I'd say you'd get pretty much the current iMac 17" dropping the standard wireless, using integrated graphics, and it'd be using the low-clocked 2MB cache Core 2 Duo E4200 (which costs MUCH less than todays Core Duos) and the remote (although the IR sensor may still be there) for US$899. The camera could still be there - it doesn't cost anything.
1.66GHz Core 2 Duo E4200
17" LCD Display
80GB HDD
Combo Drive
Cost Savings:
No ATI Graphics processor
No Video Memory
No bundled remote
No bluetooth/airport
Combo instead of superdrive
80GB hard disk instead of 160GB
Core 2 Duo E4200 instead of today's T2400
The price of the LCDs have come down so much that the current 17" and 20" iMac will be replaced by 20" and 24" displays , and 4MB cache Core 2 Duo processors will be used in the iMac to further differentiate the two.
Why not strip it down even further? If this is going to be educational only, it doesn't really need an optical drive built-in. Without them, it would eliminate the temptation for kids to listen to CDs. Then again, who even uses CDs anymore in the age of mp3 files and iPods? Just offer a USB DVD-ROM drive for software installation, assuming they didn't do some kind of net install for OS X and software. One drive could serve an entire computer lab or even an entire school. To reduce the need for big hard drives, the kids could either store their data on a centralized server in the school (Eserve variation of Xserve?) or be issued USB flash drives, which are pretty darn cheap nowadays. Most kids don't need more than a gig or two of space anyway, especially if you want them to concentrate on schoolwork instead of carrying around lots of personal music and video files. Basically, just make the eMacs thin clients since they're all going to be networked anyway. This would also eliminate competition with the Mini.
I hope they make the price as low as possible. If Apple fears for the Mac mini, it could restrict sales of the new eMac to institutions and students, as was done with the original eMac.
I've always liked the fact that there has always been a Mac designed just for schools. It seems right somehow. If education is still a key segment for Apple (and if Apple products are an expression of its 'values'), then there should be a proper replacement for the eMac. Something super-simple, in the classic Mac tradition, and cheap.
Here's hoping that they resist the urge to use ultra low-quality displays this time. The eMac's crummy CRT thoroughly earned its reputation, unfortunately.
Ok based on some of the stuff I read and the fact that I'm not in a rush anymore I'm gonna revise my predictions and make them more realistic.
*Note I added back wireless because the current emac has it*
eMac
Looks like a 17" imac but with a plastic aluminum coloured stand(the stand might be in kind of a tripod shape for better stability but take up the same amount of space as the current stand)
799
- 17" widescreen with some sort of screen protection
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 80GB 3.5" 7200rpm HD
- Combo Drive
- Wireless
- 3 USB Ports
- 2 Firewire Ports
999
- 17" widescreen with some sort of glass type protection
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 160GB 3.5" 7200rpm HD
- DL Super Drive
- Wireless
- 3 USB Ports
- 2 Firewire Ports
- possibly isight?
I think they'll be restricted to the education market at least to start to not canabalize their other machines.
But by the time I think these will drop (Aug-Sept I think) Mac Mini and iMac will become:
Mac Mini
599
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 60GB HD
- Combo Drive
799
- 1.83 core duo
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 80GB
- DL Super Drive
and
iMac
1299
- 17" Widescreen
- 2.00 core duo
- ATI 128mb Graphics
- 512mb RAM
- 160GB HD
- DL Super Drive
1699
- 20" Widescreen
- 2.16 core duo
- ATI 256mb Graphics(that's right, it's standard now)
- 512mb RAM(a gig if the 256mb vram isn't standard)
- 250GB
- DL Super Drive
I think that's what everything needs to stay competitive. I think eventually we'll see 20" iMac and 23" iMac HD but not until 2007. I see the speed bumps I listed happening in July-August when the Mac Pro debuts, so the rest of the product line doesn't look stale.
To reduce the need for big hard drives, the kids could either store their data on a centralized server in the school (Eserve variation of Xserve?) or be issued USB flash drives, which are pretty darn cheap nowadays.
