Which is exactly why we shouldn't be teaching Word and Excel as the core of a course, and instead, should be using Word and Excel in any and all subjects where their inclusion makes sense. Taking accounting? You should learn how to use Excel (or any other spreadsheet program) as a tool that helps you do accounting. Taking a writing class? Incorporate the use of a word processor. Learning a foreign language? Leverage any and all online tools that lend to better foreign language acquisition. I'm not saying spend hours on learning how to use the respective tools. I'm saying kids will learn how to use the tools on their own, especially when they are using them in a way that reinforces the learning content.
I'm not advocating teaching how to use the buttons and functions on the calculator. I'm advocating teaching them how to incorporate the use of a calculator to solve math problems. What, you aren't allowed to use a calculator in real life when solving math problems?
Yeah, because nothing important or productive has never been accomplished using a spreadsheet. That's why practically nobody every uses them, right?
But back to teachers. Yes, they are doing it wrong. Wasting a semester learning where to click to do something that can be learned by pressing F1 is dumb. Teaching kids the applicability of a spreadsheet by learning how to collect, manipulate then analyze data is useful.
Same goes for word processing. Teach them how to use a Word processor to write, not to learn how to format text.
You shouldn't be teaching kids how to use Word and Excel either. You should be teaching them how to apply a word processor or a spreadsheet to a problem.
Similarly the language used to teach programming isn't important but the techniques and logic used for programming is.
Lastly, just because you and I, random slashdot guys, can just click around and figure it out, doesn't mean everyone can. The most well designed GUIs and OSes still have large swaths of the population that can't just figure things out.
The current ICT GCSE has been lambasted for boring kids to death with lessons on using Word and Excel, rather than teaching computer programming.
More kids will be using Word and Excel later in life than will be coding--by orders of magnitude. Excel is only as boring as you make it (something most teachers don't understand).
When we start making curriculums that are driven by niche interests and by what is considered "fun" or not, society suffers.
Not saying this to be confrontational, but I think what you described is exactly missing the point of the iPad's success. People don't want both, or if they do, they already have a laptop. People are perfectly happy with the iPad as a consuming device and the PC being a production device. The secret has been known for years that most people don't really produce anything with their $1000 PCs, so why spend $1000 to send an email and check your Facebook? Apple gets this, others don't.
And I think the "you can connect any device" is a bit out of reach, given Microsoft has a track record of poor device compatibility (still trying to get that sound card working?). How will they get around codec limitations, other than by forcing the Microsoft proprietary (and most likely awful) codec du jour?
I think it is clearly evident that people like app stores. Again, missing the point. I actually think that any convergence device from here on out that doesn't have some sort of built-in app store is doomed to fail. I think Android, for example, needs to clean up their marketplace, or face the fury of neophyte granny tablet user.
An even better idea--why not develop two distinctly different OSes like Apple...one for tablets/phones, and one for computers?
I might be as wrong as "No wireless, less space than a Nomad, lame" on this one, but I just don't see the allure of mixing the two paradigms into one OS.
1 - Given Microsoft's track record for abject failure in the innovation department, does anyone really believe any of this hype?
2 - Does anyone else think trying to be two things at once will just be one hot mess? Unlike Apple who does iOS very well, and OS X very well, this seems to be doomed to trying to be two things at once, while simply sucking at both. I think Apple dabbled with the concept with Lion but quickly realized that when I'm using a desktop, I want a desktop OS, not a 27" iPad.
I suppose the awfulness of American Budweiser is lost on you, otherwise you would have modded my post +1 funny.
I suppose the fact that "Czechvar" and "Budéjovicky Budvar" on the can everywhere else in the world is lost on you? Budweiser appears on the cans in the EU only. But yeah, as a beer fan, and somebody who has been to the brewery, I'm fully aware that Budvar is the original "Budweiser".
Then again, as a fan of beer, I generally don't drink it out of a can (few exceptions being some craft brewers in America starting to ship in cans).
MacOS hasn't existed since version 9. Yes, I think computers from the early 2000s can go suck an egg, to include my 1999 G4 that still runs, but I don't pretend to use it for daily computing, banking, and maintaining valid certs.
