CAD 2 - The Third Year

As these words are being written the preparations for this year's magazine are in the end stages. Again this magazine is being produced using the facilities of CAD2. You might well ask yourselves which changes have taken place this year in this room ? The answer is that this year has been a year of consolidation. The hard disks on all PC's seem to have shrunk, those on the server have been partially replaced by larger ones, and still we seem to have fulfilled that parkinson`s law which states that the more room one has, the more one has to fill it all up again ! Speaking of room, CAD2 has been extended into an adjoining classroom and now includes EDV4 as well. The PC's are those displaced from CAD1 which are adequate for introductory tuition in computer science, and elementary Computer Aided Design. This room has been provided with the now „standard" HTL-Steyr computer tables which are also used in the laptop classes. These specially designed tables have been produced totally in house saving a considerable investment and also preparing for the distant day in the future when the equipment has to be replaced. The wiring was completed by our own in-house experts and students in the course of normal classes providing an excellent opportunity to use practical knowledge to good effect. We will take over the laser printer (in computer terms an older model) from EDV3 which will get shortly a new colour laser printer with duplex feed and network connection due to generous suport of our sponsers.

The video cutting PC has been in considerable use this year, from both mechanical engineering departments, and also gratifyingly demonstrating the inter-departmental co-operation within the HTL, the electronic department. We have found though that the 800 MHz of this PC is not quite enough and it is planned to swap this PC with a newer one in autumn.

A new PC specifically for the co-ordination the school magazine with scanner has also been installed. This has been a considerable help for Prof. Gerhard Baumgartner as this PC can use the Windows Millenium Operationg system as it not used for normal tuition. This means that the graphic software can run slightly faster than usual.

Our plans for the future include upgrading the standard operating system to Windows 2000 from Windows NT. This is not strictly necessary, but will bring the CAD2 and EDV4 rooms up to the same level as the new CAD1 as well as the new EDV3 planned for the autumn. The electronic department has also partially moved over to Windows 2000, and will complete this next autumn with their new computer rooms. A short pause after reading this will let you realise what continual ongoing investment is needed to keep the HTL up to scratch. This is not possible without our many helpers from outside the HTL, and also the many members of staff who devote considerable time and effort in maintaining the high standards which so many take for granted, but need so much back-room help. Thank you everyone of you !

Dipl.-Ing. Roger Morgan
(siehe Jahresbericht der HTL Steyr 2000/2001, Seite 37)