THe usb idea is really a no go, the usb flash drives are too easy for kids to lose, espcially if they make goal posts out of their jackets in the playground. Centralized storage is the way to go but you do need a small internal, say if you have just finished a 20 page lab report and go to save it and the central data server is down for some reason, where about is it going to go.
At a minimum you would need 20 gig to allow for distrubuted applications and the OS. But this really is bare bones minimum.
I know people are taking me to task on the choice of a pent d for an eMac. My only question to them is, where can else you get a reasonably powerful dual core chip for a little more than $100? Heat could be an issue, but they were able to stuff a g5 in the iMac so it can be done. When core duos come down in price a year from now then the eMac can be made with them.
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
Common speculation is that Apple both wants to guarantee that all Intel Macs have specific chip features available so the compiler can assume certain scheduling and instruction availability, and that while Apple perfects their OS's anti-copying technology they don't want to release something that will run on the vast majority of Intel machines out there. I believe one of the differences between 10.4.2 and 10.4.3 for Intel (or maybe it was .3 to .4) was that the former would run on a Pentium 4 chipset and the latter would not.
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
Didn't Apple have all their product line built around the G3 for a while?
A lot of things in a computer cost next to nothing, but you need to strip out what isn't needed. I doubt a dual core is necessary here either. Going with a Pentium D may require a more expensive power supply and more expensive cooling options as well as additional noise. If you go Core Solo, you drop a little cost without having to use different sockets, possibly different chipset, use less power, require less cooling.
Common speculation is that Apple both wants to guarantee that all Intel Macs have specific chip features available so the compiler can assume certain scheduling and instruction availability, and that while Apple perfects their OS's anti-copying technology they don't want to release something that will run on the vast majority of Intel machines out there. I believe one of the differences between 10.4.2 and 10.4.3 for Intel (or maybe it was .3 to .4) was that the former would run on a Pentium 4 chipset and the latter would not.
Perhaps you are on to something. I wasn't aware of features in 10.4.3 that prevented it from running on a P4. If so that's a shame, a lost opportunity to take advantage some cheap pent ds to introduce (or resurrect) a new line of Macs.
Perhaps you are on to something. I wasn't aware of features in 10.4.3 that prevented it from running on a P4. If so that's a shame, a lost opportunity to take advantage some cheap pent ds to introduce (or resurrect) a new line of Macs.
Why? Pentium is yesteryears tech.
In six months all Macs will have Core processors. from Core Duo, Core2 Duo to Xeon.
Nothing to cry about. and especially not to be sentimental about a mist opportunity to fit an aging technology (Pentium) in a brand new Mac.
There is no advantage in cheap if Apple has to design and build another architecture for it.
It's cheaper to use what they already have: iMac with integrated graphics, small HD etc.
Quote:
Originally posted by backtomac
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
Didn't Apple have all their product line built around the G3 for a while?
First, I am a Macintosh technician for a large high school. We are currently finishing up our buying plans for the 06-07 school year. Schools typically end their financial year around June 30, and and their new one starts July 1st. What we will by needs to be released by June 1st or it may as well come out 7-8 months later. The summer months are the only time that computer labs can be swapped out and upgraded.
Right now my school is strugling greatly with our buying decision. Emacs are still being offered to us at around $720 for 1GB Ram and combo drives. (Don't quote me on this cost and config as I don't have my notes here)
The alternative is of course imacs... but the cost of those hover around $1,100 each. Please don't tell me that mac mini's are the answer... as their size makes them ideal for theft... and the mess of cables involved makes them much less desirable. You also have to consider the cost of monitors.. at least $80-100 for CRT's. Frankly, since we are handing the current machines down to our elementary schools... we would have to buy mice and keyboards as well... another $35-45 each.
So for us, our options are... $720 for a G4 emac that is nearly a year old already. $1,100 for an imac, or $600 mac mini PLUS $80 monitor for an easily stealable mac mini. Not great options.