Lion only installs on top of Snow Leopard because it is an upgrade, not a stand alone release. Even the Apple Lion pages use "upgrade" all over the place. The price of $29 reflects that as well. http://www.apple.com/macosx/how-to-buy/
The reason it took them a week is because they are in the middle of their second update (10.7.2) of a new OS release. Is Windows in the middle of a service pack for Win7? Did Win 7 come out less than 6 weeks ago? Does Microsoft have thousands of developers NOT working on OS X.7.2 right now?
Laughable. Apple likes to make money, and selling support is one way to do that. Providing good support has gone a long way to build a loyal fan base and repeat customers as well.
AppleCare is one of the few computer company tech support divisions that actually makes money. Selling extended support after 1 year (not 2-3 years like you stated) is a money maker. Doing so also means having to support devices that are no longer sold. If you bought extended warranty for your xserve in January, you get support for 3 years after the last one was sold. Seems fair to me. Other companies lose money with support because they try to appease the random slashdot nerd still running his Pentium IV + Voodoo II card + Soundblaster card.
And if Apple didn't care about support, they'd offshore it to India, yet their support is headquartered in Austin, where they take the calls. Surely Austin is more expensive than Bangalore? So why do it there? Oh yeah, Apple doesn't care about support, so they'd rather use the better-yet-more-expensive Austin base of operations....riiiiight.
You don't get to be #1 in consumer satisfaction with customer support ratings for every year JD Powers has tracked it by not caring about support.
Apple sales people are not allowed to position statements like "we don't get those". There are carefully crafted positioning statements around everything in the Apple economy. Like it or not, it brings a consistency to the brand. I think the Apple retail market has been pretty successful--because the salesforce doesn't go around making rogue statements like you posit.
Granted, most people IN THE WORLD don't know what a root cert authority is, let alone the salesforce at an Apple store.
My wife and I observed (when we lived in Harrogate) that people who drink to get drunk in England choose cider. We called them "cider kids". They wanted to get drunk but weren't grown up enough to appreciate beer.
A little perspective please. In comparison to awful Anheiser-Bush American Piss Water lagers, Stella is a fine lager. In comparison to the fine craft-beer American Ales made by a myriad of quality brewers, Stella is indeed ordinary.
"Premium Beer" might be a marketing term in Europe (I never saw it when I lived in England or Germany) but in the US it is code for "super-extra-piss-water". It is used by Anheiser Bush, Miller, Coors, et. al. to fool Bubbas into thinking they are drinking good beer, when they are just drinking relabeled piss water.
Given the choice of a Stella on draught in America, or any ordinary American beer (on draught or not), Stella is indeed premium.
I've never understood how somebody can work only 20 years in an easy-ass job like the Post Office and expect to retire with the same standard of living on pension alone.
I barely understand it for military people, who have undoubtedly done far more difficult work than anyone in the Post Office. And while we are at it, how in the world can you retire from the Army (at 38), then retire again with double pensions from the Post Office (at 58), then gather social security at 65-ish? Man, I'm totally doing it wrong.
Notice the flat line for the cost of administration since 1989.
An administrator making $200K? Oh the horror! I know my city (pop. 1.5 million) has a Superintendent who makes $120K (which is just a bit more than I make--a tech educator), but she is in charge of over 90,000 students and 20,000 employees. The budget is nearly $1B. $120k seems a bit low, if you ask me, considering I am in charge of 5 people and have an annual budget in the thousands.
Slashdot Mirror
Which is exactly why we shouldn't be teaching Word and Excel as the core of a course, and instead, should be using Word and Excel in any and all subjects where their inclusion makes sense. Taking accounting? You should learn how to use Excel (or any other spreadsheet program) as a tool that helps you do accounting. Taking a writing class? Incorporate the use of a word processor. Learning a foreign language? Leverage any and all online tools that lend to better foreign language acquisition. I'm not saying spend hours on learning how to use the respective tools. I'm saying kids will learn how to use the tools on their own, especially when they are using them in a way that reinforces the learning content.
