Computers and software

T

TODAD

todad
Joined
Feb 5, 2021
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I'm wondering what computers and applications would be available to new midshipmen, especially MS Note for note-taking. Thank you
 
Windows Laptop - $2,232
Accessories - $256
Microsoft Office - $155
Mathworks - $16

From the 2020-2021 stipend and budget book.
 
MS Onenote does not work with USNA's email on personal devices, and then you're not allowed to sign with a personal email on your issued laptop... so I would recommend looking into another notetaking app. I use Goodnotes for my classes but everything is done on my iPad. I haven't really found a good cloudbased option that's also nice for syncing with the laptops unfortunately.

Basically all the software we get is the full issue of Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Nothing else snazzy.
 
kennedy said:
MS Onenote does not work with USNA's email on personal devices, and then you're not allowed to sign with a personal email on your issued laptop... so I would recommend looking into another notetaking app. I use Goodnotes for my classes but everything is done on my iPad. I haven't really found a good cloudbased option that's also nice for syncing with the laptops unfortunately.

Basically all the software we get is the full issue of Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Nothing else snazzy.
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Do most mids have additional devices (laptops, ipads, etc) beyond their issued laptop?
 
NextGen89x2 said:
Do most mids have additional devices (laptops, ipads, etc) beyond their issued laptop?
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The answer to your question is many do -- but a fair number don't.

Importantly (imho) -- any and every Mid can absolutely get through school here with the standard issued laptop, monitor, printer etc,. I know many Mids who do really well with just those tools.

But I would also share that a very large number of Mids I know and live with have and use additional devices (tablets, a secondary laptop etc.) -- both for academic work and perhaps as significantly, for personal communication and entertainment.

To that point -- and leaving Plebe Year (and rating/not rating media) out of the mix -- having a secondary device can be a helfpul and easy way of segregating personal material, email and entertainment from USNA-related activity on a "USNA device."

Finally, can't tell you how many times during ROM I ended up using my phone to connect to virtual, online classes or connecting to MIDS -- especially when Internet in Bancroft was sluggish or down. Point here is that nearly 100% of all Midshipmen have a secondary device -- their phone :)

Hope this helps.
 
20USNA23 said:
The answer to your question is many do -- but a fair number don't.

Importantly (imho) -- any and every Mid can absolutely get through school here with the standard issued laptop, monitor, printer etc,. I know many Mids who do really well with just those tools.

But I would also share that a very large number of Mids I know and live with have and use additional devices (tablets, a secondary laptop etc.) -- both for academic work and perhaps as significantly, for personal communication and entertainment.

To that point -- and leaving Plebe Year (and rating/not rating media) out of the mix -- having a secondary device can be a helfpul and easy way of segregating personal material, email and entertainment from USNA-related activity on a "USNA device."

Finally, can't tell you how many times during ROM I ended up using my phone to connect to virtual, online classes or connecting to MIDS -- especially when Internet in Bancroft was sluggish or down. Point here is that nearly 100% of all Midshipmen have a secondary device -- their phone :)

Hope this helps.
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Huge help. Thank you. One more question, if I may: what are the regs on plebes rating extra devices and accompanying media? ie can plebes play video game on Friday or Saturday nights during ac year? You all are a great source of info - thanks!
 
NextGen89x2 said:
Huge help. Thank you. One more question, if I may: what are the regs on plebes rating extra devices and accompanying media? ie can plebes play video game on Friday or Saturday nights during ac year? You all are a great source of info - thanks!
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All midshipmen are allowed to have gaming systems in the hall. Speakers would be fine as well if you rate media. (Usually only Saturday's and Sunday's for plebes)

Many plebes have projectors to watch movies with friends in their room. Projectors are also helpful when plebes are required the make Boards. Boards are big posters that plebes are required to make for 1/C billets holders. There is a lot of tracing involved.

Some mids have televisions & personal monitors. There are size limitations. Generally, plebes do not have televisions or non-issued monitors.
 
If your family already has a Microsoft Office subscription, do the students still need to buy the license?
 
So, The Navy requires you spend $2300 on a laptop, but then restricts what you can do with it? when you get to the Fleet you are issued the computer devices you need, for work purposes. How is this different?
 
WorthTheServe said:
If your family already has a Microsoft Office subscription, do the students still need to buy the license?
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Microsoft Office will be pre-installed on all issued laptops. So no, you do not need to buy a Microsoft Office Subscription.
 
One of the more useful things we did as a family for our mid is get an unlimited data plan and a shared Netflix account. Also, as time goes by and you have trouble thinking of getting a b-day/Christmas etc. gift - an Apple Watch gets heavily used.
 
USNAnavy said:
So, The Navy requires you spend $2300 on a laptop, but then restricts what you can do with it? when you get to the Fleet you are issued the computer devices you need, for work purposes. How is this different?
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I do not believe USNA requires you to spend $2300 on a laptop- that laptop, to be used for educational etc purposes, is issued to you by the USNA (and paid for by taxpayer dollars). If you want more freedom with your own device, like media, then yes you would need to purchase your own second device.
 
They issue it to you, then charge the NABSD account, then they deduct from a midshipman's military pay. So according to the instruction "military stipend and annual budget book" it appears they do require you to pay for it.
 
USNAnavy said:
They issue it to you, then charge the NABSD account, then they deduct from a midshipman's military pay. So according to the instruction "military stipend and annual budget book" it appears they do require you to pay for it.
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Yes, that appears to be true. So, back to your original point then "The Navy requires you spend $2300 on a laptop, but then restricts what you can do with it?" - Yes.
 
Hmmm... wonder what the IG would think?.... I'll assume it's been legally vetted, since they've been requiring Mids to buy computers for at least 35 years, it just seems out of step with the rest of the service (not the first time)....
 
USNAnavy said:
Hmmm... wonder what the IG would think?.... I'll assume it's been legally vetted, since they've been requiring Mids to buy computers for at least 35 years, it just seems out of step with the rest of the service (not the first time)....
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What exactly is the issue the IG would have with this.

My son is thankful for the arrangements he was given.
 
They make you pay for the computer, then they restrict how you can use it. In the rest of the Navy, they issue you laptops, cell phones, etc. exclusively for work purposes.
 
USNAnavy said:
They make you pay for the computer, then they restrict how you can use it. In the rest of the Navy, they issue you laptops, cell phones, etc. exclusively for work purposes.
Click to expand...

Could the IG see a difference between USNA and navy work?

How does it work in colleges?
 
Probably, I'd say this process is very much like at a regular college where you have to have a computer to get classwork done. To attend some of the service colleges you have to use your own computer, so this could be like that, but there you have a choice as to what computer to use. There is no choice in this case.

I can also imagine not wanting to deal with 1000 different configurations of computers on I-day where several hundred don't work with the naval academy data network.. If everyone has the same computer that is guaranteed to work, then you don't have the lost man-hours and hassle involved in getting everything up to speed.

It may also be why Midn pay hasn't changed much in like 40 years....
 
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