new computers for class of 2013

lebelgedu91

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
23
accoring to this website http://www.usna.org/plebe09/computerspecs.html plebes ALSO get a netbook, which should be a great tool for potential library visits or group projects, IMO.

So somehow this sort of ends the rumor, repeating itself every year,that "the new Plebes will get a laptop next year". 2013 almost got laptops.

I can't wait to see what 2014 is getting. Hopefully, Windows 7 out and usable by then.
 
However, there is no accessible wireless signal at the Naval Academy. It exists, but it is not usable by the midshipmen.

Their desktops are connected by ethernet.

Their new netbooks will be wireless-capable but there will be no wireless signal to access - not even in the classroom.

The only way to get access the internet with the netbooks is to connect the ethernet cable to it.

Naturally, the netbook will be able to access other wireless signals, but it is not yet clear whether they will be permitted take the netbooks off the Yard. In other words, I'm not sure they will be able to take it out in town with them, sit at a Starbucks, connect to the internet, and Skype home using the webcam.

I asked a few midshipmen about WHY the academy feels so strongly about no wireless signal being available. Surprisingly, they told me that the policy was championed by the civilian academic instructors. The instructors didn't want the students to be fiddling with YouTube and Facebook as distractions.

This policy may change in the future, however. But the midshipmen do not feel this poses any particular inconvenience since they can readily get onto the internet while in their rooms. There is seldom any need to access it anywhere else.

David Emerling '79
Alec '13 (C/6)
Eric '13 (O/27)
 
^^^^ You are so correct.

Waste, total waste. The only thing a netbook can be used for is online applications. You can not store anything on the device so working on lab reports, papers, projects are a moot point.

As far as taking it off the yard and connecting to a non DOD network and then returning to the yard and connecting to a DOD network - highly unlikely! Heck we cannot even use thumb drives between non USNA machines and our desktops.

Be prepared - you mid is going to want a notebook. Even though it cannot be hooked up to the USNA network, it has much more functionality. I use my desktop for web applications etc and my own notebook for studying, papers, matlab etc. Works very well as the notebook can go anywhere with me - just don't need to connect it to the yard network.
 
Forgive me, but I am technologically challenged. So if my son is an athlete and he is traveling quite a bit with competitions, what type of computer would work for him to be able to do homework while he is away...what would be compatible with his desktop if anything. And could he print out what he has done while on a laptop when he gets back to his room. Thanks.
 
A small, normal laptop equipped with something like the MS Office Suite would be best.

Because thumb and flash drives are prohibited, and personal computers cannot access the network, he'd just have to hook his personal printer directly up to the laptop to print documents.

When working in the library, because we can no longer use our issued thumb drives, I just save my papers and email them to myself. That way I can access it from any computer that has an internet connection when I need to work on it later. I really haven't found a need for personal laptop at all.
 
at military BX's you can buy MS Office 2007 for 49.00. it can be legally installed on up to 3 computers that are run by military personnel. quite the deal!

I have an Acer laptop that I bought from Amazon, I was able to install what I needed on it as it came with a 160gb HD. We also have a Dell netbook in the house which cost about 300.00, it also has 1.6GB HD, but it has a better keyboard then the Acer (bigger keys, easier to type on)..

The Acer is a bit smaller, but it fits in my purse when I travel and weighs around 2 lbs, and has a long battery life.. it is awesome!
 
So let me see if I understand this correctly.....

Midshipmen are still being issued desktops, despite the overwhelming move in the real world to move to laptops.

Even if laptops are to be issued, the Naval Academy doesn't have a wireless network that can be accessed by the Midshipmen because the civilian faculty doesn't want the Mids wasting time on FaceBook and YouTube.

Thumb and flash drives are prohibited.

Am I right?





... and people wonder why a) The Navy is so far behind in technology, and b) why Midshipmen feel (rightfully) that they are not treated as adults. Weird. :rolleyes:
 
I am under the impression from my Mid that the no flash drives and not allowing non DOD computers access to the internet is a NAVY directive in relationship to security issues. The class of 2010 was issued flash drives back in 2006 but cannot use them now.

The youtube and facebook is a joke - seriously! My Mid laughed when saw that line of thought! quote "they could care less - really"
 
I am under the impression from my Mid that the no flash drives and not allowing non DOD computers access to the internet is a NAVY directive in relationship to security issues.

For what?

Have Midshipmen suddenly been given access to classified material of such a nature as to require such foolishness?

Typical Navy: "Here's a piece of gear. You're not allowed to use it, though." :rolleyes:
 
And just think our “Commander and Chief” can have a Blackberry! :shake::yllol::shake:

Well, that doesn't bother me in and of itself.

However, if the CINC can have a wireless Blackberry with God-only-knows what kind of classified information on it, then please explain to me why the USNA IT department can't figure out what thousands of major corporations have figured out: how to secure a wireless network?

It makes NO sense whatsoever to have incredible library and outside-the-hall study facilities if, in this day and age, you can't take you computer with you when you use them.

