Distress call to ALL Mac using professionals
This is a distress call to help save the Mac at Northwest Missouri State University.
Most of the Macs in my university are isolated in the Multimedia Lab of the Mass Communication dept. in Wells Hall. The bulk of those are aging 233 G3's. We have a couple of G3 iMacs and 4 eMacs thrown in to the mix as well. The department is trying to replace them all with 17" 1.8 Ghz iMac G5's.
The problem is that the Provost and the Information Systems people are dead-set against Macs. The IS guyss don't like anything they don't have control of and can't walk in and out of at will and it would seem that the Provost simply personally dislikes them. Since the Provost has to sign off on the money, he's forced our dept to write up another proposal centered around Windows. The Windows proposal costs more and is 3 times as long as the Mac proposal due to all the extra bits of hardware and software we'd need! Now he's stalling and has requested a list of everything that's wrong with each Mac in the lab. (I suspect it's so he can justify his 'no' by holding up a list and saying "this is what goes wrong with Macs.")
The reason I'm posting a 'distress call' is that there's something that you Mac using professionals, especially in media/ multi-media can do to help! We have a thing here that's the brain-child of the University President called "Culture of Quality." Part of that is that complaint cards (called "culture cards" around here) go straight to the president's office. I've written 2 before and have received written responses from the president on both occasions, so I know he reads them.
If you guys and gals who know the value of the Mac and the value of learning the Mac would visit the comment card page on Northwests's website and write some brief comments on how important it is for mass-comm students to have access to quality Mac systems, it would go a long way towards saving the Mac at Northwest. It's all about the number of times it crosses the president's desk.
If you're kind enough to write some comments, just put "Wells Hall Multimedia Lab" in the section that asks what the comments are in reference to. Also, if you could perhaps point out what knowing the Mac has done for your careers, that would help too.
Thanks a bunch guys,
Guartho
Most of the Macs in my university are isolated in the Multimedia Lab of the Mass Communication dept. in Wells Hall. The bulk of those are aging 233 G3's. We have a couple of G3 iMacs and 4 eMacs thrown in to the mix as well. The department is trying to replace them all with 17" 1.8 Ghz iMac G5's.
The problem is that the Provost and the Information Systems people are dead-set against Macs. The IS guyss don't like anything they don't have control of and can't walk in and out of at will and it would seem that the Provost simply personally dislikes them. Since the Provost has to sign off on the money, he's forced our dept to write up another proposal centered around Windows. The Windows proposal costs more and is 3 times as long as the Mac proposal due to all the extra bits of hardware and software we'd need! Now he's stalling and has requested a list of everything that's wrong with each Mac in the lab. (I suspect it's so he can justify his 'no' by holding up a list and saying "this is what goes wrong with Macs.")
The reason I'm posting a 'distress call' is that there's something that you Mac using professionals, especially in media/ multi-media can do to help! We have a thing here that's the brain-child of the University President called "Culture of Quality." Part of that is that complaint cards (called "culture cards" around here) go straight to the president's office. I've written 2 before and have received written responses from the president on both occasions, so I know he reads them.
If you guys and gals who know the value of the Mac and the value of learning the Mac would visit the comment card page on Northwests's website and write some brief comments on how important it is for mass-comm students to have access to quality Mac systems, it would go a long way towards saving the Mac at Northwest. It's all about the number of times it crosses the president's desk.
If you're kind enough to write some comments, just put "Wells Hall Multimedia Lab" in the section that asks what the comments are in reference to. Also, if you could perhaps point out what knowing the Mac has done for your careers, that would help too.
Thanks a bunch guys,
Guartho
Comments
So there was an installed base of macs, and no one to deal with them. Somehow, they were still the most reliable machines on campus. The IT group hired this student next summer to get everything ironed out, and he put together an updating package, an image, etc. I don't think they paid him much, either.
The machines in the media lab have final cut on them, which is very cheap for what it does. Going PC's would cost you much more (2-3x), since you can't run FCP on them, and I bet Motion won't work on them either. Instead you have to use annoying, expensive crap that no one uses anymore. (or premiere, which blows).
Done. My post.
I heard Macs might be phased out in the lab. I sincerely hope this does not happen. While it is important to know Windows based computers the Macintosh is much stronger in multimedia and it would be a grave injustice for NMSU to "settle" for second best(Windows). Please fight to keep the lab current. Thank you. HM
Hope we can open some eyes. Sheesh some IT people act like IP comes in platform specific ways. If you can't maintain a Mac easily you don't know your trade.
Combining Apple?s industry-leading Final Cut Pro HD, DVD Studio Pro 3 and Motion, Production Suite offers the most comprehensive collection of professional graphics, video, audio and DVD authoring applications to deliver real-time interactivity on a desktop or notebook computer. With common user interface elements shared across all the applications, Production Suite provides a seamless, intuitive and integrated workflow for film and video production.
