This links in a lot with the other computer lab thread, but for some CS teaching the software setup is particularly arcane, and classes are taught in the labs t

This links in a lot with the other computer lab thread, but for some CS teaching the software setup is particularly arcane, and classes are taught in the labs themselves, using that setup. You can't really avoid them, setting it all up on your own machine, learning to use it without the practicals and so on is just pointless extra work.