On Campus Technology Recommendations

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Student Computer Services Introduction

Hopefully the information below helps answer some of those questions and will make your transition to Messiah’s Computing Environment as smooth as possible. If you have any computer questions, please feel free to call Berte Thompson at (717)796-5039 between 7:15 and 4:30, M-F. Or by email at bthompso@messiah.edu. She is available to answer any computer questions you might have and can help with passwords and MCSquare problems.

Cell Phone Carriers on Campus:

As the importance of cell service to students continues to increase rapidly, we feel it is necessary for Messiah to inform students about what seem to be the most reliable cell service to use on campus. While signal levels for even the best services have issues on certain floors of various buildings, there are several carriers that should be avoided if possible. We are seeing an increasing rate of complaints from those using carriers with poor cell service on campus (T-Mobile, Sprint, and others). Unfortunately, students are arriving on campus with these carriers having just purchased a 2 year contract and they must live with terrible cell service for the next two years. We are hoping that this communication on our part will help resolve some of these problems.

For our location, it is strongly recommended that students come to school with AT&T or Verizon Wireless phones.

The two reasons are:
1) AT&T has the best signal on campus overall. Verizon is edging AT&T at the moment.
2) We currently have a cell boosting project underway. Our efforts to boost signal levels only do so for AT&T and Verizon. This cell project is very expensive for just the two carriers. After careful consideration it was deemed not practical to add other services to the mix because of the cost.

Laptop vs. Desktop vs. Netbook:

Approximately 99% of the students have laptops on campus (although some may also have a desktop in addition to that laptop). We do not recommend the use of netbooks as a main PC. Many students that come with netbooks have quickly realized that the netbooks just are not what they need as it just isn’t enough. Below are two recommendations for laptops.

Key Distinctions:

This year’s recommendations are below. I have had many students come in to my office asking for help to “make my laptop last for another six months.  I have to get through graduation”, so one of the major criteria is reliability. Another major criterion was based on size, portability and weight.

Basic PC Recommendations:    

• i3 processor (i5 or i7 is better)

• 2 GB of memory/ram minimum (4 GB is better)

• If you plan on putting a lot of pictures, movies and/or music on your PC, you may want a larger hard drive (such as 500GB) 

• Dual-Band Wireless-N.  

• Extended warranty (if financially feasible)

DO NOT purchase antivirus software. Messiah requires that students use AVG antivirus software. Download AVG now or Student Computer Services will install this for you if you bring your computer to our office (located in Fry Apartments A3).

 

Specific Model Recommendations:

Toshiba and LAM computers are available at LAM Systems (a local Christian computer supplier that has excellent equipment and service). Our sales representative is Dani Sauve, (717) 697-7500 x140

Looking to Buy Software?

Visit the online software store at: http://www.JourneyEd.com/SELECT.  Select Pennsylvania as the state and then select Messiah as the school from the directory. Add desired items to your cart and checkout. Academic verification is required and you can elect to be verified instantly online during the checkout process or fax/email your verification after you place your order. Verified orders ship directly to the customer. (If calling, be sure to tell operator that you attend a "Select Pricing" school to ensure your special pricing.)

Frequently Asked Questions of First Year Students:

Do I need to bring a computer to Messiah College?
Messiah College does not require students to bring their own computer. There are 13 labs on campus with over 250 computers available to students 24 hours a day. Art and Music majors are required to have Mac laptops. Specific types will be posted in the early spring.

What should I bring with me to connect to the network?
Wi-Fi is available in the residences and throughout most of campus if your computer has Wi-Fi built-in then you do not need to bring anything to connect to the network.

In each residence hall or campus apartment bedroom there is only one live jack. This means that if two or more students in the same room wish to connect to the internet with a wired connection, they will need to have a hub (RJ45 cable not USB). Hubs are available from Student Computer Services (Fry Apartments A3) for a small fee ($20.00). This fee will be partially refunded when the hub is returned to Student Computer Services ($15.00 will be returned to the student). A network cable is required for each PC (10-15ft is recommended) plus one to connect the hub to the live jack in the wall.

NOTICE: DO NOT bring a router (wireless or wired) as you will be prevented from connecting through one as routers tend to interfere with our network

Can I send my computer to Student Computer Services to get configured ahead of time?
Yes! We actually prefer it this way as it allows us to get as many done as possible before the "rush" at the beginning of the semester.

Computers may be shipped to following:
Messiah College c/o Berte Thompson

One College Ave.
Box 3046

Grantham, PA 17027

Computers will be configured and ready for pickup when the student arrives on campus.

Click here to see the General FAQ's page