Full price without education discount USD 1299.
Upgrade price without education discount USD 699.
http://www.apple.com/productionsuite/
Shake 3.5 sells for USD 2999 on a Mac. It costs USD 4999 on Linux + USD 1499 / year for maintenance.
Logic.
http://www.apple.com/logic/
The design of Core Audio enables you to do wonders without investing in expensive hardware based solutions.
-------------------------
For the same set of features, the Macintosh is cheaper for multimedia and in my opinion, it is better.
You really need to compare a dual processor G5 based multimedia solution with an AVID workstation (http://www.avid.com). That will bring you to terms with reality. The Mac can accomplish the same for a fraction of the cost.
Don't try to compare a Mac based multimedia solution with a out-of-the box Windows PC. A PC is just not capable. Avid's solution is a combination of hardware and software.
edit: ...XGrid which allows easy cluster computing.
Point him at the Sophos website with its list of 900 new Windows vulnerabilities/virus/worm/trojan found last week... then point out the last OS X virus... oh wait... still none.
More than 90% of the world's magazines are produced on Macintosh.
More than 90% of the world's interactive CD-ROMs are authored on Macintosh (and then ported to Windows).
More than 80% of the world's recording studios run on Macintosh.
Apple provides robust solutions for creative professionals, including free software bundled with all machines that allows for movie and dvd creation at 'prosumer' quality.
Windows 'equivalents' are paid add-ons, second-tier quality or poorly integrated into professional workflow.
Macs have lower TCO than equivalent Windows machines over any time period you'd care to compare according to Gartner.
OS X has zero known virus/worm/trojan. No risk whatsoever.
Windows machines suffer from more than 70,000 known virus/worm/trojan (900 new threats per week).
Students expect stable, reliable machines that allow them to concentrate on the production process they will encounter in the real world. For the creative and media markets, that means training on Macintosh.
Not sure if it helps.
Originally posted by curiousuburb
He probably needs to justify a full time IT staff and is worried that an all Mac lab would require layoffs of MCSE-certified friends since TCO and maintenance on Macintosh equipment is much lower than Windows.
I thought of this too, but since the lab is currently Mac and they refuse to work on it (thank God) it wouldn't result in any loss of work for them. I can't imagine them wanting to create more work for themselves since they act like it's such an inconvenience to come fix the Wells Hall PC's when they go belly-up, yet they won't allow anyone else to even think about working on them.
Anyway, thanks for the replies and cards everyone. I'll let you know what happens. If you haven't sent one there's still time and thanks again.
Dear Sir,
I have read that the Wells Hall Multimedia Lab is due to have its computer systems upgraded.
Whilst some want to make use of Apple systems, your Provost and Information Systems personnel are against this idea.
As I understand it, those opposed are making their decisions based upon personal prejudice rather than a sound analysis of the facts. Perhaps you could ask if anyone from Information Systems or the Provost have actually used a modern Apple computer (< 1 year old) for any significant period of time (> 1 day). If not, how can they make an informed decision?
For the record, I have been both an Apple and Windows user for about 11 years. I own an Apple PowerBook G4 and have built my own PC running Windows 2000 professional. I consider myself a power user of both systems and am aware of the relative benefits of each platform.
As those opposed to using Apples in your multimedia lab are in charge of the purse-strings, I thought it important that you should be aware of the situation. I hope that you will read and carefully consider my points below.
The case for using Apple systems in a multimedia context is overwhelming:
1. The majority of class leading applications in the middle and top-tier of professional multimedia are either not available for Windows, or cost considerably more, as they are made by Apple. These include Final Cut Pro HD, Motion, DVD studio pro, Soundtrack, Logic Pro and Shake.
2. An Apple system provides an unparalleled workflow, with tight integration between different applications and between the software and hardware.
3. With an Apple solution, the hardware and majority of software will be purchased from the same manufacturer (Apple).
This has enormous after-sales benefits in terms of vendor support. You only have one company to call if something does go wrong. Imagine the situation if PCs are used: You buy your computers from e.g. HP, and your software from someone else.
If something goes wrong with DVD authoring, who do you call? HP or the software provider? What happens if you think it's the software, but the software vendor tells you it's the hardware, so you phone HP and they say it's the software?
4. The Apple system has both lower initial cost and lower running costs. Apple provide good education discounts and bundle discounts for buying all of their professional software in one package. Since the software is written just for one platform, Apple has been able to highly optimise it so that expensive additional hardware is not required for real-time effects. As there are NO known Viruses, Worms, Adware or Spyware for Mac OS X, support costs and system downtime are much lower.
5. The fact that most of your IT systems are based around Windows is not an important factor. Mac OS X contains built-in functionality that allows it to be easily used in a Windows dominated environment. These included SMB file sharing, VPN support and Active Directory support.
