What Can You Load on Your Computer?
Take this True/False test and see how well you do concerning what you can load on the hard drive of your computer.
A few years ago, purchasing a computer and software was simple. You purchased a program and put the disk in the computer and ran the program. Since that time, things have become more complex. Computer programs now have specific parameters and require knowledge on how to correctly load the program to have it run properly. Some programs cause problems when they run with other programs and these conflicts must be taken into consideration. This process becomes more complicated when the computer is connected to a network since more things must be considered in order for a program to run on the network. In an effort to meet the needs of the majority of computer-users within the constraints of the current staffing of the Amphitheater Technology Department and to provide flexibility within the system, the Amphitheater Department of Informational Technology has established three divisions for software support: Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3.
Category 1 software is the Core software that the District purchases, supports and trains employees to use. Category 1 software includes:
Microsoft Office (Word , Excel, and Power Point), MicroGrade, Kid Pix,McAfee, OnGuard, Student Writing Center, KeyWords, Netscape, Windows95, Windows95 Screen Saver, and On Guard Screen Saver.
Category 2 software is software that a user needs to accomplish his job that is not already available from the Core software. For example, if a user likes a different word processing package other than Word, s/he may not load it on a machine because an application is available that can accomplish that job-related function. We had a committee with over 30 representatives from clerical staff, teachers, and administrators that determined the Core software. When dealing with Category 2 software, the user is responsible for installing the software, learning how to use the software, and making it print. When the school or department finds a piece of software or downloads software from the Internet that meets the above criteria, they will submit a copy of the software to the Technology Department so that it can be tested. If the software is to be installed on a Windows ’95 computer, the program must say "Designed for Windows ’95." If the Technology Department approves the software, it will receive Category 2 Support. Any software downloaded from the Internet must be checked for viruses prior to running on a District computer. A list of the programs that are approved as Category 2 software can be found on the Web at www.amphi.com/depts/technology/software.htm Category 3 software has been determined to cause problems with our computers and networks. A school can choose to load the software; however, the Technology department will no longer support the computer in terms of repair, maintenance and technical support and the computer cannot be connected to the Local Area Network and the District Wide Area Network for printing, server use, or Internet. Category 3 software includes: Screen Savers (Only Windows95 screen saver and On Guard Screen Savers may be used), Ram Doubler, Disk Doubler, Speed Doubler, Talking Moose, and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Standardization is necessary with the complexity of computers today, the limited resources we have, and the limited amount of staff we have to support 3000 computers, 65 servers, and networks at 21 sites.
Peggy Steffens/Instructional Technology Coordinator