Computer hardware lifecycles

[childsdj]

I don't see anything wrong, according to policy, to using a peripheral like a scanner, speakers, etc. to make your job easier. The only place I would see that could be a problem would be if information was being used inappropriately.

[Mikerowaved]

Mikerowaved,

Our last new laser printer came as a HP Laserjet 3390, which is an all-in-one device. Surely your FM group can arrange one for your office?

Thanks for your input, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon in my unit. (That's a $650+ printer!) Our unit doesn't have that much of a need. As far as printing goes, I'm told our beloved HP 1100 will have to suffice for a while longer, even though if I'm not watching it closely it will sometimes suck multiple pages when I'm printing checks.

Thanks Russel and DJC, I'll run the scanner suggestion by our STS and see if he has any objections.

[jbh001]

The only place to make copies is the library located in the farthest possible corner of the building from the clerk's office. (Naturally! ) I wouldn't mind so much, except I'm in a wheelchair it really gets old going there to copy a single slip of paper. (Usually a FO payment where all I get is the stub that goes in the envelope.) Before I can leave the clerk's office, I have to log out of MLS (which forces a backup to be made), lock up all the papers I have out, etc. etc. (OK, have I whined enough yet?? :rolleyes:)

No, you haven't whined enough yet (and you shouldn't have to resort to whining in the first place). There is really no need for this especially considering you are in a wheelchair. If your bishop was your employer, then this would be a reasonable accommodation to request under the ADA for you to fulfill your responsibilities. I'm sure that somewhere between the ward, stake, and FM group, they can scrape up enough budget for this. We do need to be frugal with the sacred funds of the Church. But there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap.

I was fortunate that our current printer self-destructed, and I asked the bishop for permission to purchase an all-in-one. I wanted this one (HP LaserJet M2727nf MFP) because the duplex printing is handy when printing out ward directories. I told the bishop that we needed fax capability for those rare moments that a procrastinating eagle scout needs to get his paperwork to the scout office before he turns eighteen at midnight. The bishop ended up purchasing this one (HP LaserJet 3055 All-in-One), which is great because it is easy to feed check stock through the manual feed tray. But it has been (or will be) replaced by this model (HP LaserJet M1522nf MFP). If you don't need fax capability, this one (HP LaserJet M1522n) is even less ($350).

We have had our all-in-one less than six months and have already used the fax capability (though not for scouts yet). It makes the job of ward clerk and executive secretary that much more efficient simply by eliminating all those trips to the library just for a quick copy or two (especially during bishopric meeting or PEC).

[pete_arnett-p40]

Our local Facilities Management Group replaced several MLS laser printers and headquarters provide the following model with duplex printing capabilities:

HP LaserJet P2015d Laser Printer
(27 PPM, 1200x1200 DPI, B&W, 32MB, PC/Mac - MPN: CB367A)
Retail Price Range: $239.99 - $398.00


Also,now is the time to request your Stake President to have your local Facilities Management Group put into their budget for next year (2009) the replacement of older out of warranty MLS devices that are starting to fail or are approaching the end of their five (5) years life cycle

[daddy-o-p40]

If you have less than 1gb of RAM you should consider an upgrade. The need for more RAM is a result of meeting the demands of the Church's Security Software Suite when combined with XP and Afaria.

The machines in our stake are still 2 years away from upgrades. To avoid MLS crashing unexpectedly we upgrade systems. We have the old Dell GX270's. They required the old 184-pin DDR SDRAM 400 (PC 3200).

This older stuff is pricier and these machines were kind of finicky. Memory had to be matched and in pairs. So we ended up with Corsair ValueSelect Desktop Memory Model VS1GB400C3.

We got 2gb for under $100

Hope it helps!

[Mikerowaved]

If you have less than 1gb of RAM you should consider an upgrade. The need for more RAM is a result of meeting the demands of the Church's Security Software Suite when combined with XP and Afaria.

We're running the same Dell machines and I've noticed with the current Symantec AV setup and having MLS and OpenOffice.org running concurrently it doesn't exceed 512MB of usage. Unless you have a lot more going on, more RAM than that is really not needed.

The machines in our stake are still 2 years away from upgrades. To avoid MLS crashing unexpectedly we upgrade systems.

I've not heard reports of machines crashing, unless they were powered down improperly. Yes, they may run a little slower with the stock 256MB of RAM, but quite stable.

We have the old Dell GX270's. They required the old 184-pin DDR SDRAM 400 (PC 3200).

This older stuff is pricier and these machines were kind of finicky. Memory had to be matched and in pairs. So we ended up with Corsair ValueSelect Desktop Memory Model VS1GB400C3.

We got 2gb for under $100

As you pointed out, this older RAM can be pricey and most certainly wont be used on future machines. I'm not a Church authority, just an IT consultant making an observation. I just don't want any people getting the wrong idea that spending lots of resources on RAM will make these machines what they are not. IMO, bringing up the machines to 512MB is sufficient for most unit's needs.

[daddy-o-p40]

The library is not open enough for the needs that come up. Then our clerks office printer imploded. They took forever to figure out what to do. So I donated my All-in-one LaserJet and everyone's happier. It works like a champ and there were no issues doing it.

[daddy-o-p40]

Yes, Per CHQ 512Mb is the minimum RAM they need for the current software suite. But there are no guarantees this will not grow in the next two or three years.

Let's remember these machines require RAM in matched pairs. It was exceedingly difficult to find two 256mb sticks of RAM when we did it was $12 more for two 1gb sticks. So that was a no brainer.

In our ward everyone uses MLS. The Bishopric, Clerks, RS, EL and HP Group leaders. It seems like grand central station at times.

In addition to RAM we later upgraded the processors to 3Ghz when the original PATA hard drive failed. The new drive has a SATA interface.

The total cost was for the drive and processor was another $100. So when you consider that for $200 total the machine went from a liability because of slowness to an asset. It was worth every penny.

[russellhltn]

Yes, Per CHQ 512Mb is the minimum RAM they need for the current software suite.

I agree that things would run much better with 512MB, but how was that communicated? I don't remember seeing anything official about that.

[aebrown]

[quote="enriquer"]Yes, Per CHQ 512Mb is the minimum RAM they need for the current software suite. But there are no guarantees this will not grow in the next two or three years.[/quote]

While I certainly agree that MLS computers run better with 512MB, according to the Desktop 5.5 instructions, page 6, the minimum requrements are:

• Hard drive: total size (capacity) of at least 10 GB

• Processor speed: at least 1 GHz

• Amount of RAM: at least 256 MB

So if 512 MB is indeed the standard, it would be nice if CHQ would correct their documentation. Perhaps there is some other documentation besides the Desktop 5.5 instructions; if so, it would be helpful to know the source.