Why dont schools switch to Macs yet

[Billie Jean]

I mean really, last year I saw most of my teachers comps crashing on spot and then they couldnt do anything. These people need some Macs.

and im not sure whether this should go in this forum im just new, if it doesnt tell me >_>

 

[Consultant]

Plenty of schools use them, others are clueless.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Well the cost is a huge factor for them. The cheapest mac they would use is an iMac at around $1200 a a piece. Compare that to a PC that covers their needs including monitor at about 600-700 a piece.
Both would have a life span of around 4 years.
On top of that Apple does not work as well in an enterprise environment as windows.

If basic maintenance is done by the IT department those crashing problems would not happen.

 

[aethelbert]

Apple's volume pricing and enterprise support systems are far behind those of manufacturers like IBM, Dell, and HP. Seems like I'm always reading about how public schools are underfunded; I wouldn't be one to think that increasing computer budgets for something so trivial is a good idea.

 

[R94N]

I get really annoyed with this. Here in the UK I think it's because state schools just don't have the money, but I reckon their repair costs would go right down if they switched, but never mind.

Most of the staff in my school have old XP craptops, except the music teacher who has a MacBook. The XP computers always break and in the IT suite always has at least one computer that's broken. They're awful. I wish they would all switch, but that would probably make the local council go bankrupt

A lot of art/design and music departments in schools use Macs, but I wish every department at school used them. School would be so much better....!

 

[Kebabselector]

The licence costs for schools in the UK are very very cheap.

Server 2003 £25
XP £1
Office £1

This was a couple of years ago, but it's probably the main reason why schools stick with Microsoft. Also, best get the pupils used to software they might actually see in the real world. As much as I love my Mac, businesses in the UK don't.

Bottom line is cheap is good for budgets.

 

[maflynn]

One of apple's keys to its early success was getting their computers into schools. Those kids turned into teenagers and adults who kept buying Macs.

It seems apple has forgotten that lesson and has been moving away from the education sector. The lack of support from the top, the pricing, the lack of software that is specific to education and children are all factors why its easier and cheaper for schools to opt for a pc over a mac.

I'd go out on a limb and say that apple is focusing less on computers at this point and more on their mobile products. Just look at the lengthing product cycle of the MacPro. updates are getting farther and farther, iMacs got a nice bump in October of 2009, so who knows if they'll get anything in 2010.

 

[northernmunky]

I mean really, last year I saw most of my teachers comps crashing on spot and then they couldnt do anything. These people need some Macs.

and im not sure whether this should go in this forum im just new, if it doesnt tell me >_>

I work for a school in London (I won't mention the name), and it broke my heart to see them teaching media with WindowsXP based computers with Premiere. They just crash all day long, and can't handle basic editing over a network (well they were never designed to do that in the first place). But they did have two seldom used iMacs dusting away in a corner that I personally pimped out with Final Cut, and got some students using iMovie.

We now have a Quad core MacPro with SL Server, and have 30 new iMacs on the way for the media suite..

BTW, my school that I went to was all Mac only, and this was 10 years ago. All PowerMacs and Mac Classics back then. The only PC's we had were solely for teaching IT and Business studies.

 

[Gator24765]

my school uses them

 

[mr.stinki]

The residents of our districts pay more taxes than those of neighboring districts, so we don't qualify for government funding. We use cheap dells. We have 1 Mac in the entire district, the Mac Pro in the video tech class (which I used briefly), but the rest of the districts around us (all government funded) have Macs. I don't see the logic in that.

 

[Cool Runnings]

The residents of our districts pay more taxes than those of neighboring districts, so we don't qualify for government funding. We use cheap dells. We have 1 Mac in the entire district, the Mac Pro in the video tech class (which I used briefly), but the rest of the districts around us (all government funded) have Macs. I don't see the logic in that.

Because Apple, at least in the past, have really good deals for schools so they pay nearly nothing for the computers. And if you count the minimal tech and support you need with apple vs PC/Windows and it's a lot cheaper to go mac.

Sure, dell, MS and all others have good deals for schools. But the nearly never beat apples discounts...

 

[Cabbit]

Always had Macs in Primary School and Highschool. Even had Acorns and BBC's , from what i hear they still do.

 

[maflynn]

but the rest of the districts around us (all government funded) have Macs. I don't see the logic in that.

Because those districts are not spending their own money and so can get anything they want, where as your district is using its own very limited funds so they have to go with the cheapest possible.

