Inacomp - Mercy High School

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Mercy Computing Program?

2. What is contained in the Mercy Computing Package?

3. How do I go about purchasing the Mercy Computing Package?

4. When do I have to purchase the Mercy Computing Package?

5. Is there financial help in purchasing the Mercy Computing Package?

6. Can’t my daughter use another tablet or laptop?

7. What training in the use of the tablet and software will my daughter receive?

8. How will the tablet be used in the classroom?

9. Will etextbooks be available and replace the paper books?

10. Are the etexts less expensive than the physical books?

11. How can I get more information?

1. What is the Mercy Computing Program?

The Mercy Computing Program is Mercy’s response to our awareness that to offer the best educational opportunity to our students, we must adopt a comprehensive set of learning tools that are and will only continue to be further integrated into students’ everyday lives. It includes the requirement of students in the Fall 2006 class to purchase the Mercy Computing Package in time for the start of classes and every frosh class after that. Please see our Program Overview for additional information.

2. What is contained in the Mercy Computing Package?

The Mercy Computing Package consists of the following:

Hardware and Specific Functionality:

Tablet PC Convertible w/DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive

(digital ink technology)

Travel Battery (With internal battery, enables student to get through the school day)

Three Year Warranty w/Accidental Damage (One accidental damage incident/year)

Drive Image which also includes Mercy’s network settings

External Wireless Button (Student may turn off wireless pinging to save on battery life if network access is not needed)

3 USB Ports (One on 3 of the 4 sides)

External Ctl-Alt-Del Button, sound on/off

Digitizer "Pen" w/Cap as an Eraser

On-Site Service M-F (when school is in session); Depot service otherwise

Mercy is certified for HP warranty repair

Software and Specific Functionality:

Windows XP

Academic MS Student Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Academic MS OneNote

MindJet MindManager XP

McAfee Internet Security Suite

Please refer to school website and vendor sites for additional information an any of the products listed.

3. How do I go about purchasing the Mercy Computing Package?

You can order the Mercy Computing Package online via Mercy’s extranet with Inacomp. http://inacomp.net/mercy.

New Students will be contacted by Inacomp with web store location, username and password.

4. When do I have to purchase the Mercy Computing Package?

All registered frosh and new sophomores to the school must order before June 30, 2007. Preferred payment is by Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. If your shipping address will be different from your credit card’s billing address, please contact your credit card company and notify them of this. Past experience with personal checks, wire transfers and debit cards have caused much overhead in communications and delays of orders. YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL BE CHARGED AT THE TIME OF ORDER. The Mercy IS Department will update announcements pertinent to ordering on the school’s website.

5. Is there financial help in purchasing the Mercy Computing Package?

Financing:

With their corporate support of education, Credit Union ONE has worked out very reasonable financing terms for those who qualify. Applicants can apply over the phone at 800.491.4292, at any of their branch offices or via the Internet at Credit Union One.

Tuition Assistance:

While parents are responsible for purchasing Mercy Computing Package, Mercy is continually looking for ways to assist. Families with more than one daughter impacted by the program are awarded a $500 discount on their tuition. Other assistance may be explored through the Tuition Assistance program.

6. Can’t my daughter use another tablet or laptop?

There are no substitutes for the components which comprise the core Student Computing Package as all are designed to provide a common learning environment that is supportable. Some of the support issues are malware protection, parts inventory, training, multiple device drivers, etc.

7. What training in the use of the tablet and software will my daughter receive?

Mercy has added a new basic computer literacy course starting fall of 2006. This course will cover basic hardware and software; internet safety; research and citation; mind mapping and note-taking. Additional opportunities are available and listed on our website.

8. How will the tablet be used in the classroom?

The teachers are participating in training to assist them in integration. Fundamentally, the students will use them for note taking, testing, research, writing, presentation, to list a few.

9. Will etextbooks be available and replace the paper books?

Much of this depends on the publishing industry which is evolving this way. Mercy’s teachers are choosing digital media when available and appropriate. Most of the English novels are available in digital format. All French and Spanish texts are digital, as well as Algebra, Biology and AP European History.

This will be an ever-changing situation. For further information and periodic updating as to e-texts, visit our Mercy website at Mercy High School. The publishing companies may also be contacted for current information as well as Ms. Linskey, Dean of Students and manager of the textbooks.

10. Are the etexts less expensive than the physical books?

One can’t generalize at this time. Only that they do not appear to be more.

11. How can I get more information?

For further information, a more detailed FAQ and periodic updating to e-texts and other news, visit the Mercy website at Mercy High School.