Katzenjammers test new Microsoft products

What if your student group could get a free Xbox? How about a bunch of video games to go along with it? And maybe even a few new computers, a digital camera and individual mp3 players for members?

In a Microsoft product testing arrangement, the Katzenjammers have received all that and more. The coed a capella group has been asked to use the technology — in whatever way its members see fit — and then comment on it.

President Daniel Skora '05, thought Microsoft was particularly interested in input from the Katzenjammers because of the demographic they represent.

"College students purchase a lot of technology and [Microsoft] wanted to hear our thoughts about their products," Skora said.

The Katzenjammers were contacted through an alumna and began to receive the Microsoft products at the end of the summer, Skora said.

Some of the technology — music composition software, iPod-like media players, speaker systems and mp3 players — is especially useful to the singing group .

Since the group's only regular funding comes from paid performances spread out over the course of the year, the opportunity to get such valuable equipment was particularly welcome.

The group also received a set of tablet computers. "They are about equal price [to standard laptops] and have a new technology that allows a person to write on the screen with a magnetic pen," Skora said.