( ommodore • Amiga • \n Kr • Star • Nu»*|| Orttf'ird Rrlailrr CUI Advantage 280/12 IM expandable to 4\1 • 1,2 Floppy Drive • 40M Hard Drive • Ports: 2S, IP, 1(1 • 101 keyboard • 2.2 DOS k Mouse • Video Controller • $995.00* • Monitor: (lost + 10% AMIGA Education Purchase; Program for all Faculty. Staff and Students As Low As $099.00 All Packages Include: Color Monitor. W CPU & Software n * Wch Subject to ( Ihangt? 135 N. 5th. Springfield 726-8500*Fax service available AMIGA Spring 1991 DUCK BUCKS Coming soon1 w Deadline: Monday. March 4. 1991 Dn, *7o*icU cvutU the, 33e*de*> REACHING THE WORLD The unseen men of network services keep UO in contact with the nation and world via cable I'h.'i■■ * \ ><(in !' Donald Williams, left, .1 nd Dm id Meyer, ri^ht. look over siune network equipment .it the C <>ui nii/ifii' ( t'nft'r. They arc the invisible people. Hies exist underground and behind 'aalls. While students are in t lasses and teai lu rs atui admin istrators are working at their desks, the workers remain tn hiding. "It we’re doing our job, nobody no tn es us,” say s ibile Smith And because of their invisibleness, their job is even harder lor the tour network service analysts and engt neers of the Computing C enter take (.are of the more than kV computers connected to networks on the l m versus i ampus. Networking, a resent hot topis in computing, is the process of commu nicating with other computers via modems or c ables. “rile majority use computers to manage information," says Smith, the assistant director of network services "We provide the ability for computers to e\c hange information.” I hree years ago network services had only '0 computers in two build mgv One and-a-halt years ago, there were 600 in 20 buildings. They ha ven't been counted recently, but Smith says there has been an enor mans growth in the networkers on campus in the last few years. 1 he net works now connect to virtually every building on campus, and a few off. Smith conducted a survey about nine months ago that said 1,000 to 4,000 users sent electronic mail to communicate with the outside world each day. It has doubled since then. II the network service analysts are ever seen, they are the men walking back and forth across campus with \calkie talkies, pagers and a case of equipment. I hey fix the problems us ers are having with the networks, problems with the electronics and the fiber optk cables. Fhev are responsi ble tor everything from the Oregon Hall administrators wanting to admit a new student to the athletic depart ments computerized ticket sales. "It's vers difficult to dig through and find what’s wrong," Smith says, “The hardest problem tor the user n knowing how to use the computer The network is rather straightfor ward; it’s computers that are difficult to use." David Meyer, a network service analyst, says he can think of a num her of things that could be wron^ when a user can’t log onto a network "The most frequent problems are not with the infrastructure but with the individual set-ups or computers, hi says. All the networks are monitored b\ computer and the analysts can tel when something goes wrong. "Our goal is to notice there are problems before the user notices there are problems,” Smith says. "We keep a close watch on the networks and many times we'll get a tall saving something doesn't work and we’re al ready out there fixing it." I here are three primary networks people on campus can use. The School of Education was given a half million dollar grant in 087 to begin I'Onet. rhrough I'Onet, which is at cessed through the Computing ( en ter's VAX computers, users can com munu ate (by fiber opt it cables) with others in the University who are on the network. This allows for easier re search and the ability to send elec tromc messages or even look in the li brary’s Janus system. I he second popular network is NWnet which is a consortium of ten universities in the northwest, Mon tan.i and Alaska. Communication is accessible the same wav as on l Onet and is helpful for research and com tnunication with other professors and administrators. Internet is the international net work available to the campus. I sc-rs can hook up to computers in more than half a million different countries simple bv lo&>int! into the \ AX svs tern and then into Internet. "It's ^oing to become more perva sive," Smith says. "Sihmi everybody will be on the network and the net work will have to run much taster ." Smith adds that the job for net work services is never that easy. "We're an invisible organization but it’s a massive operation all over cam pus,” he says. "We push the technol ogy every day.” Anna Rembet ki SMITH CORONIV TOMORHOWS TlCHNCXCXiY AT YOUR TCXK'H LAPTOP PERSONA! <«■ tP WORD PROCESSOR PWP 7000LT Sophisticated Features 1 In A Compact Design I LIST PRICK 899°° . POWI RPACK S7995 s9789s Oh SM! s69900 (Otter good through March 5th) DiipUy Memory E *trrn*l SforjKjr • - r ti\ » • ' •• *1 t**' B.*« J»r-f l < : 1 • • II v lr> t Mr ’ 1V • Hr. ' •-» t >• .** • 1 m •• »'.*■ • .r * .jr Grammar Rkjht Sy*trm’M S|ir»‘ • * II \A. vl l>< f,, >n.»f y Vt, ' J Right ' Aut. Spf h ■ ff»r\.*UMl\ \K r K ■ iMt w. '1 AJrrt™ f'fi'.i’.r Art|,M >' )• * tu.it' >n 1 ’tril,M U/ord Prtxnwnq Function* • Hk • >py M I Vlrtr .wh1 Insert • ->r 1 '1 .ind Wrt„.*. r • Al/ -M % 'N 34G *1331 * M I O: We cam1 comnuters. but we9re not in the EMU. Who are we: Sporting an easy to use interface, the Apple Macintosh line has become the favorite of many students Whether you are writing a paper or design ing a building, the Macintosh line can help you complete your project in style The 1RM PS/2 lmc is easier to use than ever IBM has packaged Windows 3 and other sot tv. are with its com puters, so all you have to do is plug it in and go! The IBM PS/2 line is the best of the IX)S computers at great educational discount prices. Microsoft is one of the leading software companies in the world, and for good reasons Macintosh products like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are hard to heat, and Microsoft's new Windows 3, Word and Excel ' 0 lor Window s are revolutionizing the DOS software industry CLARIS Claris offers easy-louse software like MacWrite 11 and MacPaint 2.0, earning itself a solid reputation. And with software like FileMaker Pro, Claris CAD and MacDraw Pro, Claris has made a niche for itself. Say Ashton Tale and people will think of the dBase scries of database software fhey continue to olfer strong software packages like dBase Ills- and dBase IV, as well as innovative Macintosh software like FullWrile Professional anil Fulllmpact Ashton -Tate' and that’s not all! Wc also tarry popular software packages like Aldus PageMaker and Lotus 1-2-3. Since we arc always working to offer more software at low cduca tional discount prices, slop by or call to find out what else we have. (setting through college is no easy task, and a good computer can help you do that job. That’s why we're here. We carry computers and software at educa tional discount prices so they match everyone’s pocket book. But what good is a computer if you can’t use it? That’s why “support’’ is part of our name. Our stall is here to support the computers and software we carry. II you are stumped by Windows or stymied by Microsoft Word, we can help. Want a computer but don’t know where to start? We ll help you make a choice that will lit your needs. Have a question? Come on in to 202 Computing Center (across from Rennie’s Landing), or give us a call at 346-4402. We’re open Monday through Friday, 9 a m. to 5 p.m. We display what we sell so you can try before you buy. A: The Microcomputer Support Lab • 202 Computing Center