University Laptop?

[TalbotAMan]

Hi

I was wondering if people who are trying to work from home could say what kind of university issued laptop they have, and if it doesn't threaten to identify, the type of university and discipline you are in.

I'm in an urban post-92 law department and I have a 2017 Lenovo T470 'academic special' (which means that it looks like a T470 on the outside but actually has the insides of the 2016 T460), which is so locked down that it gets close to being unusable.

Non-RG but research-focussed Uni. All academics' computer equipment comes from grants, or, for the education-track, from the Dept's teaching budget as at least our Dept realised it was ridiculous to expect them to self-fund their computers. Professional services get low-end Windows laptops, supposedly replaced every 5 years but our building administrator has gotten one new machine in the 15 years I've been there.

Lecture theatres, however, do have quite impressive and up-to-date machinery, including desktops, visualisers, and things I'm not sure what they do. Plus computer-controlled lighting and windows and such.

We all have university issued laptops. Anyone who didn't have an up to date one with camera etc at the beginning of remote teaching was immediately issued with one. I have a new colleague who started at Easter so hasn't actually been to campus yet and a new MacBook was delivered to his house, as some of his teaching relies on Mac only software.
I am appalled that some of you are using your own personal equipment. That would not be acceptable in any other workplace.

My laptop is a Dell Latitude E7270. I'm a teaching fellow so no research funding. However research colleagues also get uni issued laptops, as do professionals services and technicians who need them.

I have a HP laptop from about 2018. It works fine. My work has supplied external monitors, headsets, and office chairs--all dropped off at home addresses. I have no complaints about their handling of lockdown.

I'm in professional services, running all the online teaching tools. I would LOVE to have something other than a 7 year old Lenovo that we paid for out of funds gained by teaching on Erasmus programmes.

Where are these institutions that issue Surface pros to PS staff and do they have positions available?

I'll add that people had to use their own laptops (only had ancient desktops) until a couple of years ago. I still use my own Mac when out and about as the university-supplied laptop is heavy and has a terrible battery life.

RG uni, ours seem to spend a lot on IT, I have had a new laptop recently, one for about three years before that, desktops updated regularly before that, Elitebook, I just googled the price and they are expensive. This is not off grants. You did used to have to choose between a laptop and a desktop, but lately everyone is moving to laptops and then getting the monitor, mouse, stand kit to work from home. I am realising now we are very lucky, I really thought this was just standard behaviour. People who want even fancier pay out of grants.

The standard issue in my department is a Surface Pro. We also have multi-screen desktops in the office if we want them.

I have a Surface but DH turned one down because users have no admin rights. He prefers to use his own high spec laptop and, at home, desktop.

No laptops provided at my university so they have to be bought through research grants or personal funds. There are a few old and heavy laptops available to borrow bit they are very limited. We were able to go and get our desktop computers during lockdown.

Regarding office space and comment above ... Only profs get their own office where I work, and some of them share. We have been asked to consider working at home indefinitely from now on to free up space. No provisions in terms of IT to accompany this at all. But money is tight, pay freezes have been implemented, loads of people have left, not to be replaced etc...so the situation won't be changing any time soon.

@TalbotAMan I've been hired by my business school in France to teach all the anglophone staff how to use Moodle if you need a hand. We have campuses worldwide so I've slightly fallen on my feet.

Gosh, reading this thread I feel pretty lucky. Lenovo ThinkPad here too, and uni now steadily dealing with chairs etc as staff starting to get back problems. There is a £100 fund per member of staff to get other kit needed to do job, but I can't find what it is actually covered by that find (I was after a toner cartridge as I've used my personal one up printing off scripts for online lectures, but was told the fund 'did not cover that cost').

Am aghast at how much expense has been passed over to members of staff, whose pay has already fallen considerably over the years. How many people are kitting out a full home office now, and at what cost?

I've just spent £280 of my own money on an office chair because of back pain. I was pretty pissed off last week to get an email about computer security from IT Services saying that they believe I am using a self-managed, university-provided device off campus. I bloody wish! That laptop was another £1300 of my own money.

I was loaned one to wfh because I don't own a computer at home. I'm afraid I've no idea what it is! Pretty low range I think (it wouldnt run some software I wanted) but it is fine. I work for a Russell group uni.