Color Printer:
Two HP4500TN networked color laser printers with full paper handling capabilities are located in Room 308 and are accessible to all faculty and staff in AE who have AE Domain accounts. The use of the printer is logged to each user and page charges may be applied to research or state funds accounts designated by the user. This printer is capable of providing high quality color output on plain paper, glossy paper or plain transparencies. The printer is equipped to print on both sides using the duplex option. Details on how to use this printer are provided in the Color Printer Instructions or in an Adobe pdf version
Computer Selection:
The AE Computer Support staff can provide recommendations for computer purchases and peripheral configurations. This is particularly important to users who expect to make use of the staff for support. It is difficult for the staff to become familiar with all of the different brands and models of personal computers, and instead, they have concentrated on several very popular brands. As a result, they are generally able to handle almost all problems with the recommended computers , BUT they may be unable to provide any support for other brands and models. The table below provides general guidance as of 2007.
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| Dell, HP, Sony | Dell, IBM, Sony, Toshiba | Linux |
Hardware Support:
The AE Computer Support staff does not provide direct hardware support. They will, however, attempt to diagnose hardware problems and recommend solutions. They will also assist with warranty repair. In those cases where a major component has failed (e.g., a hard disk or a keyboard), they can arrange for its replacement but all repair funds must be provided by the user. In some cases, the only option may be to use an off-campus contractor. Again, all repair costs are the responsibility of the user. Repair costs for computers used by the administrative staff normally will be handled through the AE Business Office.
Printer Maintenance and Support:
Printer maintenance is limited to toner cartridge replacement and hardware problem diagnosis at the present time. Refurbished toner cartridges for most AE laser printers are stocked, but some of the newer printers may have unusual cartridges for which no refurbished replacements are currently available. If a replacement cartridge is not available in AE, a new one will be ordered (it is strongly recommended that users purchase additional toner cartridges whenever purchasing a new laser printer). No charges will be made for toner cartridges installed in printers in faculty or administrative staff offices. All other toner cartridges MUST be charged to a project. Printer repair is limited to diagnosis only. Arrangements can be made to have the printer repaired by off-campus contractors. Again, charges are the responsibility of the user.
Software Support:
Software support is provided for only certain operating systems. Support is most readily available for WinXP/2k/Vista, but due to the small numbers of systems, only limited support can be provided for MacOS. This support will typically involve problem troubleshooting and repair, software updates, software re-installation and upgrading, network configuration, peripheral device/driver configuration, and backup services. Normally, this is restricted to the OS software currently licensed to the particular computer. Upgrades or additions are the responsibility of the user (except for administrative staff computers). Unix support is limited to Linux and then is on a best-effort basis only. Red Hat and SUSE Linux are the preferred versions. The staff will request assistance from the Engineereing Computing Support Services group for complicated problems or when AE staff are not available. Again, software costs are the responsibility of the user. Software application support is limited to office productivity software and common site-licensed administrative software. Support includes assistance with installation and configuration as well as troubleshooting and reinstallation.
Web Page Development:
A limited amount of assistance is available to help in the design of web pages for research projects or laboratories. This includes the usual graphics and html assistance as well as server-side applications and services.