🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On Tue, 9 Jul 1996, Ken Penniston wrote:
> The College of Business Administration at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
> has purchased 16 laptop computers for an instructional "portable lab".  The
> idea is to be able to easily move the lab from classroom to classroom.  To
> begin with, these computers will not be networked, but the future plan is to
> establish a transportable wireless network.

Sounds real close to our situation.

> I am interested in establishing a dialog with any of you who have "portable
> lab(s)" in place to discuss special issues related to the nature of such
> labs such as security, battery life, physical distribution of equipment,
> hard drive protection, etc., as well as any issues we may not have thought
> about.

All good issues to consider.  We plan on having two batteries per machine
so that we can be assured of fully charged batteries being available.
Security...that's a tough one.  A lockable box for the brute theft.  Check
lists and one person being charged with the responsibility for the stick
fingers on staff.  Will probably lose some stuff.

One other issue.  Network length.  If you plan to hook up to your
campus/departmental network with a bridge, you'll need to consider the
length of the runs in the rooms where you plan to possibly deploy these
labtops.  The addition 16 machines on wireless will add a lot of length.
We hope to have it limited to a dozen rooms.

Ken Schriner                            kens@comp.uark.edu