I'm not advocating teaching how to use the buttons and functions on the calculator. I'm advocating teaching them how to incorporate the use of a calculator to solve math problems. What, you aren't allowed to use a calculator in real life when solving math problems?
Yeah, because nothing important or productive has never been accomplished using a spreadsheet. That's why practically nobody every uses them, right?
But back to teachers. Yes, they are doing it wrong. Wasting a semester learning where to click to do something that can be learned by pressing F1 is dumb. Teaching kids the applicability of a spreadsheet by learning how to collect, manipulate then analyze data is useful.
Same goes for word processing. Teach them how to use a Word processor to write, not to learn how to format text.
You shouldn't be teaching kids how to use Word and Excel either. You should be teaching them how to apply a word processor or a spreadsheet to a problem.
Similarly the language used to teach programming isn't important but the techniques and logic used for programming is.
Lastly, just because you and I, random slashdot guys, can just click around and figure it out, doesn't mean everyone can. The most well designed GUIs and OSes still have large swaths of the population that can't just figure things out.
The current ICT GCSE has been lambasted for boring kids to death with lessons on using Word and Excel, rather than teaching computer programming.
More kids will be using Word and Excel later in life than will be coding--by orders of magnitude. Excel is only as boring as you make it (something most teachers don't understand).
When we start making curriculums that are driven by niche interests and by what is considered "fun" or not, society suffers.
Not saying this to be confrontational, but I think what you described is exactly missing the point of the iPad's success. People don't want both, or if they do, they already have a laptop. People are perfectly happy with the iPad as a consuming device and the PC being a production device. The secret has been known for years that most people don't really produce anything with their $1000 PCs, so why spend $1000 to send an email and check your Facebook? Apple gets this, others don't.
And I think the "you can connect any device" is a bit out of reach, given Microsoft has a track record of poor device compatibility (still trying to get that sound card working?). How will they get around codec limitations, other than by forcing the Microsoft proprietary (and most likely awful) codec du jour?
I think it is clearly evident that people like app stores. Again, missing the point. I actually think that any convergence device from here on out that doesn't have some sort of built-in app store is doomed to fail. I think Android, for example, needs to clean up their marketplace, or face the fury of neophyte granny tablet user.
Had Vista stuck around and Win 7 not come to the rescue, people would still be saying that about Vista.
An even better idea--why not develop two distinctly different OSes like Apple...one for tablets/phones, and one for computers?
I might be as wrong as "No wireless, less space than a Nomad, lame" on this one, but I just don't see the allure of mixing the two paradigms into one OS.
I have two things:
1 - Given Microsoft's track record for abject failure in the innovation department, does anyone really believe any of this hype?
2 - Does anyone else think trying to be two things at once will just be one hot mess? Unlike Apple who does iOS very well, and OS X very well, this seems to be doomed to trying to be two things at once, while simply sucking at both. I think Apple dabbled with the concept with Lion but quickly realized that when I'm using a desktop, I want a desktop OS, not a 27" iPad.
I can only guess English is not your first language, or you are of the texting generation.
I suppose the awfulness of American Budweiser is lost on you, otherwise you would have modded my post +1 funny.
I suppose the fact that "Czechvar" and "Budéjovicky Budvar" on the can everywhere else in the world is lost on you? Budweiser appears on the cans in the EU only. But yeah, as a beer fan, and somebody who has been to the brewery, I'm fully aware that Budvar is the original "Budweiser".
Then again, as a fan of beer, I generally don't drink it out of a can (few exceptions being some craft brewers in America starting to ship in cans).
At least you guys have a clue...
Speaking of clues, here are a couple:
Steve Jobs is no longer in charge.
Apple no longer makes any hardware in "brushed" aluminum.
and many users of Intel based Macs won't update past 10.6.6 because 10.6.7/10.6.8 introduce some significant compatibility issues.
Like what?
MacOS hasn't existed since version 9. Yes, I think computers from the early 2000s can go suck an egg, to include my 1999 G4 that still runs, but I don't pretend to use it for daily computing, banking, and maintaining valid certs.
