Operating Systems

Windows

We have different versions of windows from 95-XP. Here is a brief overview of each system

Windows 95/98

Windows 95 is basically windows 98 minus a few patches of upgrades. Windows 95/98 uses the basic design of a Start Menu, Quick Launch etc.. You don't have as many options as 98, if you are using 95, but you are close to the same platform. Both Operating Systems are on a basis of a Dos platform, but boot directly into Windows. File system associations with 95/98 are usually Fat 32.

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 is a mostly a network based system, it is sometimes referred to as Windows NT 5.0. Windows 2000 is a Operating System that does not run off of a DOS basis. It also has File system associations different then that on 95/98. For a Windows 2000 File system you would use NTFS.

Windows XP

Windows XP has two different versions of itself, it has XP Pro and XP Home. XP Pro is what we use here due to it's higher encryption then XP Home. Also some higher advantages of Pro is that it is a more secure client all the way around. XP Pro keeps it's original platform with the Start Menu and the Quick Launch and so forth, but it adds new features, like login scripts whether or not you are in a network, also it has a more rounded and more technological look to it. File systems used in Windows XP are an upgrade from Windows 2000, and are NTFS 32.

Apple Based Operating Systems

We use 8.3-10 here at the School, here is a brief overview of them

OS 8.3-8.6

They used basic ideas like for substituting the "Find" in operating systems they used "Sherlock" which is basically the same concept, search the hard drive and any other drive for information. They also had the Apple icon off to the very left which acted as your "Start Menu". Not many PC programs would work on a Apple system and vice versa.

OS 9.2

OS 9.2 is close to the basic look of system, except they have a more detailed help menu at the bottom of the page, but nothing close to OS 10 help menu.

OS 10

OS 10 is very different from all the previous versions of Apple Operating Systems. OS 10 uses a navigation bar at the bottom to combine your favorite applications and other files. The Apple icon does not completely serve it's original purpose. There are other locations for favorite programs and such.

Physical Drives

Distinguishing the Drives

A and B drives

Your A and B drives are usually your Floppy or 3 1/2 drive. 99% of the time your A drive is your floppy, but sometimes you will get a oddball computer with a B drive for the floppy.

C and drives

Your C drive is generally your Hard drive, a drive that is local within your computer. There is generally only one hard drive in your computer. It acts as the drive that saves all of your information unless you specify otherwise.

D and E

D is generally your CD-ROM drive, and if you have two hard drives then E will generally be your CD-ROM or E can be your CD-Burner if you have a CD-ROM also. If it is a combo drive then it will share it's name as D.

Network Based Issues

U

Your U drive is a network drive that is only used at the school. It is the drive that you should save all of your work on. It is your "home on Mariner" drive. We recommended that you backup most of your work on this drive because that way if it crashes then you have a back-up.

Portfolios for students

Each student is equipped with a portfolio in his "My Documents" which is connected to his "Home on Mariner" drive on the network. So for each subject you can save documents pertaining to the student and the course.