Wellesley Initiative for Sustainable Computing (WISC)
Wellesley College’s Library and Technology Services and Office of Sustainability’s Wellesley Initiative for Sustainable Computing program (WISC) distributes computers which have been retired at the college for continued use by students, non-profit organizations (including schools, non-profit organizations, and community centers).
A small number of computers are available through this program, including Windows, Macintosh, and Linux machines. Most computers are 4 to 5 years old, have been cleaned and refurbished by student workers, and the original operating system has been reinstalled (Windows Vista Business 6.0, Build 6000; OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard; or Ubuntu Linux. (WISC isn't going to be able to move computers until the start of the fall semester 2013)
The availability of refurbished machines changes over time. Some recent machines that have been prepared for distribution include: iMac (Mac OS X 10.6.8, 2.4GHz, 2GB), Lenovo laptops (Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU, 2.53GHz x 2, 1.9 GiB, and 155.5GB), Lenovo desktops (Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU E4500 @2.20GHz (2 CPUs), 3044MB RAM, and HDD).
There are two channels for distributing these machines: Channel #1: Members of the Wellesley College community interested in experimenting with Linux may request a machine that has been refurbished with Ubuntu Linux. Channel #2: Non-profit organizations and educational institutions or community organizations that could find good use for older machines with older versions of Mac OS X, Windows, or the latest version of Linux Ubuntu machines can submit proposals for up to 5 machines. Note, since these computers have been retired by the college, they are not considered sufficient for general purpose Windows or OS X computing on the Wellesley college network; therefore, in general, machines running Windows or OS X will not be redistributed on campus.
How do I express interest in these computers?
If you have questions about requesting WISC computers, please use the resources below:
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Email wisc@wellesley.edu to contact Wellesley's WISC staff.
- Please expect up to 3 week response time
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WISC FAQs |
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Am I elgible to get a WISC computer?
If you fall into one of the categories below:
What conditions are the WISC computers in?
Computers are usually 4-5 years old. The hardware may have cosmetic defects that do not affect its function. All WISC computers are put through hardware diagnostics.
What operating systems do they come with?
MAC: OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
PC: Windows Vista Basic or Ubuntu Linux.
Is there a waitlist? We do not maintain a waitlist. You will be contacted within three weeks of submitting your request. |
Dislaimer: As legacy hardware WISC computers do not fall under the responsibilities of the help desk and are not elligible for support from it. Once WISC computers are distributed, they are no longer property of Wellesley College. Recipients must assume full responsibility for these machines. Recipients will not receive support from the Wellesley College Computing Help Desk for issues related to these machines.
