Tuesday March 6th, 2024

One interesting quirk about the desktop computers here is that they are Mac computers with non-Mac keyboards. Because Apple loves to market itself as different from other tech companies, it is often incompatible or less compatible with non-Apple products. On Macs, keyboard commands require the unique Apple “Command” key instead of the Ctrl key. Unfortunately, the non-Mac keyboards in the computer lab do not have the “Command” key, which can be slightly irritating. Fortunately, the desktops have lots of software that would be otherwise expensive to purchase out-of-pocket, such as Adobe Suite. Rutgers Students can access Adobe Suite from their own devices, but it uses a lot of storage.

Another interesting feature of the Academic Building East Computer Lab is that several times when I entered, the RUWireless Secure Wifi Network would not connect to my laptop, and I had to restart it. The Rutgers wifi is notoriously unreliable, and its name, RUWirless Secure, is rather misleading. To access this network, one has to first connect to RUWireless, which redirects the user to a page to download the software to install RUWireless Secure on their device. Then, the user must log in and pray that the connection will be stable. Even when moving around from different locations on campus, the network gets spotty. Fortunately, the desktops in the computer lab tend not to have network issues.

Closing off on a more positive note, the computer lab is in an excellent location. It is close to Voorhees Mall, where many students have classes and hang out when the weather is nice. It is also close to Cafe West in the Academic Building West. The two Academic Buildings connect on the first floor! Overall, the computer lab is in a good location to get work done in between classes, print things, or utilize the software available on the desktops!