--- TIC-TECH message:
Reasons for selecting OWA as the client for teachers:
* No need to install client software on each machine - it uses the standard
web browser.
This saves a tremendous amount of installation and rollout time.
* It runs on a wide variety of machines.
Machines that aren't robust enough to run the Outlook client can still
support email as long as they will run a browser. Machines with limited disk
space that don't have room for a client can still get mail. It works with
Macs and PCs (there is an Outlook client for Macs, but making it work is a
true challenge).
* Users don't need configuration knowledge to use it (unlike POP3 and IMAP).
* Users can access mail from anywhere in the world that has an Internet
connection.
With OWA, users can both send and receive mail. A little bit later, I'll
explain why an IMAP or POP3 client can't send mail from an Exchange account
right now.
* It provides access to the Outlook calendar/scheduler as well as to mail.
* It leaves the user's mail on the server.
This is important for anyone who uses multiple machines. With POP3 or IMAP,
unless you're very careful when you set it up, your mail gets downloaded to
the machine you're using at the time. If you then go to a different machine,
you don't have access to your mail. It can also be a security issue if your
mail then becomes available to others.
Why is OWA slow?
* It's web-based.
With a mail client, the graphical elements reside on your machine. With
web-based mail, graphic elements come over the link rather than residing on
the client machine.
* OWA loads at the same speed as other Internet pages
(with all the usual caveats about different link speeds)
* There has been a significant speed increase since we installed a higher
bandwidth link at IS.
* Speed is dependent on:
1. The kind of Internet connection you use.
OWA is blindingly fast over my cable Internet connection at home. If I use
it from my Ricochet modem connection (28.8Kbps), it's all right but not very
fast -- just like all web access at that speed.
2. Number of simultaneous users on your link.
If lots of people in your school are using the network and doing bandwidth
intensive tasks, OWA will be slower because you are sharing the bandwidth.
In the same way, some of the WAN bandwidth is currently shared among
schools. (That will change as we move forward with implementation of the
full district WAN.)
3. Robustness of the client machine.
Running OWA with a P500 machine with 256MB of RAM would be fast. Running it
on a P90 with 32MB of RAM would be significantly slower. Running it on a
P90/32MB NT4.0 machine would be glacial.
4. How many other applications you're running at the same time.
On machines with limited memory, each additional open application seriously
degrades performance -- of all applications, not just OWA.
Suggestion -- if you can add memory to your computer, it will almost always
speed things up.
See Part 3 for options and alternatives.
Thanks,
Judy
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Judy McNamee
Manager, Computer Operations
Seattle Public Schools
Voice: 206-252-0306
Fax: 206-252-0301
jmcnamee@seattleschools.org
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jan 26 2001 - 18:37:02 PST