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School May Turn Down $43K In Free Macs
Longfeather writes "Tukwila, Washington's cash-strapped Foster High School may have to turn down US$43,000 worth of free Macs because of a PC-only IT policy already in place. Read here(1) and here(2)." Surely some school would be willing to bend (or rethink) policy rather than turn away new computers.
According to the article, there are already Macs in the school's library and graphics classrooms. Also, teachers can have Macs on their desk. This school is part of a re-organization to have three academies geared toward student interests. Expand their minds, while making them use one OS? Sure.
This gets back to a number of old (mostly bad and uninformed) arguments. Total cost of ownership, applicability of OS in the "real world", etc. I'm sure that all of the IT staff have MCSE certifications, and with that, the attitude that "Macs suck". Which was why the policy was created in the first place.
The reality is money is not getting spent on education. If it is to be believed(and I doubt it), the Gates Foundation grant doesn't specify what kind of computers are required. I applaud anyone, whether I agree with how they run their business or not, that donates large sums of money or computers to schools.
Schools shouldn't be stupid and turn away new computers, even because of some short-sighted IT proposal.
I did a study at my university because the Science department had to eliminate a lab. We had two Windows PC labs and a Mac lab. Part of this study was to find TCO for each lab. In short we found that the Macs were significantly cheaper in the long run. This was for a couple of reasons (there were more but these were the most significant:
1. Longer lifespan for both hardware and software for Macs
2. Administration costs were lower (hours of tech needed for each lab
3. Licensing was cheaper
We found that once we purchased the Macs the actual cost to maintain the Mac lab was almost nothing. A single tech could take care of the unix servers and the mac lab while each of the other labs needed two techs a piece.
They got rid of a PC lab.
...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
A few years ago I was attending school to become a systems analyst. During that time we were all required to lease an IBM ThinkPad and soley use PCs throughout the time in class. We learnt how to program in VB and we were all taught the ins and outs of Office. When the opportunities for co-op came around everyone was competing against each other for jobs. Basically we all had the same skills.
I had only one interview and it basically went like this:
President (of the company): "Have you ever used a Mac?"
Me: "Yes I have, for about 15 years."
President: "Can you start on Monday?"
Me: "Yes I can."
Thanks to the fact that I am extremely proficient on both PCs (Windows or Linux) and Macs I got one of the best co-ops available. It is now my full time employment (I have since graduated) and I would have to be crazy to look for another job.
Just so you know, thanks to a particular "dirty, weather beaten feather" attitude many people have today towards different computing platforms I am the only one of my peers that can travel and the drop of a hat (just got back from Alaska), afford basically anything I want and spend the majority of the time having fun at work instead of trying to sell cellphones at the local mall.
Don't ever think that knowledge, in any respect, is a waste and never advise someone that only their skills on only the most popluar mediums will get them through life.
Variety == Spice
sin(6cos(r)+5A)