University at Buffalo - Computers

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Everybody is impressed with UB’s powerful computer network, from researchers mapping the human genome to dorm residents downloading TV shows and music.
There are nearly 2,000 public site computers on campus in dozens of labs. A growing wireless network covers most of the campus. Almost every classroom has a fancy teaching station with a computer and projector. The fourth fastest academic supercomputer in the world sits behind thick glass windows and a fingerprint-identification lock on the first floor of Norton Hall.

Students are generally pleased with UB’s computer labs, called “cybraries.” Many students, particularly international students, don’t bring their own computers and use the cybraries full time. Still, many students who have their own computers use the cybraries because printing is free. As a result, the most popular cybraries are crowded during peak hours (wait times can reach 15–20 minutes). In the beginning of the semester when students print their lecture notes, print queues can be as long as five to 10 hours, though waits go down to 15 minutes to an hour by the middle of the semester. Computers are also slowly entering UB’s academic culture, as well. Some professors post course notes and information on a site called “UB Learns,” and each year, more and more professors use listservs for class discussion, sometimes offering extra credit for students who post.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

UB students are online all the... UB students are online all the time. Bring a desktop, because laptops have a tendency to get stolen or misplaced. Fast connections all over campus provide instant access and printing facilities, so you don’t have to spend money on ink or paper. I haven’t paid for ink since freshman year. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

In the dorms, UB offers the... In the dorms, UB offers the fastest network my computer has ever seen. The computer labs are hardly ever full or crowded. I feel that having your own computer is a necessity wherever you go, but at UB, you could definitely get away without one. To most college students, their computers are basically the ADD machine, complete with AOL Instant Messenger. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

There are a ton of computer labs... There are a ton of computer labs all over campus, including a lab in the dorms. You should still definitely bring your own computer because, while you can almost always get one, the printing lines are becoming almost ridiculous. 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computer network is amazing!... The computer network is amazing! The help desk service is always on top of things. Downloading is done at lighting-fast speeds. The computer labs are never full—at least from what I have seen—but I would bring my own PC, just to avoid going outside in the cold! 12345 Computers Report

Anonymous says:

The computer labs can be a little... The computer labs can be a little frustrating if you don’t know how to time them right. First, you need to understand that a lot of teachers are really good at making notes, and sometimes texts, available online. Second, you need to know that UB offers free printing. So now, you can imagine a lecture of 300 students, each trying to print up to 100 pages of notes—it’s craziness. There are sometimes up to 24-hour delays in the printouts. Once your stuff is printed, however, the print desk hangs onto it for 24 hours. 12345 Computers Report

Facts

Did You Know?

The Dell Cluster at the Center for Computational Research in Norton Hall is one of the world’s 10 largest supercomputers, and the fourth fastest academic supercomputer in the world.

About 75 million sheets of paper are printed annually in the campus libraries, where printing is free.

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