Profiles in Success: Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN — They called it “The Mac Challenge.” In the fall of 2006, students at Bemidji State University (BSU) were invited to visit the school’s “Super Lab,” test out a variety of software applications, and see if they could tell whether they were using a Mac- or Windows-based computer. Identical 17-inch flat-panel displays and USB keyboards were connected to the systems, which were hidden in boxes. Students then put a variety of Windows applications through their paces. The result? All of the Windows applications tested on the Mac mini performed flawlessly. And according to Brian Allen, BSU’s director of technical support, “The Mac mini running Boot Camp was faster, hands down.” Now that Intel-based Macs can run both Windows and Mac applications, the biggest “challenge” may be just what universities will do with all of their PCs.
Allen describes his team of computer technicians as fearless risk-takers. So when they heard that Apple was introducing Boot Camp — which lets users install the Windows XP operating system on a Mac — as part of Mac OS X Leopard, they immediately wanted to take the new technology for a test drive. “To use Apple’s motto, we have an amazing staff who all ‘think different,’” Allen confirms. “We like to bounce things around, and see how they work. But the real reason we were excited about Boot Camp was that we could see multiple benefits for our students. The bottom line is, we knew Boot Camp would enhance our students’ learning environment.”
With the Intel Macs, students now… can run both Windows and Macintosh applications. It’s the best of both worlds… two computers for the price of one.
— Brian Allen, Technology Director, Bemidji State University
Pilot Program Promises Success
Allen, along with computer technicians Craig DuMarce, Scott Theisen, and Russell Hemstock, first glimpsed the potential of Boot Camp during a pilot program at BSU. For this test, they created a dual-boot image on 10 Mac mini and 10 iMac computers, then loaded several applications which run exclusively on the Windows platform. The team then placed the Mac systems in BSU’s business office and computer labs, and asked users to pound away and write down any problems.
Says Allen, “We didn’t have one single, solitary problem report on any of the applications. That was one of the biggest selling points for us — we had rock-solid proof that Boot Camp would work. Then in our ‘Super Lab,’ where we run high-end graphics applications like AutoCad and 3D Studio MAX, we had an ArcGIS conference. We had those users test out the Mac computers running the Windows apps — and I have to admit, we were biting our nails the whole time. But once again, everyone was really happy with the Macs. From then on, we knew that anything we could throw at a dual-boot Mac would work.”
System Flexibility Enhances Computing Environment
BSU currently has 70 computer labs, with a mix of 800 Mac and Windows computers. But with the addition of Boot Camp on the Macs, Allen predicts students will have greater flexibility in their computing environment — even as the university reduces its hardware inventory.
“With the Intel Macs, students now have the potential to have both systems on their machines, so they can run both Windows and Macintosh applications. They can easily switch between Apple’s iLife suite and AutoCad. It’s the best of both worlds; they’ll really have two computers for the price of one.”
“The best thing,” Allen adds, “is that our testing shows that all of the Windows applications run faster on the Mac, which increases our students’ productivity.”
Objectives
- Reduce cost of equipping and supporting computer labs
- Enable students to use any desired software application, regardless of platform
- Develop hardware and support model that can be replicated in other state universities
Solutions
- 115 iMac and Mac mini computers
- 23 MacBook computers
- Mac OS X Leopard with Boot Camp, iLife ’06
- AutoCad*, 3D Studio MAX, ArcGIS, Parallels
Results
- Use of Boot Camp is expected to save hundreds of thousands — even millions — of dollars in hardware and support costs
- Students can learn and use both Mac and Windows applications
- Windows applications run faster on Mac computers
*The mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and represents neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.
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