New computer system to save time, energy
Sparty and the green splash screen will no longer welcome users to the World Wide Web — both will instead take a backseat to Microsoft Windows’ shade of blue. Employees at MSU Academic Technology Services, or ATS, implemented a new login system to 2,000 public university computers for the fall semester, creating a reduced system startup time, said Matt Kolb, assistant director of ATS. During a summer pilot program to compare the new and old systems, ATS employees noticed a 30 percent power reduction between the “green screen” and the new Windows login as energy-conserving settings could be enabled, he said. “The previous system was based on multiple-generations-ago technology,” Kolb said.