I had very high expectations at first, thinking that presses would have lots of advanced technology, with "computer rooms," populated by experienced designers.
The first press had a Pentium and a 486, both in the main office, a decrepit room which apparently had once been a kitchen. The managers promised that once their new building was finished they would be getting more, but we couldn�t wait that long if it meant sacrificing our first few issues.
The next press said they had two IBM PC�s. "PC what�s?" I probed. Pentium? 486? "IBM PC-AT," they responded, using a term I have not heard since the 386 was something new. And while they said they had Aldus Pagemaker 5, our own standard layout program, I still could not trust a press whose company profile had been done on a manual typewriter.
At the last printing press, I saw two skeletal computers on a grimy table, in the sala. The owner, a condescending old man, told us that these were 486�s. Accessories? "We have a handheld scanner, but you should never scan your photos; we use traditional photo equipment." Layout? "Oh, we used to have PageMaker 5, but it had too many defects," he said smugly. "Now we use Pagemaker 4." And he gave a superior smile.
That press had already lost my vote. With that last statement, it lost my respect. We were all glad to get out of there.
I realized something that day: our publishing industry has pretty low standards where computers are concerned. Yes, there are presses with great machines and software, but the ones we visited represent the local norm.
This brings me to The GUIDON, which suffers from a severe computer shortage. The administration has always been reluctant to grant us enough funds for our idea of sufficient computer equipment. Perhaps this is because they are comparing The GUIDON against the standards of our local publishers: a sad basis, especially considering that certain other student publications in other campuses are reputed to have several computers at a time, plus add-ons like scanners and styluses.
Just because we manage to produce a good monthly newspaper does not mean that our resources are sufficient to the task. We walk the razor�s edge every month and often miss deadlines because there simply are not enough computers for typesets and layout. As one of the nation�s top student newspapers, we are running a professional outfit -- with amateur levels of equipment. The administration must realize that big campus publications need more than a token PC or two. Computers are no longer the esoteric miracles they were as a decade ago; today they are the standard tools of the trade, and we, like many presses, are seriously short on tools.