Synopsis:
The DeSC computer is a particular computer model, running a particular set of central software. The University's decision to establish a standard hardware and software desktop environment stems from the goal of streamlining costs associated with application development, software installation, computing support, system administration, and software licensing. By choosing one hardware model and a standard software suite, the University is positioned to negotiate better pricing and maintenance fees, and computing support staff are better able provide the best possible assistance.

Solution:
The Desktop Systems Council (DeSC) maintains a standard computing platform for administrative users at Princeton University. To access PeopleSoft and most other administrative systems, you must use a DeSC computer.

1. My current DeSC computer (Dell GX260 or Dell GX 620) seems to currently meet most of my needs. Do I need to upgrade it?
2. Are there other options?
3. Do I need to buy a new computer or can I just upgrade to Vista on my current computer?
4. Do I need to buy a new monitor with my computer?
5. Is the University moving from a 4-year to a 5-year replacement cycle?
6. Why aren't we moving to a 6 year replacement cycle?
7. The new computer I am ordering only has a 4-year warranty, is that right?
8. Do I need to replace my current machine with a Dell desktop or are there other options?
9. Are DeSC computers energy/power efficient? If so, how?

My current DeSC computer (Dell GX260 or Dell GX 620) seems to currently meet most of my needs. Do I need to upgrade it?
If you would like to have your computer remain in DeSC you will need to upgrade it by August 2009. The new computers that are part of the DeSC standard offer many advantages over the current configurations. They include a new operating system (Vista), new version of Microsoft Office, as well as many features which make the systems more energy efficient. Energy savings alone will total over $200 over the expected life of the computer.

Are there other options?
If for some reason you can not make the change, your computer can be removed from the DeSC program. If you choose this option you may incur additional costs for software which come standard with DeSC computers. Additionally, most likely your computer will be out of warranty and repairs may be expensive.

Do I need to buy a new computer or can I just upgrade to Vista on my current computer?
There are two primary reasons you need to buy a new computer. The first is that the new hardware will be more energy efficient and come with a new warranty saving the University money in energy costs and in potential repair costs. The second is that the new computers come with a second hard drive installed. This makes it so you have a "local" backup if anything goes wrong with your hard drive (saving you time), and makes it so OIT has to back up less information (saving the University money) and in the future will make it so we can safely power off your computer over night and on weekends.

Do I need to buy a new monitor with my computer?
No. If you already have an LCD (flat panel) monitor there is no need to purchase a new monitor with your system. If you have an older CRT (tube) monitor you should replace it for energy savings.

Is the University moving from a 4-year to a 5-year replacement cycle?
The replacement cycle for DeSC computers was changed from 3 to 4 years two years ago. At that time it was determined that in most cases the processing power and functionality of the computers should allow them to last for that extended period of time. Given the current economy, the DeSC believes that computers purchased today should be able to last for up to 5 years. Technology changes over time and often today's state-of-the-art technology seems very slow and without necessary function in only a couple years. That said, computers that meet today's standards should provide adequate features for basic administrative computing functions for this new, extended, time.

Why aren't we moving to a 6 year replacement cycle?
An assessment will be made at some point in the future if today's computers can last for even longer. A general rule of thumb is that computing technology gets twice as powerful every 18-24 months. That means new computers 6 years from now may be 10 times more powerful than today's models. The question is whether or not today's computers will be powerful enough to run the applications that will be part of our productivity environment at that time.

The new computer I am ordering only has a 4-year warranty, is that right?
OIT and Purchasing negotiated special pricing for the basic DeSC configuration, saving up to $200 per system over past models. The most effective price-point for the configuration includes a 4-year warranty. As was done when the University extended the replacement cycle from 3 to 4 years, we will go back to all DeSC users prior to warranty expiration, and coordinate the purchase of the 5th year of warranty. Depending on the configuration, extending the warranty for the fifth year will cost $40. You may also use your computer once it is no longer under warranty, but in that case you will want to talk with OIT's Hardware Support technical staff about costs before authorizing any repairs.

Do I need to replace my current machine with a Dell desktop or are there other options?
Dell laptops are now included in DeSC. The laptop must be your primary workstation. For more information, please see: DeSC Laptop Computer Guidelines and Best Practices.

Are DeSC computers energy/power efficient? If so, how?
New DeSC desktop computers are configured with industry leading 88% efficient power supply which reduces energy consumption by 40% over the computers they are replacing, saving the University over $75,000 in energy annually. New DeSC desktop computers are also coming configured standard with a second hard drive. This drive is being used to make an identical copy (mirror) of the main drive. It is also being used to take "snapshots" of files as they are changed to allow for limited access to past versions of files. The computers are also equipped with features that will allow them to be turned back on remotely, so called "wake on LAN." The combination of these two features should enable DeSC computers to be safely powered down over night and on weekends in areas where they are not being used. If you compare the energy used by the past generation of desktops left on all of the time, to the new generation of computers running 10 hours per day, five days per week, we reduce the cost of energy from over $200,000 to less than $40,000 annually.

Related Links:

• DeSC web site
• Central software set
• Prohibited software
• DeSC Hardware Timeline/Roadmap
• Laptops in DeSC Program.
• DeSC image documentation (SCAD/DCS only). Please review the documentation whenever installing a DeSC image. There are important tips that will help with the majority of questions. If you are a departmental administrator and need access, contact swsinc@princeton.edu.