Now there's another reason to be Broadway-bound -- to head for New Haven's historic shopping district, that is.
The Microcomputer Sales Center (MCSC), which sells approximately 3,000 computers annually, has opened a new showroom in the textbook area of The Yale Bookstore, the Barnes & Noble-run enterprise located on University property at 77 Broadway.
The new showroom features all the computer-related items --from hardware to software to peripherals -- that have been available for years at the MCSC store at 175 Whitney Ave. This includes everything from the computers themselves to word processing, desktop publishing and statistical programs, to digital cameras, zip drives, modems and more. The new Broadway location will soon replace the 175 Whitney Ave. facility as the primary MCSC hardware, software and peripherals sales site.
The decision to create an MCSC outlet on Broadway was inspired in equal parts by need and opportunity, according to John R. Woodford, director of MCSC, part of Information Technology Services. The need for "a more centralized location on campus" began to crystallize about the same time as the opening of The Yale Bookstore, which had such a space available, he explains. "Barnes & Noble being there gave us a reason to want to be there."
Woodford has been involved in MCSC affairs since 1983, when the center first began operating at 175 Whitney Ave. Back then "all we had was a contract with IBM," he notes, while today the University has contracts with Apple, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Sun as well as numerous software and computer supplies companies.
In addition to the Broadway and 175 Whitney Ave. locations, MCSC also maintains a hardware demonstration and sales support-only operation on the Medical Campus, in Rm. C-1 of the Sterling Hall of Medicine, 333 Cedar St. Software and peripherals are not available for sale at this center, and its hours are limited to 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
The MCSC store at 175 Whitney Ave. is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. The MCSC showroom at The Yale Bookstore is currently open during regular store hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. The Broadway showroom's hours will soon be adjusted, however, notes Woodford, adding, "We're beginning to get a sense of the demand, and in conjunction with our intent to make the Yale Bookstore site our primary campus presence, we will structure our hours accordingly."
The closing of the 175 Whitney Ave. showroom for hardware demonstration and sales support is planned for the next month or so. Although sales of software and peripherals will continue there, The Yale Bookstore site will become MCSC's focus for sales of hardware, software and peripherals. The School of Medicine MCSC facility will continue its hardware demonstration and sales support function.
Only members of the Yale community can make purchases at MCSC stores. Individuals buying items for their own personal use must show a Yale I.D., while departments can fax their orders to 432-3958.
MCSC provides delivery overnight on all departmental purchases, provided the items are in stock. Software and peripherals are available for over-the-counter sales at The Yale Bookstore and 175 Whitney Ave., but individuals who purchase hardware at any of the three stores must pick up their merchandise at the Hardware Distribution Center at 181 Whitney Ave. (located in the rear of the parking lot at 175 Whitney Ave.) The latter is also the location of MCSC's repair and upgrade service.
During the coming fiscal year, obtaining needed computer equipment from MCSC will be made even easier, according to Woodford, who says, "By then departments, students, faculty, and staff should be able to order MCSC packages and products directly via the Web." As part of the University-wide Project X modernization initiative, MCSC is working with its vendors to develop new systems to meet the University's needs more quickly and efficiently.
All members of the Yale community are invited to stop by the new MCSC at The Yale Bookstore or either of the other two locations. For further information about MCSC, including a catalogue and list of product availability, visit the center's website at www.yale.edu/mcsc/.