Published: February 28, 2006 09:14 pm         

Indiana State adds ThinkPad to list of essential school supplies

Indiana State University has selected the Lenovo ThinkPad as its preferred computer for students and faculty as the university moves toward becoming a notebook institution.

Developed by IBM, the ThinkPad is now manufactured and marketed by Lenovo, the world’s third-largest personal computing company after its acquisition of IBM’s personal computer business in 2005.

ISU will become the first public university in the state to require all students to have notebook computers, beginning with incoming freshmen in fall 2007.

The university is one of a handful of institutions nationally, including the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Clemson University, to institute similar mobile computing initiatives.

“When we announced the Notebook Initiative last September, we pledged that our students would receive high quality, business-grade laptops worthy of the investment they and their parents are making in an ISU education,” said C. Jack Maynard, ISU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The selection of the Lenovo ThinkPad fulfills that pledge.”

ISU chose Lenovo because of its superior service and support, the quality of ThinkPad notebooks and the advanced wireless capabilities of the PCs.

ThinkPads help simplify the network connectivity process through ThinkVantage Access Connections 4.1, which helps mobile users set up and automatically switch from one available network connection to the next.

Through Access Connections, students and faculty will be able to seamlessly move from classes to dorm rooms and wired to wireless environments.

The widespread use of laptop technology will leverage the power of mobile computing to provide campuswide access through the university’s extensive wireless network, said Susan Powers, professor of curriculum, instruction and media technology and chairwoman of ISU’s notebook implementation committee.

“The notebook initiative gives us an opportunity to use technology to support learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered and community-centered learning environments. It is a window of opportunity for true innovation. Lenovo ThinkPad will be an excellent partner in our strategies to expand the learning environment of ISU,” Powers said.

For more information, see www.lenovo.com.