Information for New Students 2007

Welcome Students!

Technology is a critical part of students’ life at Oberlin. Having a computer that connects easily to the campus network can make students’ academic and personal lives easier, more fun, and more productive.

Students planning to purchase a new computer are strongly encouraged to purchase from the Oberlin Technology Store (OTS), part of the College's Center for Information Technology (CIT). The Store is an authorized sales and service provider for Apple and Hewlett Packard (HP) Pro Line computers, and also sells a variety of other technology products. Purchasing through the Store gives students a number of advantages.

Why You Should Buy From Us:

If something goes wrong, we will go above and beyond to make it right. That’s Peace of Mind, Guaranteed.

We offer professional model laptops that should last a student for four years.
We negotiate on your behalf for best educational pricing on software, accessories, and hardware throughout the year, and pass the savings on to you.
Get hands on experience with our Demo machines before you make a purchase.
Our on-campus location allows for you to take home items immediately following your purchase.
Our Tech Card provides customers with loaners, a lemon policy, and 3-year limited manufacturer's warranty. See our Tech Card page for more information.
CIT Tech Consultants are trained and familiar with all our models.
We have both Apple and HP authorized technicians on site. (We are not authorized to repair big-box retailer and consumer line models.)
We’ve been serving the Oberlin College community for over twenty years. With no commissions and no hard sell, we are here to help. Buying from us supports technology at Oberlin College.

The Technology Store Back-to-School Sale

Because technology changes so frequently, students are advised to purchase computers as close to the start of the semester as possible. The Technology Store holds its Back-to-School (BTS) Sale during July through September. Because the Store orders in bulk for this sale, we can get big discounts on the latest technology, and pass the savings on to students. Also, vendors often offer special promotions at this time.

The sale features selected Macintosh and HP professional-line systems, and important items such as printers, carrying cases, security kits, surge suppressors, and backup media. First year students receive a free ethernet cable! Details on the sale’s offerings will be posted on our web site in early July.

The Store also sends sale information to students’ home addresses in July. No payment is due with your BTS order, but payment is due in full when you pick up your system during Orientation. Due to contractual obligations, the Technology Store cannot ship computers.

Note that the Technology Store carries a number of models, not just those that are part of the BTS sale. They can be purchased when you arrive on campus. See our Price List for details.

If you have questions, contact us at cstore@oberlin.edu or 440-775-8628. E-mail is preferred.

Why purchase our Professional Line HP and MacBook Pro models?

The HP Professional Line features top quality components, include alloy magnesium casing, spill resistant technology, shock resistant hard drive and more.
We can service them here on campus. (CIT is unable to service Consumer Line HP models or models from other vendors.)
A dedicated video card provides faster performance for Java, Flash, and other video and graphics applications.
While other retailers may offer similar Consumer Line models for up to $500 less, their greater repair frequency and decreased performance offset any savings. HP is the only manufacturer to never have a battery recall.

The MacBook Pro features a bigger hard drive, more protective casing, and a bigger and brighter screen.
A dedicated video card provides faster performance for Java, Flash, and other video and graphics applications.
Our BTS models include Applecare three-year limited warranty (must register online within 90 days).
A leading consumer magazine rated Apple the best in customer service and support.
The MacBook Pro is better equipped to run both Windows and Mac OSX.

Macintosh or Windows?

The Oberlin College Center for Information Technology supports both Macintosh and Windows. Most departments have no preference, though some, such as the conservatory of music, art, cinema studies, chemistry, and theater and dance use primarily Macintosh. Others such as biology, economics and sociology primarily use Windows. We have labs with both platforms available for student use. With Apple’s Boot Camp utility, you can run Windows OS on your Mac. Purchase a Mac and a copy of Windows to get the best of both worlds.

Please note that Macs are generally MUCH less prone to viruses, spyware and other software malfunctions than Windows machines. You will be responsible for installing and maintaining system patches, anti-virus software and anti-spyware software on your machine. If you fail to do this on a Windows OS system, you can expect software problems such as slowdowns, failure to run applications, or failure to boot properly. Note that many problems with Windows OS which appear to be hardware-related are actually due to spyware and/or viruses.

Software

All computers now come with the necessary software to connect to the internet, do e-mail, etc. The CIT provides a campus site license for virus and spyware protection software and other network utilities. This software may be downloaded from the CIT download web page; you will need your ObieID and password to access this page.

The standard productivity software on campus is Microsoft Office. Students are not required to purchase this software, but they should be aware that most faculty members use Microsoft Word as their word-processing program. Therefore, the ability to save a document in Word format or Rich Text format is important. Microsoft Office for both Macintosh and Windows is available at the Technology Store at a low educational price.

Other Computer Resources on Campus

Oberlin’s Center for Information Technology (CIT) provides both Macintosh and Windows computers in several computer labs around campus. These computer facilities are sometimes reserved for classes, but they also serve as an alternative for students who do not have their own computers, or just need easy access between classes. Students also use these computers when specialized hardware or software is required for coursework.

Connecting to Resnet in the Residence Halls

Please use the wired ethernet in your room, instead of wireless, whenever possible; it is faster, more reliable, and more secure.

If you have a new Apple Macintosh or Windows PC with built-in Ethernet, chances are that connecting to Resnet will be relatively simple. If you have an older computer, however, you may have to upgrade hardware and/or software to take advantage of Resnet.

If your computer does not have Ethernet capabilities, you can purchase an Ethernet card before you get to campus or through the Oberlin Technology Store. You can install it yourself or have an RCC install it for you. Contact an RCC by e-mailing CIT@oberlin.edu, or in person at the TSC office on the Main Level of MUDD Library.

It is inadvisable to bring a computer more than two or three years old to campus. Older systems may work on the campus network, but they likely will not run the most recent web browsers, and other software may run too slowly to be of much use.

If you do not have the original system disks for your computer, the CIT strongly recommends against bringing the computer to campus.

IMPORTANT: You must scan your computer for viruses before connecting to the campus network. Anti-virus software will be available from the CIT when you arrive on campus. You must also make sure your Windows computer has the latest patches and updates installed.

For more information about the campus network, go to the Resnet web site or e-mail cit@oberlin.edu.