Public printing at Bowdoin is now easier and more reliable than it has been in the past, according to Information Technology (IT). The College has replaced its four-year-old CS Print system with Pharos Uniprint.
"We recognized some clear issues with the system we had in place," said IT Security Officer and Systems Consultant Steve Blanc.
Blanc said with the old system, print jobs would not show up on the queue, the process took too long, and the whole system was unstable.
Students can look forward to several new features when printing now, Blanc said. Selection of multiple jobs is possible with Uniprint, as is charging different amounts for different kinds of print jobs, including color printing.
It will also be easier for students to use public printers from their personal computers. IT plans to place installers on its Web site that enable students to use public printers. In addition, instead of naming printers after flowers or trees, printers will now be named by location, making it easier to identify the closest printer.
Public Services Librarian Leann Pander stressed that students must continue to be environmentally conscious with the new printers, stressing the continued importance of printing double-sided.
IT is still working out kinks with the new printing system. On Tuesday, public printers all over campus worked sporadically, and IT has been "tuning and adjusting things in the background," Blanc said.
However, Blanc noted that one of the reasons IT chose Uniprint was its quick response to technical problems.
"Uniprint has a strong technical support background," Blanc said. "I expect any issues to level out."