so the enviroment is generally more stable. However, the department that I am in is the Information Systems, and not your english department.

The University was turning over the IS computers on a yearly basis in some of the labs. So they merely just started to use open source tools, and those tools that aren't open source they bought site licenses to. For example, Norton Anti-Virus Corp is available, the MSDN Academic Suite, and all the other developer tools are free. Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, etc., are going to be resold to us at nominal fees for semester use (time-bombed versions I suspect at around $50, which puts them at the cost of a book). So now instead of them having to replace computers, they are having us buy laptops and use them, and they are buying some heavy duty Cisco routers, Pix boxes, software suites, etc. It allows the IS department a lot more flexiability on a short budget to give us a more versital experience.

The down side -- I have pretty hooped up laptop. It has run me nearly $2,800. And I guess that it will only last me maybe two and a years max on the laptop.

Re:It's tough, but works.

[clewisnmu]

At the university I work at we have 9,000+ ThinkPad's and roughly 1,000 iBooks we started this in 1999 as a pilot and it has taken off. Each Art and Design student was issued an iBook but we did not get rid of the labs because the iBooks simply cannot process large apps like a powerMac can. We use a key server for our apps like Photoshop, macromedia studio, etc.. and that keeps us in line for our licensing. I do agree with making the students buy the laptop. We lease our laptops to the students and they treat them like garbage (no joke we have actually had people urinate on the computers before) plus they get attached to the computer they have and when the lease is up (in two years) you get a new computer. That tends to throw a lot of people off. We do make a custom image for the notebooks that include things like MS office, and Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate edition. I would say the hardest part of the whole thing is getting the computers back. We have a lot of assets out there and they get stolen, destroyed, or the student flat out doesn't want to turn it back in and we have to track them all over the US.

Re:It's tough, but works.

[Deathlizard]

At the College I work for, we have a Laptop Program.

First off, we're using IBM/Lenovo R51 laptops. I definetly, recommend IBM/lenovo for laptops hands down because of the sheer beating they can take. (so far. one was left in a alleyway for two days and ran over multiple times, two was in a fire, one was lit on fire by fireworks, multiple "Pepsi Syndromes" from actual pepsi to candle wax to spit chew juice and they all still worked through all of this) Also, get 2 or more A+ and Lenovo warranty certified techs and do all of your repairs in house. It WILL pay for itself within the first 6 months and then some. They also offer a laptop tracking service. We found it to be cheaper in the long run to not get this service since it was so expensive, but it's a BIOS track and impossible to twart without doing a complete motherboard swap.

As for specs, Get At least 512MB ram, Centrino and 40gb hard drive. bigger is better, but at least start there.

As for whats on the computer image, Windows XP SP2, Office, Acrobat (Writer would be nice), Antivirus/AntiSpyware (we're using F-secure Client Security), Spywareblaster, and anything you need for the laptop Hardware. Also get an WSUS server if you don't have one to patch the microsoft end of this. Also set WMP to rip variable bit rate at the lowest setting since they will rip every CD they own and will start complaining that they have no hard drive space. This also makes it easier on you when (if) you have to back all of that up.

Policy wise, if it has a software problem or even seems to have a hardware problem, Image it. End of story. Why even on hardware? Because Students will do and install the wierdest thigs, especially stuff that messes with the Wireless/Land Network, so I keep some pre imaged hard drives around (IBM's are Really Easy to swap hard drives on) and always test on a fresh image before blaming the hardware. For software issues, Get some USB hard drives and use them to transfer their My Documents folder or better yet, get a big NAS and tell students to move all mission critical files to it and enforce that nothing on the drive will be saved if it needs wiped. Security wise, On IBM's Enforce that there are no BIOS passwords, and if you find one, the student bought the laptop if he doesn't give it to you/forgot it. once a password is set, you either know the password to remove it or you replace the motherboard and possibly the hard drive at your cost. Also, make sure that when they sign out the laptop, all of your policy is clearly written on it and on a single page. Get a lawyer (we have a professor that practices law that helped with ours) to verify it's legality, and point their parents to it when they complain about buying a laptop for damage/password/stolen/lost data due to image wipe. Trust me, you'll get a policy challenge at least once a semester.

When you give these to students, or as I like to refer to it, "Hell Week" first, get automated. get a PC, put some sort of database system on it (We're using Access with a specially written VS.net program to track them) and use barcode scanners to read the serial no. barcodes on the box and store their personal information. basicially we have a database of students and laptops on the machine, we scan the laptop in, scan their student ID card in, and it OK/reject the laptop transfer. You especially want to check if they are on financial hold, or if they already checked out a laptop. Even if you spend a month here preparing for this, it was absoletly pay off in the end.

Another thing, Don't even think about domains. They are a absolute nightmare when it comes to setting them up for students. Keep them in workgroups and leave it at that. Here we have a VB program that Maps network drives for them, and a http web printing server that they use to set up printers. Works great without having to worry about billy getting the "The Domin is not available" Message for the 10th time.

Re:Remote Desktop

[Anonymous Coward]

Set up a main server with all the software the students need. Then allow them to Remote Desktop in to use the server's resources for all those CPU-intensive tasks.

You want them to run photoshop over Remote Desktop? Brave man. Graphics intensive apps are not good candidates for Remote Desktop.

Be careful about Dell, check with Ed Foster.

[Futurepower(R)]

"... a laptop that meets our specs (Apple or Dell, depending on major)"

Never buy computer items before you check with Ed Foster's GripeLog. I get the impression from reading the issues concerning Dell that Dell is a company that should be avoided.

