How schools are tricked into using PCs--when Macs are better

Zdnet ^ | 2/11/02 | Bob Shier

[Vermonter]

I've always suspected this, but now I've seen it in print.

I've watched as our small town elementary school went from 0 computers to having a computer lab and at least 1 computer in every classroom. Along with those PC's we now have TWO full time technology assistants to keep them running. Part of this can be attributed to old teachers not wanting to learn new tricks, but a good bit of it is due to the problems of keeping PC's running versus keeping Macs running.

[FreedomPoster]

Whatever "seeing it in print" is worth. The brutal reality is that, back when it could have gone either way, Microsoft and the WinTel combo won the business market while Apple's sales force was concentrating on the school market. The sales skills for success in the business world weren't valued at an Apple that concentrated on the government education market. Apple lost, and now serves a fringe market of some educators, graphics professionals, and self-styled digerati.

[Ratatoskr]

Geez, talk about yer flame-bait thread.

I'm too tired to bite, this morning.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Another is Apple's refusal to license their software to a third party manufacturer. Their market share would double or triple or quadruple if they did that.

[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

BUMP!!

[Stirner]

I have a friend who uses Mac's and she has had lot's of hardware problems. I use Windows boxes and also have had hardware problems. On my (admittedly small) sample, I would rate the two systems as comparably trouble prone. But when Mac's break, it is almost always more expensive to set things right.

[RogueIsland]

Part of this can be attributed to old teachers not wanting to learn new tricks, but a good bit of it is due to the problems of keeping PC's running versus keeping Macs running.

Really? I've never had problems keeping PCs running. Maybe they need computer staff with talent -- oh, wait, all those people end up in the private sector.

[Asclepius]

... And that's what I really want for my students ...

I just want my students to turn off their pagers and cell phones.

As for Macs, they're robust little machines except for the Imacs. Our Imac labs at CMU are a bleeding nightmare of quirks and tics and constant meltdowns. Not a terribly network friendly device. Our design students swear by them though.

[Tree of Liberty]

I consider PC's better fit for education since these are what the vast majority of students will use in the real world. The few industries that use macs are graphic artistry and publishing. If a student wants to learn how to operate a mac, fine, but if he wants to prepare to use a computer in his vocation, focus on the PC.

[Utopia]

But when Mac's break, it is almost always more expensive to set things right.

Never had a Mac break on me. I've owned every model since the 1984 original. Wore out the keyboards on a couple of them - but never had a Mac break - strange. I heard of stories years ago of people putting in their own memory and breaking things (in the old days Apple made it difficult for the do-it-yourselfer to increase memory, etc. that's not the case, now. Do it all the time.) Got 10 Macs right now humming like a champ.

[Rodney King]

I have simply never understood this "Mac's don't break, or go to blue screen, etc." argument. In college, my girlfriend, now wife, was typing a 25 page essay on her Mac. She routinley saved it to the hard drive. Right at the end, the computer gave some error message, and the paper was gone. Two different Mac experts could not retrieve it. That's never happend to me on a PC.

Look, Mac lovers are welcome to buy Mac's, but those of us who buy Wintel do so for a reason, not because we are sheep. Stop whining and trying to convert us. You are like a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses, only not as polite.

[Utopia]

State of Maine just signed a $48Million contract with Apple to provide Macs in Maine schools.

[Mamzelle]

"when Macs break"--there's nobody to help, this is true...although you can drive across the state to find a CompUsa IF you bought it there.

I've just endured losing a lot to the second iMac crash in two years. I'm no longer a Mac thumbsucker.

The operating system of the Mac is the smoothest, most intuitive and pleasant, but when it breaks I have to be able to find some help, and it can't be found anywhere close to home.

[Utopia]

Look, Mac lovers are welcome to buy Mac's, but those of us who buy Wintel do so for a reason, not because we are sheep. Stop whining and trying to convert us. You are like a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses, only not as polite.

Why on earth would I want to convert you? If you're happy with what you got and its the tool you need, good for you. A Mac is a machine after all. One that's made in America. For my needs, Wintel architecture just doesn't cut it.

[Vermonter]

My experience is like yours. I've owned about a dozen different Macs since 84 and only had a hardware (disk drive) failure on one. Apple replaced that during the warrantee period.

[hobbes1]

If you want the machine to work for you, buy a Mac

Noooooo, If you want the machine to WORK, by an IBM.

They screw you for the brand name, But I've had mine for 8, years, and have never had a single mechanical (or software...Win 95) problem,The only reason I will be getting a new machine is because it is now smaller, slower, and most newer software is unsupported in the Win95 environment.

So the Boys will get it after it's stripped down and reloaded.

[Rodney King]

Why on earth would I want to convert you?

Well, maybe you don't, but almost every day there is a "Mac's are sooo much better and Wintel's suck, you idiots" thread.

[Don Joe]

"Along with the false economy with Windows, I also can't find any real academic reason to go with the platform."

There isn't any "real academic reason". I mean, there isn't any greater "academic reason" than there is to avoid majoring in "Gay Studies" or some other outré "field".

Careers are so boring, after all...