Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 02:11:26 -0000
From: EvangeList <evangelist@apple.com>
Subject: Tidbit - School Computer Lifecycle

Keyword: Advocacy, Why Macs Are Better

This tidbit is from:

Rob Kolter

Recently I attended a meeting of the Heurfano County (Colorado) School 
District as a Macintosh Systems Consultant to the district.

The district supports both Macintosh and Wintel platforms using Macs 
primarily for education and Wintel for administration, though these are 
not absolute boundaries and their district-wide administration software 
is cross-platform.

At the meeting an upgrade to for the high school's business program was 
discussed. They have a mix of 386, 486 and Pentium computers using Win 
3.1, 3.1.1, and '95. Teaching things such as a PowerPoint presentation in 
this mixed atmosphere is very trying for the instructor because the 
instructions for each version of Windows is different and she must give 
three sets of instructions for each procedure she is teaching. She is 
requesting an upgrade to common technology for all her classroom 
computers.

During the discussion she was asked what to do with the 386 computers. 
The decision was made by the committee that they should be given away as 
they are of little or no value to the district.

Just after that was my request for a budget of $50 per computer to take 
11 Macintosh Pluses and part them out to make as many working models as 
possible to be used on the LocalTalk network as word processing stations. 
This was also approved.

Ironic isn't it? Six year old 386 computers are being given away while 12 
year old Macs are still being used. I wonder which platform is more 
economical for the district to operate? 

__________________________
Digital Guy Sez:

I'm assuming that was a rhetorical question. :-)