Students using the general access computer labs now have faster computers and newer software available to them.

Computer Networking Services upgraded the computers and the software over the summer to keep UW-Eau Claire up-to-date with the standard of college computer networking.

General access labs in Hibbard Humanities Hall, Human Science and Services, McIntyre Library and Schneider Social Science received new computers and scanners, said Gregory Rineck, a computer lab coordinator at CNS.

The new operating systems on campus are Windows XP for the PCs and Macintosh OS 9.2.2 for all of the Macintoshes.

The software programs on the computers are newer versions of old programs. The university’s license on Adobe software products allowed updates of Adobe Acrobat – a program that helps create documents that can contain text and images. Adobe also updated copies of imaging software and image-editing programs, such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and PhotoShop Element.

With new scanners in all of the general access labs, the need arose to upgrade the software. CNS installed OmniPage Pro 11, the interface between the computer and the scanner.

The furniture was changed in the labs and the seating plan was altered to give students a better line-of-sight with the projection screens at the front of the rooms. Computers are now on larger desks and spread out more to give students greater work space, Rineck said.

General access labs are not the only rooms to get new computers. The computer labs used for group and class work were also updated, as well as some of the computers in the residence halls.

The design of Schneider 101 was changed to accommodate the goal of improving small group work, said Stephen Horner, director of facilities planning.

The room was redesigned to accommodate five students with 11 workstations in the room. The redesigning isn’t completed yet, but Horner said the room should be ready in October.