Technology Update

Arkansas State University Implementation Plan
Microsoft Windows Vista

Arkansas State University is currently in the process of readying the campus for Microsoft Windows Vista. There are several things you should know as you decide if and how to take part in this conversion. This bulletin will outline the ASU strategy for incorporating Windows Vista into the teaching and learning environment while answering the most commonly asked questions regarding the Windows Vista conversion process.

What is Windows Vista and
to whom is it available?

Windows Vista is the latest operating system from Microsoft. Vista contains hundreds of new and reworked features, including an updated interface and visual style, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools, redesigned networking, audio, print, and display subsystems,
and improved security.
Vista is available to everyone using
campus computers that meet the
minimum requirements, either through upgrading their current computers or ordering new computers with Vista
preinstalled. Additionally, Vista is
available for faculty, staff , and students to use on their personally owned computers. However, the software must be uninstalled should one’s employment or student enrollment status with the
university terminate. At that point,
university resources should not support personally owned computers.

Should I upgrade my
existing computer or order a new one?

ASU’s licensing agreement with
Microsoft allows a user with a previous version of Microsoft Windows to upgrade
to Windows Vista at no additional cost. If your business computer needs
immediate upgrading, we invite you take part in our Vista Upgrade Early Adopter group. The fi rst week in October, we will assemble this group of early adopters who will upgrade their Vista ready computer and document their experiences. Documentation from the
group will then be assembled for the rest of the University as we move forward with campus upgrades in January of 2008.
To determine if your computer is ready for Windows Vista, visit the Vista advisor
site at: http://its.astate.edu/advisor.
Once you have completed the advisory analysis, contact the IT Helpdesk at helpdesk@astate.edu and indicate that you would like to participate in the Early
Adopter group.
ASU is now ordering new computers
with Windows Vista preinstalled. If your computer does not meet hardware and software requirements, you should plan for the replacement of your computer using the replacement protocol for your department.

How can I get Windows
Vista if I am upgrading
my personally owned
computer?

The vista upgrade is available by
download to faculty, staff , and students at the following site:
http://apps.astate.edu/campusagree/
download/. Or, you may check out a
copy from the ASU library.

What do I need to be aware of if I do convert to Vista?

  • Temporary Incompatibility with Internet Native Banner (INB):Unfortunately, INB does not currently work with Windows Vista. Therefore, INB users should not upgrade to Vista until after INB becomes compatible with Vista. The projected date for this resolution is January, 2008. Self Service users will not be affected by the implementation of Vista. The majority of faculty, staff , and students are Self Service users, so this temporary incompatibility should not be a problem for the majority of campus.

  • Microsoft FrontPage Incompatibility: Microsoft FrontPage, a web site administration tool created but no longer supported by Microsoft, is incompatible with Vista. Therefore, FrontPage users are encouraged to install Adobe Dreamweaver for their web design needs. Bulk purchase prices of Dreamweaver and the full Adobe Creative Suite are available for departmental purchase. Additionally, the university is off ering half-day Dreamweaver workshops for faculty and staff at no charge. Please visit http://its.astate.edu/dreamweaver for information on obtaining Dreamweaver and registering for professional development.

  • Issues with Non-standard Software: Many faculty and staff utilize applications provided by textbook publishers, ASU business partners, and other third parties. Faculty and staff should either: (A) check with the application supplier to assure Vista compatibility, or (B) provide a list of applications in question to the IT Helpdesk (helpdesk@astate.edu), for further review.

  • Driver Incompatibility Issues: Users should analyze any hardware confi gurations, settings and specialized components and refer to each manufacturer to assure current hardware is Vista compatible. Or, you can contact the hardware services group at ITS (helpdesk@astate.edu). We will be glad to assist you in determining your machine’s compatibility.

  • Plan to Upgrade Microsoft Office: In addition to Vista, faculty, staff , and students have the availability to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007. If upgrading to Vista, it would be benefi cial to install Microsoft 2007, since the two applications are made to work together. Users can avoid technical problems if they have Microsoft Office 2007 installed alongside Windows Vista. A download of Microsoft Office is available at: http://apps.astate.edu/campusagree/download. Or, you may check out a copy from the library.

  • Collaborative Consideration: In order to avoid incompatibility problems, it is benefi cial to ensure that those you collaborate with or work closely with are either upgraded to the same version of Office, or that their application suite is Office 2007 compatible.

  • Plan to Experience a “Learning Curve”: Upgrades and conversions have largely improved user productivity and added beneficial enhancements for the user experience. However, users should plan for a “learning curve” period as they experience
    • substantial changes to the interface.
What happens if I do not convert to Vista? There are no immediate repercussions for not converting to Vista. ASU will continue to support Windows XP at least through the 2008-2009, fiscal year. However, the life cycle of technology is determined by the adoption of the newest technology. In other words, as newer technology is implemented, older technology becomes out of date and ultimately unusable. Industry trends suggest that existing operating systems such as Microsoft XP reaches the end of its life 18-24 months after the newest version such as Windows Vista is released. Eventually, third-party vendors will stop supporting the previous operating system and Microsoft will stop releasing security patches and updates for the older version. Therefore, in order to make best use of Microsoft’s latest technology, ASU encourages all campus users to convert to Windows Vista in a timely fashion as to not adversely affect the teaching and learning process.