Harvard-MIT Data Center

We assist our affiliates with office software purchases by recommending tools based on our staff's expertise and on the standards of FAS and Harvard University.

We assist departments and research centers at CGIS in ordering software at a discount through Harvard's Site Licensing and Govconnection websites. Most popular desktop applications can be ordered through a Harvard University billing code at a discount.

If you would like to order software, receive a quote, or have any questions about software recommendations, please contact us.

Note: Departments, centers, and individuals are required to track their respective software licenses.

We are proud to support a variety of hardware, including desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners, and a variety of phone devices, such as Treos, Blackberrys, and iPhones.

If you experience computing problems that you suspect are hardware related, please contact us. A support technician can assist you with hardware troubleshooting, in-warranty support requests, or hardware replacement purchasing if needed.

Hardware policies and procedures are designed to provide optimal service to all users, both staff and faculty, in a cost effective manner.

We recommend that departments and centers cycle their systems after four years.  If the system is older than four years, the department or center can try to extend the warranty of the system through the vendor or manufacturer, or can try to place the systems where there is less traffic and minimal computing need.

We are happy to work with departments and centers to create an inventory to track their computers and give recommendations on when to cycle their systems. 

We provide computer hardware support for CGIS affiliates, and are happy to assist departments and research centers in the procurement, management, and troubleshooting of Desktop and Laptop computers. We are trained to service PC and Macintosh computers.

To better service the CGIS community, we can order parts and accessories for nearly any PC or Mac using Harvard University billing codes. This service ensures prompt response and convenient billing for purchases made by departments or research centers.

Part of maintaining a healthy computing environment involves replacing obsolete equipment. We currently recommend a 4-year replacement cycle for all computers purchased by CGIS departments and resources. This policy is in synch with the Harvard University depreciation schedule for computer hardware. At the end of your computer's lifecycle, we can assist in helping to properly dispose of your CPU, monitor, and accessories in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

We provide direct hardware and warranty support for most office printers. This includes interacting with printer manufacturers to fix broken or malfunctioning printers, as well as assistance with a variety of every-day configuration and usage problems. Some of the more common issues we assist with include:

• Configuring printers on the Harvard network
• Setting up and installing new printers
• Diagnosing and resolving print quality issues
• Clearing paper jams

In addition to support available directly from us, many common printer problems can be solved by working through our Printing How-to pages. If you are a CGIS affiliate and need help with a printing problem, please contact us.

We provide support on a variety of handheld devices for CGIS affiliates. This includes under-warranty hardware support, as well as software and configuration issues, such as:

• Email configuration
• Calendar set up
• Network set up on Harvard wireless networks

Platforms we support include Blackberry, Palm, and Apple iphone handhelds. The specific calendar, email, and network configurations that are available differ from device to device, so please contact us prior to purchasing a device to discuss what software and features are available for specific handhelds.

For recommendations on purchasing, refer to our Recommended Handhelds page. To receive support for your handheld device, contact us.

We are happy to assist affiliates with all steps of the hardware purchasing and ordering process. Types of hardware that we support include (but are not limited to) printers, desktop and laptop computers, handheld devices, and printers.

If you would like assistance with purchasing hardware of any type, please contact us.

We recommend Dell Optiplex 755 desktop PCs with Windows XP service pack 3 operating system. Optiplex systems are designed for use in a networked office environment. In our experience, we are satisfied with Dell's quality, price, and support.

For laptop computers, we recommend both Dell and IBM computers. Each offers a wide variety of laptops to fit your specific needs. For more information, or to receive a customized recommendation, please contact us.

Windows XP is a stable operating system. Many applications on which our users rely are written specifically for Windows operating systems. Please note that a wide range of software is available under discounted Harvard site-licenses for Windows XP.

We also recommend MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro computers.

Although we support Blackberry, Apple, and Palm handhelds, only the devices listed here currently are recommended.

Blackberry 8830 World Edition

The Blackberry 8830, with its comfortable keyboard and quick response time, excels at providing email accessibility. Other features include:

• 64-MB flash memory/32-MB RAM
• Mobile Broadband Connect capable
• Media player with microSD memory support

Apple iPhone

The Apple iPhone combines a cell phone with an iPod. This is a useful handheld for all who want to reduce the number of devices that they have to carry. With the long list of downloadable software from the Apple store, it has a wide range of capabilities. Other features include:

• 3G speed for fast access to the internet and email
• Map capability with GPS support
• 2-MP camera

We recommend HP LaserJet printers.  In our experience, we are satisfied with the HP printers' quality and reliability. It also is easy to obtain support and repair service for HP printers when needed.

HP LaserJet 3005dn

The HP LaserJet 3005dn is a great choice for small work groups that need a high-volume, versatile printer. With the 3005dn, many users can printer over the CGIS network at the same time. With such features as duplex printing and plentiful memory, this printer is a good fit for most CGIS departments. Features include:

• Printing rates up to 35 pages per minute
• Capabilities up to 100,000 pages per month
• 400MHz, 48MB RAM (expandable to 320MB)
• Automatic two-sided printing, networking

HP LaserJet 4700n

The HP LaserJet 4700n is a great network printer for larger work groups that need a high-volume, color laser printer. With the 4700n, many users can print over the CGIS network at the same time, giving whole departments the ability to print professional-looking color documents. Useful capabilities of this printer include:

• Printing rates up to 31 pages per minute, in color and black
• 160 MB RAM
• Network ready

HP LaserJet p1006

Although the p1006 offers a smaller set of features and less robust reliability, it more than makes up for that in price and print quality. The LaserJet p1006 is a great option for anyone looking for a low-volume office printer. With its small footprint, it fits easily on most desks. Features include:

• Printing rates up to 17 ppm
• 150-sheet input tray, single-sheet priority input slot

We assist our affiliates with office software purchases and support based on our staff's expertise.

This section describes the software and operating systems that we support, and gives general information about how to purchas software through us.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

We provide support for desktop and laptop computers with the following operating systems (OS):

• PCs - Windows XP and above
• Macs - OS X 10.3 and above
• RCE - RedHat Enterprise Linux

Note: OS support is available for English language versions only.

Statistical software provided through the FAS Computing website include the following:

• STATA SE 10
• Mathemetica
• Matlab
• SPSS

Appliations available through our Computer Labs include:

• SAS
• S-plus
• Matlab
• STATA

We offer support and installation for the following applications:

• Microsoft Office Pro
• McAfee VirusScan
• Secure FX
• Secure CRT
• Meeting Maker
• Sassafras K2 (KeyAccess)
• Adobe Acrobat Professional
• Macromedia Dreamweaver
• Endnote
• Winedit
• Maple

Free commercial applications:

• Adobe Reader 9.0
• FireFox
• Thunderbird