By Bryan Hearn ’09
Communications Student Associate

 

Before you reward your sons and daughters (let’s call them “Rhodes iStudents”) with that latest gizmo, consult this guide on campus technological compatibility.

Personal Computers

Deciding between Mac and PC? Information Technology Services (ITS) provides a thorough list of hardware and software requirements that will guide you in choosing the best computer for your son or daughter.

• Rhodes students prefer laptops over desktops. Ninety-eight percent of all of the computers certified last fall (440 out of 449) by ITS were laptops.
• In order to connect to the Rhodes Wireless Network, the computer must run Windows Vista Home Premium, or Windows XP Pro, or Mac OS X 10.3 (or higher) with Airport 3.4 (or higher).
• Residence halls, Barret Library, the Lynx Lair, the Amphitheater and other areas around the Rhodes campus are now wireless.
• Students can also check out laptops from the library.

Smartphones

• iPhones, due to a different wireless encryption, cannot currently access the Rhodes wireless server.
• Other “smartphones” (BlackBerries, PDAs) can access the Internet seamlessly on campus because those connections go through their respective cell phone providers’ wireless servers.

Video Game Consoles

• Consoles such as Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 are able to access the Internet wirelessly at Rhodes.
• Although users can connect to games hosted by other gamers across the country, they cannot host their own games on the Rhodes server.

Cameras and Camcorders

• If you want to purchase a new camcorder, it must have a DV interface (almost all new camcorders have this) in order to work with Rhodes’ software. Hi-8 or older camcorders will not work.
• In addition, ITS has five digital cameras and seven camcorders for students to check out.

If you have any questions, contact the ITS Helpdesk at 901.843.3890 or helpdesk@rhodes.edu. For more information, visit the ITS Web site.