Note that the search above is restricted to Ed Foster's web site, and there are 16,300 hits.

My own personal experience with Dell is that the company is experiencing a social breakdown in which employees are working for themselves rather than for the company or the customers. Some of the things that I experienced from Dell have been more than disfunctional, they have been wacky.

I haven't been paying attention recently, but at one time Dell seemed to be competing with Microsoft to see who could be the most abusive. Sometimes Dell even won.

--
Before, Saddam got Iraq oil profits & paid part to kill Iraqis. Now a few Americans share Iraq oil profits, & U.S. citizens pay to kill Iraqis. Improvement?

Physical Security!!!

[diamondmagic]

Laptops WILL be lost/stolen/broken, no matter what you try to do. Give students the option to engrave their names and a phone number (somthing that dosn't change: mabye the lost-and-found dept.) in large, friendly letters on the cover. Provide insurance to users if they don't have it. Giving backup services and CPU power from a central server is a must. This means a large RAID array and blade servers (running Linux, of course). Even if all the above fail, provide short-term use laptops, that can--hpoefully--boot up from the backups previously made.

Also be sure to lay down wireless access points of all sorts. Put a printer attached to the network in in centralized places, probably in every room. Think of every possable problem.

Dakota State University

[Anonymous Coward]

We recently switched to tablet computers. This transition went over easily enough. (you can read more here http://admissions.dsu.edu/ftr/article/tabletpc.asp )

i think the biggest problem we have run into has been the help desk/repair station.
our campus isnt too big so we only have about 5 people working in this area.

Air Force Academy

[EightBits]

You may want to contact the Air Force Academy. They were requiring that all students purchase a computer since at least the days of the 486. Back in the early 90s when I was still dreaming of going there, they were talking only about desktops. I'm sure they have evolved their computer requirements since then. You may want to check with the other military academies as well.

Re:Remote Desktop

[mrchaotica]

If by "real world" you mean "crappy-ass vocational school" I'll pass, thanks. My school teaches concepts, not tools, and couldn't care less what software I use.

LCD and art?

[AlterTick]

but what about *art schools* or other colleges with high-end needs but mostly non-technical users, and where something like Photoshop is considered a 'core' application more than MS Office?

Unless you're just teaching the basic functionality, the color rendition of the laptop LCD screen is inadequate for Photoshop.

Re:Not that I've done it...

[RITjobbie]

I work for an art and design school. While we don't give our students laptops (yet?), most of our faculty are equipped with one.

Network license keying is your friend. FlexLM (AutoCAD, Solidworks, etc. for interior/industrial design) and Sasafras Keyserver (for everything else) are two products that I rely on heavily to maintain legality with licensing. Some products (Quark) come with their own weird licensing thingie (java-based, Windows only daemon).

I'm the Windows/Linux part of a mostly Mac school. We just moved into level 2 of the Altiris Client Management Suite and are planning a rollout in the next few months. This is really going to revolutionize the way we deal with desktops and laptops (software virtualization services (SVS), recovery solution, self-service software delivery portal, etc.). On the Mac side we use Filewave, Netboot, and Netrestore for package management.

IIRC, Keyserver doens't give you the granularity that you are talking about. Buuuut, you could set up different versions of the same keyed app and allocate different license counts to each one depending on where the .EXE/.APP file ends up. Keyserver also allows you to check-out a license to a laptop, but that decreases your total count no matter if it is being used or not.

Running apps on a terminal server might suck. Unless you are pushing some really CPU intensive jobs, it is probably going to be fine to leave the majority of the processing time to the laptops. By CPU intensive, I mean an AfterEffects render that takes two weeks on a dual-dual Opteron 270. Or a Maya scene that takes a few days on 23 dual Opteron boxes. Patience Daniel-san. =)

Then again, if you are looking into TS for licensing issues... that might suck. People like to use software whenever and where ever. Although network access seems to be as ubiquitous as breathing nowadays, there are still some kids that don't live in earshot of a hotspot. Then again, we make faculty VPN into our network so that they can check out software licenses from home; we block access to lots of stuff from off campus for obvious reasons.

Don't hesitate to give your software/hardware vendors a ring. They know what other schools are doing and might be able to lend a good deal of help. Oh, and software donations are always good.

My $0.02.

~jps

NO DELL. LENOVO.

[blackomegax]

im not sure if it has been said before, but do NOT equip students with something as shitty as a dell laptop. thinkpad T series is the bare minimum you should consider, not only is lenovo's service GREAT, but they stop the HDD if they detect a fall and are encased in magnesium. a dell? well, have fun with the expense.

Re:The most important question is ...

[ciroknight]

1) Every laptop has an identifier written on it when its shipped; when the school buys the machine, it records the number.
2) Certain computer vendors (IBM, Dell), have system setups where if a machine is reported stolen, whenever you plug it into the net next, it phones home.

Berea College (a full laptop school), does both of the above.

Re:The Club is worthless

[xtracto]

While the thief may have a laugh that the owner thinks it's worth stealing, is it worth his effort to steal it?

Just a comment, I have an aunt who lives in Mexico City, and you know, car thief is a thing of everyday there. Once, she told could not opened of her car club (it was stuck or something) in a parking place and went to the closer mechanic, there, the main mechanic sent one of the helpers (a guy 18 to 20 at most). My aunt told the she was completely astonished as the guy "unlocked" the club with a screwer and a hammer. Just some small hits in specific places and it was done. My aunt asked the boy how did he do it? and the boy answered that all the clubs where like that, it was stupid and unsecure, it was only a matter of knowing where to hit it and it would be unlocked. Since then, my aunt changed the club for a big chain and a lock.