Neptun laptop shop opens

Neptun webshop
11-31 October 2004:

www.neptun.ethz.ch

The web shop for the project Neptun – Laptops for Learning today opened for the fall campaign. Students and staff of ETH Zurich and the other participating educational establishments can again purchase top-quality laptops at extremely good prices. On offer are three IBM Thinkpads and four Apple iBook or PowerBook packages. The Neptun shop remains open until midnight on 31 October 2004.

The collaboration between ETH Zurich and Apple, IBM and the logistics partner Pathworks was officially sealed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. Speaking at the signing ceremony, ETH Vice-President Gerhard Schmitt emphasized that Neptun is much more than good laptops at a bargain price. "The infrastructure and support offered by ETH are an equally important part of the package", he said. "Together with the support, training, wireless LAN access, the printing facilities and other parts of the Neptun infrastructure, the laptops make mobile and flexible work and study a reality."

Peter Quadri, CEO of IBM Switzerland, praised the good collaboration among the Neptun partners. "Over the past few years we have built up trust and the a partnership works extremely well." Mr Quadri also commended ETH Zurich as an extremely knowledgeable and tough customer. "Not all our clients are as demanding, but of course the know-how and dedication of the Neptun team results in a better offer for the students buying a Neptun laptop. It is a genuine win-win-win situation."

Roger Brustio, General Manager of Apple Computer Switzerland, emphasized the exemplary character of Project Neptun. "Neptun is a truly visionary project, not only in the Swiss academic environment, but for our other European business as well."

With Neptun 2004/05 ETH Zurich for the first time officially recommends all students that they should own a laptop computer by the start of the second year of study at the latest.