My one box and I made the drive from Oakland to Portland yesterday, and today I had my first day at Catlin Gabel. I proudly carried my one box to the tech office, opened it, and … discovered that it was the wrong box! Instead of my precious workplace knick knacks, I only had the detritus from my office at home — an old telephone, a box of camera accessory packaging. I guess I really have succeeded in moving my work life into the virtual space, as about the only item I miss from the box is my “emergency sweater.”
I received and set up my new MacBook Pro today. Yes, it is as easy as everyone has been saying to install Windows using Parallels. I was especially impressed with how easy it was to increase the RAM allocation to the Windows virtual machine. I would like to set up a second VM at some point to run Linux. I believe that we are going to build our new intranet on Linux instead of the Windows servers I have grown accustomed to using, so I will have to become more familiar with navigating a Linux environment. I might even use my laptop as a testing server for new software.
Learning about a different technology program is extremely invigorating. Altiris deployment software is my new best friend. With one click, I installed the client software on my computer. With a second click, my colleague Dave installed Office on my computer! The software can also remote control client computers — very handy for quick support calls and how-to’s from across campus. Mac-only campuses likely use Remote Desktop for this. If I understand correctly, Altiris is cross-platform. The software isn’t cheap, but it provides tremendous value to tech departments.
I checked out the ActivBoard for the first time. Promethean has developed accessories and software to complement their interactive whiteboards. They now bundle a data projector and wall-mounted bracket with whiteboard. They also provide a slate input device, which could be very useful for giving students control of the whiteboard during a lesson. The software seems to provide great value as well. For example, they offer geometry software in which a virtual compass and protractor appear on the screen for performing live measurements. This is worth a try for our next whiteboard purchase.
I picked up a new MacBook for the first time yesterday. I liked several things about it. The glossy screen is much clearer, although I think that people will have difficulty getting used to the high reflectivity. The wide screen aspect ratio is a nice add-on. I recall that the resolution is about 1200×800, great for an entry-level laptop. My favorite new feature: removing the battery provides access to two RAM expansion slots and the hard drive! This will provide more flexible RAM upgrade options and allow tech departments to more easily swap a user hard drive into a loaner laptop in case of hardware failure! This should be a valuable plus.
Richard Kassissieh is Director of Technology and Learning Innovation at