6. As a further-education establishment, you are preparing your students for the world of work. Any of your students who are hoping to enter the field of Multimedia will most likely need experience of using Apple systems, as Apple's market share in most multimedia industries is well above 80%.
Thank you for reading my comments. I hope that the right decision will be made.
Yours faithfully,
Harry Dymond MEng MIEE
Good luck, and let us know what happens.
Originally posted by curiousuburb
OS X has zero known ... trojan. No risk whatsoever.
Actually, this is not true. It is very easy to "write" a trojan for any given operating system. It is equally hard to write a useable operating system that is not susceptible.
A trojan is simply some software that purports to be useful, but is actually harmful. An example of a recent OS X trojan is a file that was distributed over peer-to-peer, and relied on the stupidity/ignorance of users to operate. It was called something like Word 2004 demo.app, and had a Microsoft Word icon. Actually, it was a simple script that deleted the user's home directory when double-clicked.
Obviously, that was very simplistic, but was a trojan nonetheless. It would be much harder to write a trojan that gained root access to the system without requesting a password.
Don't worry, I didn't write a letter because I am the kind to rant and I don't think it will help your cause. But I wish you the best of luck with your fight.
The other side of the coin is, if we get Windows machines, they fall under the control of Information "Services." Now if something goes wrong in the lab we'll have to call them. After about 3 days when they get to us on their list (Seriously, classrooms have no higher priority than a dorm-room pc). Someone will show up, pull the hard drive, drop in another one and leave. We've already experienced this to some degree when they had to (as in we're not allowed to) come change a lightbulb in our projector. This took at least 6 business days (admittedly, my memory could be flawed). Not to mention when we have program conflicts with software they've hardly even heard of like Avid Express, Adobe After Effects, etc. These are not programs these guys are going to be familiar with, but we'll have to wait for them to come over with their magic passwords before we can even think about correcting a problem.
Life is so much better when they just let Will the TV engineer fix it. I guess the long and the short is, I know exactly what you mean Ebby.
I got a letter from the President (Dean L. Hubbard) thanking me about the comments I sent. Saying that my comments will be taken into consideration.
Anyone else get this?
-taco
Originally posted by tacojohn
Just updating you guys.
I got a letter from the President (Dean L. Hubbard) thanking me about the comments I sent. Saying that my comments will be taken into consideration.
Anyone else get this?
-taco
Yeah, that's the standard acknowledgement. It is good in that it does mean that someone read it. I got mine from my own department chair. I found it funny since I talked to him before I wrote my comments.
Anyway, I'm glad that tacojohn mentioned this as I've been meaning to update the thread. At the moment the update is... no news is good news. Our provost retires at the end of this semester so we, (and a slew of other departments) are waiting him out. He has pulled a dirty trick or two, but we haven't got a "no, take this Windoze instead" yet. Apparantly he's holding every other departments number one priorities because of us. I guess he wants them to put pressure on us to cave or something.
So, thanks for your efforts everyone, we continue to exist in a limbo of varying G3's running 8.6-9.2, and 4 eMacs. With a part failing here and there, we're almost to the point where no two machines (with the exception of those eMacs) are the same.
don't feel bad for her, though. she'll just buy her own macs on her own dime going forward, and laugh as everyone in her department continues to waste time at departmental meetings by complaining about lost data due to the latest outlook virus or server problems. this university happens to have its head shoved firmly and irrevocably up its own butt, and richly deserves any of the headaches this decision engenders. this is the same university that, for last weekend's graduation where the governor came to address the assembly, posted an enormous banner on the outside of the arena, which read, i sh!t you not...
"welcome, govenor blanco"
I have it at my job, too. When I selected a Mac for my workstation, the IT guy said, bluntly, "I don't know Macs, I don't want to know Macs, and I'm not going to support it." And, ever since, I've had my Mac, and I've been my own IT support. I can tell you how long I'd be employed if I told my manager "I don't know ~insert software title here~, I don't want to know ~insert software title here~, and I'm not going to use it." About 10 seconds. And yet, these "professionals" get away with it time and time again.
It comes down to the complete ignorance of executives when it comes to technology. It seems this is the only area where executives dare not to micro-manage. If the IT guys say a Mac is over-priced crap, then it must be true!
They trust the IT priests to know their stuff.
My personal thanks go out to everyone who wrote on our behalf. I found out this morning that our department has been given a nice healthy budget to remake the lab as we see fit!
Well done!
Originally posted by Guartho
Announcing the new Wells Hall Multimedia lab... powered by the iMac G5!
My personal thanks go out to everyone who wrote on our behalf. I found out this morning that our department has been given a nice healthy budget to remake the lab as we see fit!
YES! We are victorious! WAAAAHOOOOOO!
Enjoy the new iMacs- I have one and they kick ass!
Please post some pics when it's set up.
Cheers,
Mac