When the Class of 1997 arrived in Cambridge, they were the first crop of first-years to leave their modems at home and instead plug their computers into the recently installed dorm-room datajacks.

Two years later, the Class of 1999 one-upped them by not even having to register for an e-mail account. Those accounts had been created long before that class stepped into the Yard.

By this upcoming fall, Harvard's technological revolution will take a few more steps forward, giving the Class of 2003 even more computing amenities.

The Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS), along with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Information Technology committee, are the ones behind the progress.

And while the developments are not enough to completely change the face of computing at Harvard, Rick Osterberg '96, coordinator of residential computing support, promises that undergraduates will see a "bigger-better-faster" system that emphasizes convenience and innovation.

I'm a Wanderer

Perhaps the most exciting feature students can expect is the introduction of roaming Ethernet.

Currently, users must each register a specific datajack at the beginning of the term. In addition, they must supply computer identification, Ethernet type and other individual information. Students must register each they time they use a new datajack.

Beginning soon, though, datajack registration will become obsolete. Users will each receive an IP address, and in addition to their primary dorm room connection port, they will be able to plug into the network from any campus connection port.

Undergraduates who wish to work at the Langdell Law School Library or at Lamont Library will be able to bring their portable computers and easily access the network. Group study sessions, some of which would benefit from computer use, will be easier to arrange, and lines for campus computer kiosks might shrink.

"If I could plug in anywhere, I would carry my computer around with me more often. It would make life much easier," says Brandon D. Rhodes' 02.

Roaming Ethernet also promises to make life easier for graduate students, who live off campus and can only access the Harvard network from their offices.

"With roaming Ethernet, graduate students will be able to work comfortably in libraries, lounges, and campus restaurants," says Franklin M. Steen, director of the FAS computer services.

Another benefit of roaming Ethernet might be lighter kiosk usage. If students take advantage of roaming Ethernet, older kiosk computers will last longer and Harvard could see a net increase in publicly available computers in the near future.

"Whenever the University invests in new equipment, it always goes first to teaching classrooms. As they age, older computers move to the Science Center lab classrooms, and finally, the oldest computers make up the kiosk terminals," Steen says.