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The university began a replacement program for faculty and lab use in 2001. The program takes advantage of a lease agreement with Gateway which MSU-N leases computers for our campus computing labs. At the end of the lease, ITS who manages the campus lease program purchases these computers from Gateway at a significant discount, and then redistributes them on a one-for-one basis for faculty only. While the computers in the labs are leased, some equipment (e.g. servers, scanners, personal printers) are purchased separately. The university purchases some equipment while individual departments must purchase other equipment. It's hard to know how hardware acquisition and maintenance works. To help you understand, we've compiled this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document. It's not an exhaustive list so if your question isn't addressed, please e-mail its-tech@msun.edu for more information specific to your needs. A rule of thumb: if it isn't part of your standard computer configuration and it isn't a networked (shared by many people) printer, it probably isn't in the lease and your department will most likely be required to provide funding for any additional requests. Note: All printer supplies such as toner cartridges and paper are a departmental responsibility. Please budget accordingly! Gateway
Lease Questions Computer
Equipment Questions Printer
Questions
The lease, funded by the Computer Fee Activity Committee and managed by ITS, is similar to a car lease. For a predetermined amount of time, the university "rents" equipment and returns it at the end of the allotted time, or may purchase the equipment, typically 3 years. How long do we lease equipment? Although it varies, most of our current lease agreements are for 3 years. How often do we acquire leased equipment each year? We expect to acquire new equipment once every second fiscal year - usually in the spring. The lease is intended to replace currently leased equipment due to be returned. While ITS makes purchases throughout the year which is intended to equip new positions or replace old and out-dated systems. What equipment is in the lease? Networked desktops and monitors, usually the fastest and latest high-end system currently available, each desktop is configured identical. What equipment is not in the lease? Centrally maintained servers for e-mail, central storage, and web services usually are not leased. Personal printers, scanners, removable storage (i.e. zip drives), and some specialized, discipline-specific or department-specific equipment usually are not leased. How do we get equipment that isn't covered by the lease? Complete the MSU-N Procurement form indicating your specific needs and drop it off at ITS. Note: Although there are exceptions, departments are usually charged for any equipment, cables, paper, etc when purchased. Setup and installation is provided by the ITS Department. What comes with my standard computer? A list of standard software is included with a standard computer. How do I get a computer for a new position in my department or college? The department head or liaison for your department should notify ITS as soon as the position is filled. The sooner we know about your new user, the sooner we can get equipment and appropriate e-mail, network and dial-up accounts ready! If new equipment is required the department will be charged for that. Note: Sending e-mail to ITS Tech@msun.edu only covers equipment requests. Can I switch from a desktop to a laptop computer? Unfortunately because of budget challenges, the university will not be able to replace existing desktop workstations with laptop computers at this time. Can I switch from a Mac to a PC (or a PC to a Mac)? Yes and no. Because of the current budget and staffing challenges within the ITS Department, we have limited support available associated with a Mac, you can switch from a Mac to a PC, but understand switching from a PC to a Mac will require that you may be required to manage and support your own system. Can I have a larger monitor or flat panel monitor? Unfortunately because of budget challenges, the university will only order and configure 17" standard monitors. If your department or the Vice-Chancellor for Finance can supply the funds to purchase the larger monitor or a flat panel monitor, ITS will facilitate the purchase. If a physical limitation requires a larger monitor, please have Employee Relations submit notice in writing to ITS, and we will purchase accordingly equipment that meets or exceeds those needs. Can I have a desktop and a laptop computer? The university provides one networked computer per position. Through the lease buy-back program we only replace desktops. Although there have been "departmental laptops" it will still be the individual department responsible for purchasing and life-cycle replacement. Additionally, if the department requires an employee to maintain two computers, additional costs for network connectivity and license requirements may be charged to the department. ITS is currently developing a more cost-effective pool of laptop resources available to faculty and staff. Why is my Mac missing its floppy drive? In 1998, Apple discontinued the floppy drive on its systems. As an alternative, they provided a Zip drive for removable media. Zip disks provide more space. Recently Apple replaced the Zip drive with a SMART drive, a combination of CD-RW and DVD Readable disk, but we understand you may have files that you need to access from floppies. Floppy drives are available in all of the PC Computing Labs, and at the ITS Help Desk for one-time transfers. Note: As with most purchased equipment, funding for the floppy drive is a department's responsibility. Can I have a personal printer? You may purchase a personal printer, but because they are faster and more cost-effective, ITS recommends and supports networked laser printers. ITS is happy to recommend personal printers that we know will work on the MSU-N computers and network. A word of caution: although ITS technicians will set up your personal printer, they will be unable to repair them. Your department must fund any repairs. Note: As with most purchased equipment, funding for printers is a department's responsibility. Who pays for printer supplies? Each department is responsible for printer consumables, including both toner and paper. Toner and paper for printers located in the computer labs is paid for by ITS up front, and we request reimbursement from the Computer Fee Advisory Committee each year. Who pays for printer maintenance? ITS handles all maintenance on printers but frequently out-sources repairs to a Hewlett-Packard Authorized Repair Center. We attempt to keep printers within warranty for maintenance issues however, if your printer is no longer functioning properly, contact the Help Desk and a technician will attempt to repair your printer or contact our repair center as necessary. Note: Costs associated with repairing a printer is a department's responsibility. Hardware
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