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Campus Microsoft NewsNew Software LicensingThe Microsoft Campus Agreement is a software-licensing program for higher education that is renewed on an annual basis. Some departments at The University of Alabama have elected to participate in this agreement. By participating in the agreement, those departments have already paid for certain Microsoft products for all their department-owned computers. Those products include Office Standard and Professional editions and Office for Macintosh; upgrades to Windows; FrontPage; and BackOffice Server Clients. Upgrades released during the license period are also included. Please note that a computer must already be licensed for Windows before it can have Windows installed under the campus agreement. Faculty and staff in participating departments may also install and use one copy of selected programs on a laptop or home computer for school-related activities. Windows upgrades are not included in the home-use provision. Employees must sign a copy of the Home Use Agreement before installing software on a personal computer under the campus agreement. The Home Use Agreement states, among other things, that the software will not be used by other family members or in conjunction with an outside business. Such use would violate both the license agreement and state law. The campus agreement does not cover students. They can purchase academic versions of software through the University Supply Store. Departments that are not participating in the agreement may still purchase Microsoft software from the Supply Store under the existing Microsoft Open License Program. Participating departments can also use the Open License Program to purchase products not covered by the campus agreement. If your department would like to join the agreement, please contact Sherry Harvey at 348-9809. However, departments can be added or dropped only during the annual license renewal. The license will be next renewed on April 30, 2001. To find out if you are covered by the Microsoft Campus Agreement, check the local campus agreement site at helpdesk.ua.edu/software/microsoft, or call the HelpDesk. If you are in a participating department and need to install Microsoft software, contact your network support personnel. Office 2001: Coming Soon to a Macintosh Near YouIn October, Microsoft will release an upgrade to Office 98 for Macintosh. Called Office 2001, it will allow Macintosh users to take advantage of many of the new features introduced in Office 2000 for Windows as well as some brand-new Macintosh-only features. It also has a redesigned interface (to look and feel more like a Macintosh program) and a special CD case--a reusable white plastic clamshell. Some of the new features from Office 2000 include the three-pane view in PowerPoint, which lets you view and edit the slide, notes, and outline on the same window; Word's "Click and Type" that lets you double-click anywhere on the page and type, with the necessary tabs and carriage returns inserted automatically; and the new clipboard that allows you to store multiple objects for pasting. The Office Clipboard also supports drag-and-drop. There are many new features for the Macintosh. The most notable will be the introduction of a new e-mail client and personal information manager, called Entourage. Some of the more innovative Entourage functions include the ability to flag incoming e-mail messages with reminders to respond and/or associate them with external files. Entourage's calendar and address book can be synchronized with a Palm PDA, and you can easily export your calendar as an HTML file for publication to a Web site. Another major enhancement is the integration of QuickTime technology into PowerPoint. PowerPoint slides can use QuickTime transitions, and QuickTime movies can be embedded on PowerPoint slides. You can even embed multiple movies on the same slide and have them play simultaneously. A PowerPoint 2001 presentation can also be exported as a QuickTime movie. That movie can be played by anyone with QuickTime installed on his or her computer, but it can still be opened and edited in PowerPoint 2001. Finally, to make the transition easier, Office 2001 files can be opened in Office 98 for Macintosh as well as Office 97 and 2000 for Windows. Office 2001 will be covered under the Microsoft Campus Agreement for participating departments. If you are in a department that is not participating in the agreement, you will be able to purchase Office 2001 from the University Supply Store through the Microsoft Open License Program. Windows: Should You Upgrade?There are many different versions of Microsoft Windows being used on campus: Windows 3.11 (and earlier), Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE (second edition), Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows Millennium (Me). With so many varieties of operating systems around, you might be wondering if the one you have is right for you. If you are running Windows 3.11 or earlier one thing is clear: It is time to upgrade. Those early versions of Windows are no longer supported by the Office of Information Technology and many other computer services. In fact, the software running under those operating systems probably isn't supported either. You need to change both your operating system and software programs to current, supported versions. Because each version of Windows has required more hardware resources