Graceland College - Microcomputer Labs

Microcomputer Labs

Library Microcomputer Labs

The main campus MicroLab is housed in the lower level of the F.M. Smith Library. Here, a PC lab contains twenty (20) 486DX2-80 PCs with 16 MB RAM each and 15-inch SVGA monitors. An adjoining Mac lab contains twenty (20) LC-475 machines with 8 MB RAM each. These computers are fully networked on the college's Novell and Internet data networks. Each lab is contained in a room arranged in a classroom layout, with a large screen monitor at the front which can be used by an instructor for on-screen demonstrations or other video help to lab users.

When not being used as a classroom for scheduled classes, the Mac and PC labs are available to students and Graceland's library patrons for general word processing or work on computer-related coursework, E-mail and Internet access.

Printers are available for both these labs. Printer support includes dot-matrix, laser and color inkjet. $0.10 per page is charged for use of the laser printers and $0.50 per page is charged for the color printer. Dot-matrix printing is provided at no charge up to 24 pages per print job and $0.05 per page for print jobs of 25 or more pages. A student worker or MicroLab full-time staff member is available during all open hours to answer questions and provide assistance related to the labs. The Macintosh WorkGroup server is available 24 hours, 7 days per week via the Graceland Communications Network. MicroLab hours coincide with F.M. Smith Library hours. During regular school terms, these hours are:

Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.,
Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.,
Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and
Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.

During Winter Term, hours are:

Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.,
Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and
Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

When classes are not in session and during the summer, hours are

Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Computer Science Microcomputer Lab

The Computer Science MicroLab is located in the Platz-Mortimore Science Hall (room 103). This lab consists of eight (8) Pentium 100 microcomputers with 16 MB RAM and 17-inch monitors. In addition to the Windows 95 operating system, these computers feature WRQ's Reflection X-Windows software to optimize access to the college's HP 9000 minicomputer for compiler classes. These computers are fully networked on the college's Novell and Internet data networks.

The Computer Science MicroLab is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Physics Microcomputer Lab

The Physics MicroLab is located in the Platz-Mortimore Science Hall (room 130). This lab consists of three (3) Power Macintosh 7500/100 with 16 MB RAM and CD computers and three (3) Swan Pentium 75Mhz with 16 MB RAM (one of which is equipped with a CD-ROM drive). In an adjoining room (room 126), a Macintosh WorkGroup server 6150/66 and a Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS are accessible by Macintosh or IBM compatible computers. These computers are fully networked on the college's Novell and Internet data networks. This lab is used for teaching FORTRAN as well as spreadsheets and word processing for Physics labs and other courses. Plans are in progress for teaching Engineering Graphics as well.

The Physics MicroLab is available whenever the Platz-Mortimore Science Hall is open, or by arrangement with a Physics instructor. The Macintosh Workgroup server in the Physics MicroLab is available 24 hours, 7 days per week via the Graceland Communications Network.

Electronics MicroLab

The Electronics MicroLab is also located in the Platz-Mortimore Science Hall (room 101). This lab consists of eight (8) Macintosh SE computers, one (1) classic II computer, and three (3) Mac II computers. One of the Mac II's is reserved for teaching Unix and one of the SE computers has an overhead display unit attached to it for use in the classroom. These computers are used for Digital simulation software, programming languages (Lisp, Prolog, Pascal), Graphics using True Basic, Internet access, word processing and other software from network servers. The SE computers are also equipped with data acquisition cards for use in Process Control projects.

The Electronics MicroLab is available whenever the Platz-Mortimore Science Hall is open, or by arrangement with an instructor.

MIDI Lab

The MIDI Lab in the Shaw Center for the Performing Arts supports music courses such as 18th Century Counterpoint, Instrumental Arranging, Music Theory I-III, Advanced Aural Theory, and Piano Class.

This lab contains two Macintosh computers (a Quadra 660AV and a Mac II) which both use the programs Finale, FreeStyle and Digital Performer 1.6. Various other general programs are used with these computers as well as on two remaining Apple IIgs computers to further develop ear training, chord progression, scale indentification and other skills.

Finale from Coda Music Software is a high-end program for music publication; also used by Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, as well as for the scoring of Jurassic Park among other movies. FreeStyle from Mark of the Unicorn Software is a MIDI sequencing and music publication program. Digital Performer 1.6, also from Mark of the Unicorn Software, is a high-end MIDI sequencing and publication program and is much like FreeStyle but also incorporates 16-bit professional audio recording as well. Digital Performer is used by numerous professionals in the industry today including Michael Jackson, Steve Porcaro [formerly from Toto], and many others.

In addition to the computers, the lab includes three MIDI keyboards (a Kurzweil 250, a Yamaha DX-11, and a Roland JX-3P), and Alesis Midiverb II 16-bit digital effects processor, a Yamaha MV-802 (8 in/2 out) mixer, a Yamaha MT-2X four track cassette deck, 3 CD players, a two track mix-down cassette deck, and a 2 track mix-down DAT deck.

MIDI Lab hours are arranged, with student workers available to offer a wide range of assistance utilizing all these gadgets and toys on Mondays-Thursdays from 6:00-10:00 p.m.

This page last updated: 2/17/97
farnham@graceland.edu