In January 2000, discussion of phasing out Eudora, then UW-Eau Claire’s primary e-mail program, began.
With the introduction of Outlook, a Web-based Microsoft program students are being trained to use, the plan to rid the university of Eudora by this summer is still in place, said Jim Lowe, director of Computing and Networking Systems.
“It doesn’t really pay to have two products,” Lowe said, citing budgetary and support reasons. “And (Outlook is) convenient.”
Information and Technology Commission Director Jeffrey Noe said students should begin using Outlook, which can be accessed at webmail.uwec.edu.
“What we want students to do is get familiar with web mail,” Noe, a senior, said of the new e-mail service, which has been available since the beginning of the fall semester.
“What’s nice about it is you can access it from anywhere,” he said.
Unlike Eudora, which required students to install a specific program on their computers, Outlook allows students to access their accounts from any computer that has a Web browser.
Outlook is similar to other Web-based e-mail services provided by Yahoo! and Hotmail, Lowe said, adding that it’s easy to use.
“A lot of things are going Web-based, in general,” said Noe, who added students need only their user name and password to access their account. “There’s no special software to account for.”
In addition to the new e-mail program, Noe said students are able to take advantage of a wireless network on campus.
In OL1108, a lab where students can rent laptops, Noe said wireless cards are available as well. When hooked up to a laptop, users are able to access the Internet and the university’s server without having to plug in the computer.
The wireless laptops, however, must be accessed within the range of positioned antennas. The second floor of the library and the campus mall allow for wireless use.
“It’s really nice for students,” Noe said. “As students start to use it, and if it’s benefiting students, you might see it expand.”work-study programs.