200 Students Test Drive New Software

Two hundred Harvard students will be tinkering with their computers over the next few days--and none of them will be worrying about CS 51 while they do.

Test packages for Windows 95, Microsoft Corporation's newest operating system, arrived over the past two days in the mailboxes of students who signed up with the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) to receive them.

Microsoft says this version is a beta version of the system, meaning the program is essentially done but needs extensive testing to find mistakes before the final version comes out.

Whenever the 200 students have time over the next week or so, they are supposed to install the software on their IBM-compatible computers, observe any running problems, fill out a questionnaire and send it back to Microsoft.

"It's up to the individual beta testers to send back their test results," said John E. Stafford '96, president of HCS. "The lure for them is that if they send them back, they will receive a copy of the new software." That copy will be worth about $100, Stafford said.

HCS publicized the testing program through newsgroup postings, the society mailing list and a column in The Crimson, Stafford said.

The main differences between the new Windows 95 system and the old Windows 3.1 are a new interface, 32-byte software, longer file names, improved multitasking (running more than one program at the same time) and easier installation of soundcards and modems, according to Stafford.

One user who has already installed the software said he was particularly impressed by the Macintosh-like format.

"A lot of the desktop really resembles the Mac format," said Eric T. Cheng '97, citing Windows 95's "recycle bin" as similar to the Mac's "trash can."

"It's much more user-friendly," Cheng added.

He said, however, that he had some problems getting the program installed.

"It was really frustrating the first night,because a bunch of things appeared incompatible,"Cheng said. He said that on Tuesday night Windows95 was not running his graphics correctly orallowing him to access the fast network.

"But apparently over the past day, a number ofpeople on campus have been griping about it, andnow the network is working," he added yesterday.

The 200 students can report their problems toan internal mailing list, and many already have,Stafford said.

They cannot post errors on a newsgroup,however, because Microsoft prohibits publicdisclosure of bugs not already released in thecommercial press, Stafford said.

Rick B. Osterberg '96, director of the HCSnetwork group, said that he has not yet installedhis program, but added that he wishes the manualwere more detailed.

"Looking through the introductory manual theysent me, I'm a little unimpressed, because beingin a beta [testing] situation, I'd like to have alittle more technical information," Osterbergsaid.

Osterberg added, however, that he will be eagerto see how Windows 95 fits into already-existingsoftware.

"As director of the HCS's network group, it'sinteresting to me how Windows 95 will be workinginto the worldwide network-slash-internetcommunity," Osterberg said. "Their motto--'Wheredo you want to go today?'--implies that it's goingto be network-friendly."

Microsoft first contacted the computer sciencedepartment about testing the software on campus.

But because of possible commercial ties and thecompany's nondisclosure rules, the departmentreferred the corporation to HCS, Stafford said.

"When [Microsoft] contacted us directly, Inaturally jumped on the offer, because Idefinitely want all of Harvard's students to gettheir hands on the latest software out there,"Stafford said. "The only thing it cost us wasreally our time."

Harvard is not the only college test site.According to Stafford, the company is alsodistributing the beta final-release versionthrough the University of Washington and StanfordUniversity, as well as through large corporations,small corporations and small businesses or homeoffices.

It is the non-academic dimension of the testingthat interests him most, Stafford said.

"Normally, when people get excited aboutcomputers, they complain that fast is down or thatthe network doesn't work," Stafford said. "It'snice to see that people have an interest incomputers just for fun, because that's what thisis."

"I plan to have a blast [with Windows 95] thisweekend after I get some work out of the way,"Stafford added

"It was really frustrating the first night,because a bunch of things appeared incompatible,"Cheng said. He said that on Tuesday night Windows95 was not running his graphics correctly orallowing him to access the fast network.

"But apparently over the past day, a number ofpeople on campus have been griping about it, andnow the network is working," he added yesterday.

The 200 students can report their problems toan internal mailing list, and many already have,Stafford said.

They cannot post errors on a newsgroup,however, because Microsoft prohibits publicdisclosure of bugs not already released in thecommercial press, Stafford said.

Rick B. Osterberg '96, director of the HCSnetwork group, said that he has not yet installedhis program, but added that he wishes the manualwere more detailed.

"Looking through the introductory manual theysent me, I'm a little unimpressed, because beingin a beta [testing] situation, I'd like to have alittle more technical information," Osterbergsaid.

Osterberg added, however, that he will be eagerto see how Windows 95 fits into already-existingsoftware.

"As director of the HCS's network group, it'sinteresting to me how Windows 95 will be workinginto the worldwide network-slash-internetcommunity," Osterberg said. "Their motto--'Wheredo you want to go today?'--implies that it's goingto be network-friendly."

Microsoft first contacted the computer sciencedepartment about testing the software on campus.

But because of possible commercial ties and thecompany's nondisclosure rules, the departmentreferred the corporation to HCS, Stafford said.

"When [Microsoft] contacted us directly, Inaturally jumped on the offer, because Idefinitely want all of Harvard's students to gettheir hands on the latest software out there,"Stafford said. "The only thing it cost us wasreally our time."

Harvard is not the only college test site.According to Stafford, the company is alsodistributing the beta final-release versionthrough the University of Washington and StanfordUniversity, as well as through large corporations,small corporations and small businesses or homeoffices.

It is the non-academic dimension of the testingthat interests him most, Stafford said.

"Normally, when people get excited aboutcomputers, they complain that fast is down or thatthe network doesn't work," Stafford said. "It'snice to see that people have an interest incomputers just for fun, because that's what thisis."

"I plan to have a blast [with Windows 95] thisweekend after I get some work out of the way,"Stafford added