The small minority of freshmen who brought or bought a Windows-based Intel computer are struggling to integrate themselves into the College's Macintosh-oriented network.
Personal computer owners say they have had difficulty installing Windows 95 and BlitzMail and accessing Dartmouth's network services.
Macintosh users outnumber Windows 95 students by a ratio of more than 10 to 1, said Bill Brawley, the Director of Communications for Computing Services. About 60 freshmen are using Windows PCs, and more than 1,000 still use Macintosh computers.
Patrick O'Brian '01, who purchased a Dell PC with the Windows 95 operating system, said that he thought owning his computer would be "as easy as having a Mac." O'Brian said he wanted a PC because he thought they were a better value, and because "the world is more PC friendly."
In the world beyond Dartmouth, less than five percent of new computers sold use Macintosh systems, while 90 percent come with some form of Windows.
PC users this year will have more support from Kiewit than in the past, but nowhere near the amount of help available to their Macintosh-using peers.
In previous years, PC users were unable to use BlitzMail. This year, Kiewit introduced a version of the program specifically designed for PCs
PC users can pick up handouts from Kiewit detailing how to install Windows 95 as well as how to access the Dartmouth network from off campus.
O' Brian said using Windows 95 has been a headache. Because he bought the program from the Kiewit Computer Store, O' Brian had to obtain a Windows password from Kiewit, which took a week, he said.
Now that O'Brian has started to use his computer, "the biggest problem is finding people who know about Windows 95," he said.
Brad Perkins '01 said there is a lack of Windows knowledge at Kiewit, and that usually only one or two people there are able to answer his questions.
Brawley said there is much more support than before, including a Windows expert and the staff's growing knowledge of non-Macintosh systems.
