Phase 5: Open Lab - Mac OS X & Classic

Early in the planning stages for our deployment, the second group of open area machines were to have been configured to operate both Mac OS X and Classic. At the time, we had been investigating, developing, and testing methods for resolving issues with permissions, hard disk maintenance, and other miscellaneous items that prevented us from deploying Classic in the beginning. Unfortunately, we have not found acceptable solutions to these significant issues. With the rapid development and release of OS X native software and growing lab patron and staff acceptance of and demand for the OS X environment, however, the need for having Classic at all has diminished. As a result, we have decided not to deploy Classic at all except in specific situations.

Classic (Mac OS 9.x) Environment - The revised deployment plan gives faculty, staff, and students the option of requesting the installation of Classic in either the various Mac Teaching Labs or in the Marriott Library Multimedia Rooms should they need to run a specific application. This is also the case should they need to run both Mac OS X and Classic.

Timeframe - Requests for Classic will be handled on a case-by-case basis as they come in. We will strongly encourage the use of OS X based solutions or alternatives, should they exist. Fulfillment of any request for Classic installation, however, will be based on how it will be used and if it does not compromise the overall security of our operation.

For information on how the various parts of this phase of the deployment has progressed, please click here.