The purpose of the lab is to ensure that all students experience using a computer to do mathematics. Purchase and installation of the project has proceeded since the grant was announced in Summer 1995. Twenty-one Power Macintosh 6100 computers were installed by November 1995 with networking and access to Internet following in January 1996. With the reduction in computer prices and savings on software bids, it was possible to add another 3 Power Macintosh 7200 computers in Fall 1996 for a total of 24 student stations. Faculty also have access to a Macintosh Powerbook 5300ce laptop computer which connects to an nView Z series color LCD panel used with a powerful 3M 9800 overhead projector.
Faculty use the laptop at home to create presentations for class or conferences.
Use of the lab has developed in stages as hardware and software have been purchased and installed. Any student may surf the Internet or use a personal e-mail account when the lab is not in use by a class. Students do research on the Internet and write reports using Microsoft Word software. Finite Mathematics classes use freeware, Matrix Master, when they study matrix applications. The Differential Equations class uses MacMath.