Lion only installs on top of Snow Leopard because it is an upgrade, not a stand alone release. Even the Apple Lion pages use "upgrade" all over the place. The price of $29 reflects that as well. http://www.apple.com/macosx/how-to-buy/
Yes, Microsoft is indeed upfront about setting clear expectations. That's why everyone on the planet knows ctrl+alt+delete.
AV software on a Mac...hahah, funny.
The reason it took them a week is because they are in the middle of their second update (10.7.2) of a new OS release. Is Windows in the middle of a service pack for Win7? Did Win 7 come out less than 6 weeks ago? Does Microsoft have thousands of developers NOT working on OS X.7.2 right now?
Laughable. Apple likes to make money, and selling support is one way to do that. Providing good support has gone a long way to build a loyal fan base and repeat customers as well.
AppleCare is one of the few computer company tech support divisions that actually makes money. Selling extended support after 1 year (not 2-3 years like you stated) is a money maker. Doing so also means having to support devices that are no longer sold. If you bought extended warranty for your xserve in January, you get support for 3 years after the last one was sold. Seems fair to me. Other companies lose money with support because they try to appease the random slashdot nerd still running his Pentium IV + Voodoo II card + Soundblaster card.
And if Apple didn't care about support, they'd offshore it to India, yet their support is headquartered in Austin, where they take the calls. Surely Austin is more expensive than Bangalore? So why do it there? Oh yeah, Apple doesn't care about support, so they'd rather use the better-yet-more-expensive Austin base of operations....riiiiight.
You don't get to be #1 in consumer satisfaction with customer support ratings for every year JD Powers has tracked it by not caring about support.
Apple sales people are not allowed to position statements like "we don't get those". There are carefully crafted positioning statements around everything in the Apple economy. Like it or not, it brings a consistency to the brand. I think the Apple retail market has been pretty successful--because the salesforce doesn't go around making rogue statements like you posit.
Granted, most people IN THE WORLD don't know what a root cert authority is, let alone the salesforce at an Apple store.
Actually, no. We claim that Macs are the best computers.
Budvar is not Budweiser. Budvar is good. Budweiser is the opposite of good.
My wife and I observed (when we lived in Harrogate) that people who drink to get drunk in England choose cider. We called them "cider kids". They wanted to get drunk but weren't grown up enough to appreciate beer.
A little perspective please. In comparison to awful Anheiser-Bush American Piss Water lagers, Stella is a fine lager. In comparison to the fine craft-beer American Ales made by a myriad of quality brewers, Stella is indeed ordinary.
"Premium Beer" might be a marketing term in Europe (I never saw it when I lived in England or Germany) but in the US it is code for "super-extra-piss-water". It is used by Anheiser Bush, Miller, Coors, et. al. to fool Bubbas into thinking they are drinking good beer, when they are just drinking relabeled piss water.
Given the choice of a Stella on draught in America, or any ordinary American beer (on draught or not), Stella is indeed premium.
If it's urgent, email me. I pay all my bills online and that seems to be the only use for mail these days anyway.
I've never understood how somebody can work only 20 years in an easy-ass job like the Post Office and expect to retire with the same standard of living on pension alone.
I barely understand it for military people, who have undoubtedly done far more difficult work than anyone in the Post Office. And while we are at it, how in the world can you retire from the Army (at 38), then retire again with double pensions from the Post Office (at 58), then gather social security at 65-ish? Man, I'm totally doing it wrong.
I can see how it your worldview might be slightly askew by your choice of vocabulary. Schoolhouses? Yeah, we had those...in 1850.
And yes, I have data to backup my claim that it is a myth that our administrative costs keep raising and are now dire:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/figures/figure-tot-2.asp
Notice the flat line for the cost of administration since 1989.
An administrator making $200K? Oh the horror! I know my city (pop. 1.5 million) has a Superintendent who makes $120K (which is just a bit more than I make--a tech educator), but she is in charge of over 90,000 students and 20,000 employees. The budget is nearly $1B. $120k seems a bit low, if you ask me, considering I am in charge of 5 people and have an annual budget in the thousands.