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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 98 08:52:30 -0800
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Subject: fyi--depository map workstation specs
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http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/adnotes.html#quick
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ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES
Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library
Program
June 15, 1998 Issue
GP 3.16/3-2:19/08
(Vol. 19, no. 08)
....................
1998 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in
Federal
Depository Libraries
These recommended specifications are intended to assist depository
librarians who are planning purchases of new
personal computers (PCs) for public use in Federal depository
libraries. This document supersedes the Federal
Depository Library Program (FDLP) "Recommended Specifications for
Public Access Work Stations in Federal
Depository Libraries" (Administrative Notes, v. 18, no. 9, June 15,
1997).
If you have any questions about these specifications, please contact
Lee Morey, Electronic Transition Specialist,
at [log in to unmask], by voice at (202) 512-1698, or by fax at (202)
512-1636.
Recommended New Work Station Configuration
COMPUTER
Processor
IBM-compatible Pentium chip, 233 MHz minimum. Consider
266 MHz or 300 MHz, and
Pentium or Pentium II MMX processors. System board should
be "ATX" form factor.
Memory (RAM)
32 MB minimum - 64 MB recommended
Ports
One (1) Serial
One (1) Universal Serial Bus (USB)
One (1) Parallel
One (1) P/S-2 Mouse
One (1) SVGA Video (if video is built into system board)
I/O Bus
PCI/ISA (should have at least four available slots after
system is configured for delivery)
Video
64 or 128 bit PCI interface SVGA controller. Should come
with 2MB Windows RAM (WRAM)
or Video RAM (VRAM), and be expandable to at least 4MB
WRAM or VRAM. Recommend
the selected device provide MPEG hardware acceleration.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 64 or 128 bit PCI interface
SVGA controller with 8MB
WRAM or VRAM
Audio
Sound Blaster 16 or better, or compatible (only if
appropriate for library setting)
Drive Bays
One (1) 3.5" half-height (HH)
Three (3) 5.25" HH Externally Accessible
Two (2) 3.5" HH Internal
DISK DRIVES AND STORAGE
Hard Disk Drive
3.0 gigabytes (GB) or greater capacity, partitioned into
smaller drives for quicker access time.
IDE or SCSI interface.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 9.0 GB or greater capacity
Removable/External Storage
3.5" 1.44 MB drive. Use an older system for 5.25" floppy
conversion.
Also, strongly recommend additional external and/or
exchangeable drives, especially drives such as
Zip or Jaz drives for downloading files too large to fit
on a regular floppy disk, and tape drives
for periodic backup.
CD-ROM Drive
16X speed minimum; 24X speed recommended. Single platter
or changer design. Should support
all available standard CD formats. Avoid proprietary I/O
designs.
PERIPHERALS
Monitor
17" Super VGA (SVGA) Multimedia monitor, 0.28 dpi or
smaller. May want to consider
rotatable displays if in a technical services area or if
users do a lot of word-processing.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 21" monitor, Super VGA (SVGA)
compatible, with at
least 70 MHz vertical refresh rate at 1024x768 resolution
non-interlaced, 0.28 or smaller dot
pitch; display card which supports 1024x768 resolution at
70 MHz or faster.
Printer
Ink jet or laser printer. Must support PostScript. 10 MB
memory, minimum. More
recommended if using PostScript or color.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: Color ink jet plotter, 36",
600 dpi, 68 MB or more
memory, or access to a comparable networked printer
Keyboard and Pointing Device
Microsoft-compatible keyboard, plus mouse or other
compatible pointing device. Strongly
recommend ergonomically-designed products.
Internet Connectivity
Local Area Network with TCP/IP (strongly recommended)
or
Dial-up SLIP/PPP connection using 33.6 kbps or better
modem (Internal modem would be
advisable to reduce cabling and power requirements.)
SOFTWARE
Operating System
MS-DOS 6.22 with Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
or
Microsoft Windows 95b (OEM release which includes
"FAT-32" and other fixes)
or
Microsoft Windows 98
or
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Communications
Package which supports multiple file transfer protocols;
several terminal emulations such as
ANSI-BBS, TTY, VT-100. Data transfer rates up to 56 kbps.
