Slashdot Mirror
Duke University Giving iPods To 1650 Freshmen
baptiste writes "Duke University has entered into an agreement with Apple to distribute iPods to all of the incoming freshmen this year - that's 1650 iPods! This agreement is part of an initiative to "encourage creative uses of technology in education and campus life" The iPods will have audio and text on them including special university content such as "faculty-provided course content, including language lessons, music, recorded lectures and audio books." Faculty will be assisted in creating new content for these devices by Duke's Center for Instructional Technology And here you thought iPods were just for music!"
This oughta up the distraction level still further in my lectures. Jesus. I thought it was bad enough that you got the occasional antisocial bastard who sat there through the whole thing with his headphones pounding out crappy music constantly. Now everyone is getting iPods? I've already known two friends who have theirs nicked. This is just going to be money poured down the drain that would be better spent on something helpful. The batteries run out by the time they leave, anyway! I find this very annoying; it's difficult to structure my thoughts because I can't see what real benefit these provide. Listening to music out and about is just a novelty that wears off after a few weeks. Just a marketing gimmick. Just think! All these people will probably now go out and buy useless Apple stuff to go with it!
i've been to duke university (dropped out cause of finaincial aid trouble) what crazy junk is this
:: binary revolution
Website
--- Website: http://spinhex.sytes.net/
Keep those ipod stories coming. I mean is there anything else more important? Good thing /. wasn't around when the walman came out.
ignorance is bliss. googlefiberatx.com
Let's do a little math...
...not to mention the fact that I'll get an education, too!
I'll be attending UC Berkeley next fall, for around 20k/year, including room and board. To attend Duke (which would be retarded, as Berkeley is the #2 engineering school in the nation, and Duke doesn't even come close in that field...and hence, I didn't even apply to Duke), I'd have to pay approximately 40k/year, including room and board. Thus, to attend four years at UC Berkeley, it'll cost me 80k, as opposed to 160k for Duke. Going to Berkeley will save me 80k.
Now, how many iPods can you get with 80k? Assuming that we're dealing with 20GB ipods, going to Berkeley gets me approximately 268 iPods (a pure estimation, of course). Going to Duke would get me one. That means that I've essentially been given 267 iPods for going to UC Berkeley...
If I were a student at Duke, I'd be appalled. Doesn't Duke have something better to do with its money...the money that the students pay? I know that Berkeley actually takes proper care of our cash...
*Scratches head*
"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." -Archimedes
Yes, but by graduation the non-replaceable battery will surely be toast leaving you with nothing but an overpriced hunk of plastic to go with your overpriced degree.