TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

At the Board meeting last night, approval was given to the proposed budget for the next phase of the school's computerization. A copy is attached for your review. I would appreciate receiving any comments by Sunday evening at the latest, since I intend to place the purchase orders on Monday (Nov. 11th)

The basic elements of the networked system will be as follows:

1 x 166 MHz Pentium Server running Windows NT

8 x 100 MHz Pentium Workstations, each with CD ROM

1 x Pentium Workstation (existing), no changes

3 x LC475 Mac workstations (existing) upgraded with CD ROM, 12MB RAM

1 x LC475 Mac workstation (existing) upgraded to 12MB RAM

After consultation with our techies, I decided to dispense with the UPS, Tape Back-up and Print Manager, in order to afford the eighth workstation.

In deciding to recommend the above configuration, I have received much valuable input regarding the dual platform question, particularly the issue that any new software developed for the Mac will likely run only on PowerPC based machines, since it will use System 8 OS - rendering our existing LC475s obsolete. However, this will only become an issue towards the middle of next year, when System 8 is introduced and, in addition, there appears to be considerable uncertainty where the MAC world is heading.

While I am reluctant to recommend spending too much on the existing Macs, it is clear that they are not much use in their current state. As a minimum we need to upgrade their RAM and add CD's. In addition, I am proposing to connect them into the network - this is a minimal cost and has significant advantages.

The other question is whether one of the proposed Pentium workstations should be replaced with a MAC (example a 6320CD). This is a $500 additional cost and, while this would give us the immediate ability to use the latest MAC software, in practical terms we are unlikely to need or desire to do so until well into next year and so this workstation would likely be underutilized compared to the Pentiums

Under the proposed system, we will have 4 MACs on the network capable of running all existing Mac software, which I believe satisfactorily addresses the desire to provide a dual platform. By waiting until next year's budget to purchase additional MACs, we will be in a better position to see in which direction the MAC world is going and will also have a much clearer idea on the applications and software we want to run, to guide our purchasing decisions.

Please let me know if you have strong feelings either way, so that I can take them into consideration before sending out the purchase orders.