[OPLINTECH] Public computers: Software? Decrease in the number of them?

[Chad Neeper]

Good point on VLC media player, 7-Zip, and Acrobat Reader. Also TightVNC,
for remote desktop control and assistance (with very strictly limited use.) I
didn't even think about them. We install them as a staple on all computers
via Chocolatey, which takes maybe 30 seconds (literally) for the lot of
them to install. (If you haven't played with Chocolatey...definitely check
it out. It gives linux-like package manager installations to Windows. For
free. Makes life so much easier!)

Also, BitDefender for the antivirus stuff and, on patron computers, Deep
Freeze Enterprise Edition.



______________________________
*Chad Neeper*
Senior Systems Engineer

*Level 9 Networks*
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

*Full IT/Computer consulting services -- Specialized in public libraries*


On Fri, Nov 6, 2020 at 9:21 AM Matthew Kinsey via OPLINTECH <
oplintech at lists.oplin.org> wrote:

> The standard selection for patron use includes Chrome and Firefox
> browsers, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher), VLC media
> player, 7-Zip, Acrobat Reader and Winway Resume Deluxe. We use Reboot
> Restore RX to ensure a clean state for each user.
>
> The number of seats has been severely reduced to increase physical
> distance between stations. We were offering as many as 18 computers at one
> branch, but that had to be trimmed to 4. Another branch with multiple
> floors has 7, and another has 2 public seats. We are using a software
> solution (ComputerTime) to manage user session duration, as policy
> restricts use to 30 minutes. Touchscreen PACs have been powered down for
> the duration.
>
> Probably because of the increased frequency of reboots, I am needing to
> re-image these computers more frequently than pre-pandemic, but that is a
> fairly trivial task.
>
> I no longer track the frequency with which programs are used, but when I
> did, I used a freeware productivity monitoring software to collect this
> type of data. Most software in this category will do that, but on public
> computers it's an absolute must to disable collection of any information
> that would identify an individual user. So, no automatic screencaps, for
> example. We were able to confirm which seats were most frequently used for
> the longest duration, and what software was used most heavily. Basically,
> the corner seats fill up first, followed by the ones farthest from the next
> occupied seat. Chrome browser is overwhelmingly the most heavily used
> program, followed by Word as a distant second. Dead last is probably Winway
> Resume, which is pretty old-fashioned and redundant.
>
> Matthew Kinsey
> IT Coordinator
> Guernsey County District Public Library
>
>
>
>
> ---- On Thu, 05 Nov 2020 15:11:06 -0500 *Phil Shirley via OPLINTECH
> <oplintech at lists.oplin.org <oplintech at lists.oplin.org>>* wrote ----
>
> What software do you have on your public computers? Do you have any way to
> measure how much different programs are used?
>
>
>
> Also, has the number of public computers you offer changed, or the nature
> of the computers?
>
>
>
> We have Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) and web
> browsers. The ones in the room where we teach classes sometimes (not these
> days of course) also have things like Audacity, Inscape and Gimp. We had
> Photoshop on some of them for a couple of months while we offered some
> classes on that, but it was too expensive to have long-term.
>
>
>
> Phil
>
>
>
> *Phil Shirley*
> *IT Manager*
> *Cuyahoga Falls Library*
> *p.* 330.928.2117 x109 *e.* pshirley at cuyahogafallslibrary.org
> *w. *cuyahogafallslibrary.org <http://www.cuyahogafallslibrary.org/> *a. *2015
> Third Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
>
> <https://www.facebook.com/fallslibrary/>
> <https://twitter.com/FallsLibrary>
> <https://www.instagram.com/fallslibrary/>
>
>
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