Apple has long abandoned the educational sector to the point that it doesn't compete price wise with Dell. Heck apple doesn't compete price wise with dell i anything. That's why you hear the term apple-tax bantered around, you pay more for Macs.

 

[boonlar]

$300 dual core desktops are more than enough for students. If they go and start buying $2000 macs that would be a huge waste of tax dollars.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

I mean really, last year I saw most of my teachers comps crashing on spot and then they couldnt do anything. These people need some Macs.

and im not sure whether this should go in this forum im just new, if it doesnt tell me >_>

My wife's school uses all macs.

 

[R94N]

School for me would be so much better with Macs instead of Windows XP. It'd make ICT a lot better.

and im not sure whether this should go in this forum im just new, if it doesnt tell me >_>

No, here is fine. If you're unsure, I would just dump your new thread in the main 'community discussion' area. Most stuff seems to be accepted.

 

[miles01110]

I mean really, last year I saw most of my teachers comps crashing on spot and then they couldnt do anything. These people need some Macs.

More like whoever is the systems administrator needs to do a better job maintaining the machines in place. There's nothing difficult about using a Windows machine with just the slightest effort.

 

[JoeG4]

There's various reasons - in my high school they had a Mac lab, with the cheapest g3 iMacs that Apple sold, but they ditched them when they started to die (IN WARRANTY) and Apple told them they'd have to take them to the nearest authorized service provider to get fixed..

Nice job, Apple.

 

[Nahaz]

There used to be a lot of Apple labs in Australian schools but I'm guessing there are a few reasons as to why you don't see them on a large scale anymore.

1. The schools can on a 2:1 ratio purchase more beige intel boxes compared to Apple for the same cost.

2. Schools mostly lease or buy from recommended contractors. Apple is so far down on the list.

3. In the state I live in (NSW) most schools are now networked and running a software package called "The Oasis System" This software and it's computers are supported by the Dept of Education & Training, and every office or staffroom I have come across runs only beige Intel boxes on this software.

4. Back when I was servicing computers in schools, the principal received a Black CD wallet containing Volume License versions of Windows, MS Office and any other software they used.

5. High School children in NSW are now being supplied Wintel Netbooks to take home from such companies as Lenova at very cheap cost.

There are other various reasons such as repair time and decent software for the education sector.

I remember my school used to be swarming in Apple II's and IIe's. I even got to do my first work experience at an authorised Apple reseller and repair shop. Both are long gone now.

 

[mlts22]

Maybe Apple needs to go "back to basics" and start examining the possibilities about getting machines back into classrooms. The advantage now is that with Boot Camp, or a VM program, Windows applications can be run.

I remember educational Mac deals way back when which made it actually worth it to take a college course for one hour for the discount for a machine. Now, it seems they might drop a little bit on the price, but it isn't that much compared to how inexpensive the PCs are, and in this economy, funding is a big concern.

To boot, Macs are a lot better as an educational environment than Windows. It is a lot harder for non-admin users to get nailed by a keylogger or other malware on a Mac than Windows.

Plus, for teaching the basics of UNIX (ls, mv, grep), OS X is great for that.

I do wish Apple would sort of return to its roots and start looking at Mac-ifying schools again.

 

[Tomorrow]

Many schools aren't going to just up and (1) get rid of 200 Windows machines that work, even if only half of them work, and (2) buy 200 new Macs to replace them.

 

[FX120]

Active directory.

 

[chrono1081]

My school never got them until I was a senior. Which IMO was inexcusable since I graduated in 2000. It really screwed those who didn't have computers at home and wanted to go into computer science.

 

[benflick]

In elementary school, we had Macs throughout the entire school. Five in each classroom, computer lab, and the teachers had iBook G4s.
Middle school we had eMacs and 12" iBook G4s.
Highschool we have HP desktops and HP laptops, but next year we will be getting 8 computer classes full of 24" iMacs, and 13" MacBooks, one for every student, and we have over 4,000 students...

 

[R94N]

In elementary school, we had Macs throughout the entire school. Five in each classroom, computer lab, and the teachers had iBook G4s.
Middle school we had eMacs and 12" iBook G4s.
Highschool we have HP desktops and HP laptops, but next year we will be getting 8 computer classes full of 24" iMacs, and 13" MacBooks, one for every student, and we have over 4,000 students...

I wish my school was like that.