But hey, I remember when the Navy finally started using Windows 3.0....... circa 1995. :rolleyes:
 
Sadly, I believe you’re very serious about that. What a shame.

DEAD serious. :thumbdown:

Here we are in 1995.... Windows 95 (Macintosh 84) has just released....

And most of the computers on my ship are still using DOS 5.0. :rolleyes:
 
The stated reason for not allowing flash drives is that IT is concerened with viruses easily being downloaded onto them and being automatically installed onto computers once they're inserted. That's also why they went through EVERY computer on the yard and disabled the AUTORUN feature.

Now, we can still hook up Ipods, external hard drives, and similar memory devices...which function exactly the same as flash drives. IT seems to be the least logical department on the yard...

If we were given actual classified info on our computers that could easily be put onto a flash drive, I can see the administration being concerned with their loss or theft, but externals are just as susceptible to viruses as flash drives.
 
Last edited:
Not just an USNA IT ban - the funny thing is this certainly does not bother my Mid nor any of Mid's friends. Just another "one of those things in their minds." Funny how it gets those not there all riled up...

from the other site: (topic Flash Drives)

Jadler03: Navy-wide there is a ban on using thumb drives on any network.

Beachmom: There are definitely no thumb drives (or other plug-in devices) allowed on the USNA network. It is still considered Department of Defense; all plugs ins are expressly banned. she is a Navy wife and USNA mom)

Jadler03: information and Operational Security (INFOSEC/OPSEC) are a big deal in the real Navy.

RDML Klein, N3 NETWARCOM, is in charge of Navy's Networks.

sierra1: Jadler03 has it exactly correct! OPSEC is a critical item across the U.S. military.

Jadler03: To have a Flag officer as N3, other than being on a Joint or OPNAV staff, means that the position/oversight has great importance.

Grad/Dad: Rear Admiral Margaret D. Klein became the Naval Network Warfare Command Operations Officer in June 2008. With responsibilities for effective operation of the Navy’s communication systems and computer networks, she advises the NETWARCOM Commander on mission implications associated with telecommunications, space assets, information operations and networks.
 
Funny how it gets those not there all riled up...

The guy immediately above your response is there. :wink:

I get riled up because I happen to know that the reasons being given by the IT department at USNA (and the Navy in general) are BS. If they were serious, they would not only deactivate the Autorun feature (as mentioned above), but they would also deactivate all the USB ports and prevent web access.

My company's IT department manages thousands of computers across the entire planet across multiple networks. Our networks don't have information vital to national security, but there is plenty of extremely valuable data worth millions upon millions of dollars. Yet, I can surf the web, use flash drives, and do everything else because they have erected the proper firewalls to prevent against viruses and to ensure appropriate access to information.

Why they can do it and the Navy can't is not because of technology or content: It's about POLICY.

And when a policy like that is implemented (at least in part) because the ivory-tower professors at USNA think they know what's better for the Mids than the Mids themselves do, well, that's just nannyism at it's USNA finest.
 
Some of you have mentionned Youtube and Facebook as being important reasons why a wireless network was not implemented at USNA, but I do recall seing mids using Facebook and Youtube while I was visiting. Somehow, I think they are not blocked (but fml.com was blocked, I was told)
This seems confusing.
 
The thumb drive thing is all government networks not just DOD and there are some wireless networks on the yard (library and Heart Room) but they are a seperate network from the rest of the yard.

Also the facebook thing is BS because many of the classrooms have computers in them and all mids do is play flash games during class.

Finally, you are all working on the assumption that anything the Navy does is logical and that in itself is an absurdity.
 
The thumb drive thing is all government networks not just DOD

That is absolutely correct. I volunteer in an Army library in Europe and we are now forbidden to permit patrons to plug in any external media on a computer that is on a DoD server.

After a virus that caused significant problems in DoD systems and was traced to a thumb drive, all external media were forbidden. It seems someone was silly enough to find an abandoned thumb drive and plugged it into their computer to see what was on it. (Yeah, real smart.) What was on it was a virus. So, no more thumb drives.
 
Finally, you are all working on the assumption that anything the Navy does is logical and that in itself is an absurdity.

That's always a danger. :wink:

Heh, heh....... Of course, if you all switched over to Macs..... :biggrin:
 
Oh, I'm not riled up about anything...my roommate was the company MISLO (read: computer repair guy). When all this was coming down, he was just laughing at how absurd it is.

Like I said before, the ban doesn't cover anything but thumb/flash drives. Everything else from external and portable hard drives to SD cards from cameras and cell phones are fair game. We still have full use of our USB ports. All they've really done is prohibited use of our issued flash drives...which, as far as trying to solve the problem of viruses goes, is worthless IMO.

I actually don't mind not using a flash drive. Plebe year I rushed out of the library 15 min before lights out and left mine still in the computer with my final western civ paper on it...thankfully it was still there the next morning. Never want to go through that again...
 
Back
Top