Re: Should schools declare a platform?

T. Kent Thomas (kentt@prairie.lakes.com)
Thu, 2 Nov 1995 13:20:22 EST

Marilyn Logue <mlogue@freenet.columbus.oh.us> wrote:
> I'm on a district technology committee, and some leaders of our
>committee have talked about declaring a platform, either IBM or Macintosh
>in our technology plan. At present, our district has multiple platforms;
>some of us are Macintoshes and others are on IBM.
>
> Is it important for every school in a district to be buying the
>same brand of hardware. I have read both opinions. Some say that the
>hardware needs to be compatible for networking purposes, buying purposes,
>etc. I have heard the other side of the coin also. Some say that the
>students need to have experience with both platforms, so they can operate
>both when they get out into the real world.

1. Perhaps you should look at the number (and percentage) of the installed
base and how they're used. Macs for quite a while were used in the business
world largely for graphics and desktop publishing work. PCs are rapidly
encroaching on those areas. I'd suspect you'd add the number of Macs in
academia (at all levels) to these two corporate areas, you'd have just
accounted for 80% or so of the installed Mac base....
2. The "downside" of this is the availability of low cost/no cost software
for educational purposes is probably much greater with the Mac.
3. PCs dominate business, Macs dominate schools. Unless you're in graphics
or publishing, seldom would you need to know both systems....
4. What are you preparing your students for?

My two cents worth....

T. Kent Thomas kentt@prairie.lakes.com
Director, Creative Services
Clear With Computers (CWC)
__________________________________________________________
| "To imagine that the design process can be reduced to |
| a set of cookbook prescriptions is wishful thinking." |
| Wager & Gagne |
|_________________________________________________________|