University Business - May 2012 - (Page 44)

Tech SpoTlighT: Tablets, Laptops, Desktops application workload in the cloud and off the local computer. Likewise, virtualized desktop environments keep most of the work on a server and off the thin clients. “We are looking seriously at what a thin client solution can do for us,” shares Scott Coopee, assistant vice president in the Office of Information Technology at Western New England University (Mass.). In either case, the institution can purchase cheaper computers with fewer hardware resources. Higher education is also adapting to the BYOD trend. “Instead of buying devices, you need to support what your constituents bring,” says Kossuth. “BYOD will soon do to university-owned and managed devices what cell phones did to phone lines in dorm rooms,” says Imeish. Coaxing Computers to Lead Long Lives Desktop virtualization is a gift that truly keeps on giving. “This is a great way to get more life out of older hardware. By moving most of the computing and storage off the computer and onto central servers, you decrease the power and storage requirements of the endpoint device, giving new life to older machines and enabling them to run the latest operating systems and applications, as well,” says Imeish. Colleges can also maintain productive computer use by managing the security of these devices. “It adds to user productivity by limiting down time from security issues,” says Hostetter. “We manage security through centralized tools and by keeping software patched.” Ultimately, students relate device productivity directly to the available services and applications. “A video conferencecapable tablet with 50 applications could be more productive than a PC with five applications. Another way to increase productivity is to make sure the usability of the device and software is super simple. This will drive end-user adoption, which can drive up enduser productivity,” says Imeish. Smart Computing This year’s computers are trending toward popular tablets, laptops, and desktops with enough resources to handle applications moving online and off the device. Higher ed leaders who assess user profiles and desktop virtualization trends can cascade existing machines, buy just-right tablets for mobility, and avoid purchasing desktops or laptops with double the performance (if no one needs that improvement), and have their institutions well equipped for the future. David Geer is an Ohio-based technology journalist. Follow him on Twitter via @geercom. Zero Client Monitors LG’s P Series Network Monitor uses zero client virtual computing technology to connect a server host while redistributing its capabilities to multiple users—allowing IT directors to deliver mass computing capabilities with a smaller budget. A Teradici PC-over-IP Chipset and VMWare software deliver a virtual solution that broadens integrated computing beyond designated labs to offices and classrooms. Pricing begins at $385. www.LGsolutions.com Flexible Computing Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga ($1,199) multimode notebook combines a 13.1-inch 1600x900 resolution HD tablet with an ultrabook in a 360-degree flip-and-fold design for added ease of use and functionality. The 0.67-inch thin 3.1-pound product can be used in notebook, tablet, stand, or tent mode and is powered by the Intel Core Processor family with a Windows 8 operating system. The YOGA supports eight hours of battery life with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and will be available in the second half of 2012. www.lenovo.com Durable Portability The XPS13 laptop is Dell’s most compact and portable Ultrabook, weighing in at 2.99 pounds. At less than a quarter-inch thick at its thinnest point, the XPS13 features a full-sized, backlit chiclet keyboard and a 13.3-inch HD WLED, 300-nit 720p screen with edge-to-edge hardened Gorilla Glass. The built-in 47WHr 6-cell battery offers almost nine hours of battery life. Pricing starts at $999 for an IntelCore i5 processor, 128GB SSD hard drive, and 4GB of memory. www.dell.com Eye-Catching Display The new Retina display on the third generation Apple iPad delivers four times (3.1 million) the pixels as the iPad 2. The new iPad features an A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing photos and 1080p HD video. With iOS 5.1, Apple’s newest mobile operating system, users get an updated camera app and access to iCloud. Pricing starts at $499. www. apple.com Secure Thin Clients The HP t510 Thin Client and HP t610 Flexible Series Thin Client offer hard identification security for sensitive computing environments. Both have dual-core CPUs and offer graphics cores that offload computing from the server to the chipset, enabling users to stream multimedia and work with HD graphics. The HP t510 and HP t610 also enable the use of multiple monitors and remote connections. The HP t510 Thin Client costs $259 and up; the HP t610 Flexible Series Thin Client begins at $399. www.hp.com —Kristen Domonell 44 | May 2012 universitybusiness.com http://www.LGsolutions.com http://www.lenovo.com http://www.dell.com http://www.apple.com http://www.hp.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - May 2012

University Business - May 2012
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Human Resources
Education Gateways
Big Ideas
Reaching Higher
Admissions Goes Social
Learning Disabled Students Welcome
Who Goes There?
Computing Trends, Today and Tomorrow
Money Matters
End Note

University Business - May 2012