than the previous one, you most likely will have to replace your computer as well. Windows 95 is a different story. It was a dramatic improvement over the earlier versions of Windows. Newer versions of Windows (98, 98SE, and Me) are generally considered enhancements of Windows 95, some of them major and many minor, but all within the Windows 9x family. So, if you are satisfied with Windows 95, 98, or 98SE, don't bother upgrading, but do make sure that you have installed the latest security patches available from www.microsoft.com. However, if you are having trouble with Windows 95 or 98, or it isn't meeting your needs, consider upgrading. The same is true for Windows NT. At present, there are three versions of Windows available from Microsoft: Windows 98SE, Windows Millennium (Me), and Windows 2000. Windows 98SE is an improvement over 95. It is a more stable system and provides some additional features. In many ways it is Windows 95 with additional security features, as well as support for some newer technology (primarily universal serial bus or USB). Until October 2000, 98SE was the latest consumer version of Windows available. Based on previous releases, expect Microsoft to discontinue sales of Windows 98SE now that Me is available. Windows Me has even more enhancements when compared to 95, 98 and 98SE. In particular, Windows Me includes more features in Internet access, digital media, home networking, and PC health than are found in 98SE. Currently, the most significant enhancement involves working with digital pictures, movie clips, and audio files. If you need that ability, you may want to upgrade. If not, we suggest that you wait and stay with one of the earlier Windows 95/98 operating systems. Some of the new features in Me are not yet fully supported by other software and hardware vendors. Don't let the name fool you. Windows 2000 is not an upgrade of the Windows 9x family of operating systems. It is based on the Windows NT architecture and is the most current version of that family of programs. If you are considering moving to Windows 2000, we suggest that you discuss this with your network or systems administrator, particularly if you are upgrading from Windows 95, 98, or 98SE. Before you can seriously consider upgrading, you have to be sure that your computer can handle the new version of the operating system. The following are Microsoft's minimum system requirements for the newer Windows versions. All upgrades also require a CD-ROM.
Take Microsoft's minimum requirements with a grain of salt. Those are the minimum requirements for the operating system to run. If you want it to run more than "just barely," make sure you have a faster processor, more RAM, and more available disk space than the minimums require. If your system doesn't significantly exceed the minimum, see if the hardware can be upgraded, or consider purchasing a new computer. Next, make sure that the software you want or need to use will operate under the new versions of Windows. There are always some programs that have to be modified to work with the newer versions of operating systems. The standard Microsoft Office programs should be relatively safe, but you need to check with the manufacturer for all other software. You will also want to check with the manufacturers of any peripheral hardware as well, such as printers or CD writers. If your hardware exceeds Microsoft's minimum recommended standards and your software and hardware are compatible, you are ready to upgrade. There are two approaches you can take to the actual Windows upgrade. You can install the new operating system over your current version, or you can perform what is called a "clean install." Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Installing over Windows is the easiest and quickest way to upgrade. Generally, there will be no need to re-install other software, and your current configurations for networks, e-mail, and printing will be carried over to the new system. For the inexperienced user, this is clearly the approach to take. There are several drawbacks to this approach, however. Installing over Windows usually produces an operating system that runs slower than one installed under a clean install. The updated registry (system information) is likely to be somewhat messy and may be more likely to cause crashes. In addition, this won't clear out old, unused files or programs stored on your hard drive. If you make a backup of your current operating system (which is highly recommended) by selecting that option while installing the new version, even more space will be taken up on your hard drive. With a clean install, you delete everything from your hard drive by re-formatting it. Then you install the new operating system and re-install any software and restore any data that you still need. You will have to re-configure programs, networks, e-mail, printers, and any other peripherals you have connected to your computer. Inexperienced users are advised not to take this approach without getting expert assistance. This method takes longer but you will end up with a faster, more stable operating system. In addition, this will recover disk space lost to unused or orphan files and programs. Before starting this approach be sure to back up your data. (See "Oh No, Where Did it Go?" on page 8.) If you have additional questions about upgrading Windows, please call the HelpDesk at 348-2435. |
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