Supports Hayes "AT" compatible
modems; manages telnet sessions. Must have ability to
"script" log-on files.
Client Software
World Wide Web graphical browser with forms support.
Java-enabled browsers such as Internet
Explorer 4 or Netscape Navigator 4 are required for use
of some online databases (for example,
the DOE/GPO Infobridge partnership). Also recommend ANSI
Z39.50 compatible, GILS-aware
client (for example, BookWhere 2000, ITS for Windows,
etc.). Also, consider EINet WinWais
2.06 customized for use with GPO Access Wais databases.
Viewers
WWW graphical browser (see above) will handle both GIF
and JPEG graphics. Additional PDF
viewer and MPEG player; strongly recommend viewers for
other file formats such as TIFF.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: GEOTIFF file viewer. Viewing
software for raster data,
such as Photo Shop or Print Shop.
Applications Software
Consider getting an integrated "office suite" product
such as Microsoft Office or Corel
WordPerfect8 Suite. Otherwise:
Database
dBASE file format compatible or dBASE and ASCII comma
delimited file importing database
management software; useful to have fixed field format
(SDF) import ability
Spreadsheet
Lotus .WK1 file format compatible software; support for
other formats such as Excel and
Quattro Pro
Word Processing
Software capable of importing major text file formats
(Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Multimate,
etc.) and ASCII text files
Mapping Software
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: Data manipulation package,
such as ArcView 3.0 or
higher, Landview, MapInfo 4.5 or higher, or other similar
packages
Related Issues and Considerations
These specifications are intended to assist depository staff in
making informed purchases which will best achieve
the goal of providing public access to Federal Government
information in a variety of electronic formats.
These guidelines are aimed at providing reasonably robust
workstations which should provide years of service
before they become obsolete, but LPS encourages the purchase of
equipment that exceeds these specifications if at
all economically feasible. The speed at which computer capabilities
are evolving indicates that the higher the initial
outlay, the longer the useful life for the equipment.
Depository libraries must have computer equipment sufficient to
allow timely and equitable public access to
Government electronic information products and should allow printing
or downloading information selected by the
user. During a depository library inspection LPS will use a
functional approach to determine compliance with this
requirement.
LPS cannot anticipate or address every possible depository library
computer scenario and depository libraries are
encouraged to adapt this menu of specifications to fit their local
situations. Depositories may require
multi-purpose single workstations, electronic access in networked
environments, or a combination of both. Given
the large variation in the size of Federal depository libraries and
the numbers of users served, LPS cannot
recommend a universal standard for the number of public access
workstations in any given library. However, when
assessing workstation needs, librarians should consider such local
factors as:
the amount of information provided over the Internet compared
with the amount from CD-ROM
whether and how the workstations are networked
to what extent users are permitted to perform additional
information processing at the public access
workstations
whether users are experiencing extended waiting times at
library peak service hours, etc.
When configuring workstations bear in mind that some government
CD-ROM products now link to the Web to
update information on the CD-ROM. This means that for the user to
get the newer information and the full
benefit of the product at least one workstation must have both
CD-ROM capability and Internet accessibility
with a graphical browser.
Additional or different capabilities may be desirable for
workstations used by library staff. Some libraries may
elect to add applications software, such as spreadsheet, word
processing, or data base software, to their public
access workstations, but this is a local resource management
decision.
Many depository libraries have existing computer equipment that is
no longer "state of the art." These
specifications should not be applied retrospectively to existing
equipment, although they may assist in
determining the appropriate time for replacement or upgrading.
LPS has deliberately not provided specifications for Apple Macintosh
(Mac) or UNIX workstations. Based on
responses to the 1995 and 1997 Biennial Surveys, Macs are the
computer of choice for a small minority of the
depository libraries. However, depository libraries which have a Mac
or UNIX environment should assess their
functional capabilities in light of these specifications.
LPS works with the Cartographic Users Advisory Council (CUAC) to
develop any additional specifications
which support GIS applications. These are included in the
recommendations with the indicator i FOR
CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE.
LPS anticipates updating these specifications annually. For
additional information, or if you have any questions
about these specifications, please contact Lee Morey, Electronic
Transition Specialist, at [log in to unmask], by
voice at (202) 512-1698, or by fax at (202) 512-1636.
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