When I log on to InClass or Infinite Campus, I do so for a reason. I want to check my grades, download a homework assignment or find my teacher’s e-mail address. I also want to find whatever it is I’m looking for quickly. Speed, in a nutshell, is what makes Infinite Campus a superior system to InClass; however, without certain key features, it cannot fully replace its predecessor.

Log in to both of them to see what I mean. How many clicks does it take to check my grades on Infinite Campus? Two: one on my schedule and one on the class I want to check. On InClass? Anywhere from three to more than five, depending on if my teacher decided to bypass InClass completely and use his or her own grading system.

In general, though not beautiful, the entire Infinite Campus user interface is so much more logical than that of InClass. The most important section — your class schedule — lives on the left where it is easy to see and click on. Your classes show up in an easily scannable table with your teacher, room number and teacher’s e-mail all listed right underneath the class name.

InClass, on the other hand, offers no such logic. Instead, it opts for a cluttered list of classes (ordered alphabetically rather than by period) with the important information such as your grades and teacher e-mails buried in a tools menu alongside useless or broken features such as Wimba Pronto — what appears to be an instant messenger. The downfall of InClass is its sheer number of features; after all, when was the last time you used the Blackboard Virtual Classroom? I gave up after waiting three minutes for it to load.

However, this does raise a major criticism of Infinite Campus. While InClass is bloated by its features, Infinite Campus is too simplistic. Currently, it only displays grades, teacher names and school news. There is no provision for viewing or downloading upcoming homework assignments, one of the areas in which InClass excels. As far as I can see, there is also no class announcements area. Without these two features, Infinite Campus is sorely lacking.

For these reasons, I believe that both systems will have to coexist until one or the other addresses its flaws. Infinite Campus is incomplete on its own without the ability to download assignments and other features, while the flaws with InClass’s user interface and speed make it painful to use. The best solution would be for Infinite Campus to add class announcement and document download capabilities so that InClass can finally be retired alongside Windows 3.1, the Apple II and the daisy-wheel printer.