I need to replace 100 imac G3's, 28 400mhz G4 towers, and 28 433 Mhz G4 towers. So 160 computers total.
160 x $720 emac is $115,200
160 x $1,100 imac is $176,000
160 x $600 mac mini is $96,000 plus $80 monitor = $108,800
Quite a difference when you look at the bottom line.
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers. Rarely are they used for burning music cd's.
Since they do use imovie a lot, you ideally need largish hard drives... at LEAST 80gb if not 160GB. Yes our students use network storage... but you can't use network storage for working on movies.. not until a 1GB to desktop and 10GB backbone is the norm. (We're a 100MB switched school)
Is bluetooth needed? No. But I could see in the future the advantage of having things like bluetooth presentation remotes, or bluetooth science probes. Less wires means less problems.
Is wifi needed? No. If the cost of adding wifi to a computer cost the end buyer less than say $10 I would be willing to pay for the flexibility.. but otherwise i don't mind adding it later.
isight? No... but of the new 'Apple standard fun stuff' that are now included in every model.. I would choose this one. Our imovie using and digital photography students would make great use of these camera. They also make great across the school or across the globe web conferencing.
RAM? At least 1GB should be standard. That's what really is needed. And don't rip me off my including 2 512MB sticks... Give me 1 chip so I can add another one later.
Cost? Well our Windows PC's come in around $750.. maybe a little less with CRT 17" monitor. They will have the same core duo chip and 512MB of ram.
Sellling a $1,100 imac vs a $750 HP computer to our school board is very, very difficult. The school board approves all expenditures.
Yes, the macs CAN run Windows Xp... and they are more secure and frankly usually better built... but you can see why we would have a problem asking for computers that cost over $300 more than HP's.
Apple... please help us continue to buy macs and keep them in our schools! It is getting harder to do this every year.
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers. Rarely are they used for burning music cd's.
RAM? At least 1GB should be standard. That's what really is needed. And don't rip me off my including 2 512MB sticks... Give me 1 chip so I can add another one later.
It could be a portable DVD burner moved between computers as needed. I see no need to have every machine in a lab with a DVD burner and save a lot on optical drives. I don't even write DVDs much, for my computers, I am willing to move to a different computer if I need to write one.
For RAM, you need it to be in matched pairs for the Mac mini to operate in dual channel mode. A mismatch will slow the thing down.
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers.
As much as many people have criticized the rise of PowerPoint in schools as useless flash in the pan that teaches students how to think only superficially and in bullet points, making movies for every little project seems like one step closer still toward absurdity, teaching them that fast cuts and flashy transitions trump everything. $20 1GB pen drives can move documents to home computers just as easily and perhaps more economically, assuming you're not using multisession burns or CD-RW. Why waste a CD blank every time you need to take a 200kB Word or Excel file home? Students wouldn't be irresponsible with their pen drives if their parents had to cough up $20 every time they lost one.
It could be a portable DVD burner moved between computers as needed. I see no need to have every machine in a lab with a DVD burner and save a lot on optical drives. I don't even write DVDs much, for my computers, I am willing to move to a different computer if I need to write one.
For RAM, you need it to be in matched pairs for the Mac mini to operate in dual channel mode. A mismatch will slow the thing down.
I know a portable burner sounds good in theory, but when you are in a lab full of teenagers you quickly realize it doesn't work that way.
Teachers need to have the class all moving at the same time.. and holding up a new lesson plan to burn movies doesn't really work. I hear your argument as I would have made the same one... but it just doesn't work in the classrom environment.
As for RAM, I know about RAM pairing... but the speed differencial isn't all that substantial in my testing.
As much as many people have criticized the rise of PowerPoint in schools as useless flash in the pan that teaches students how to think only superficially and in bullet points, making movies for every little project seems like one step closer still toward absurdity, teaching them that fast cuts and flashy transitions trump everything. $20 1GB pen drives can move documents to home computers just as easily and perhaps more economically, assuming you're not using multisession burns or CD-RW. Why waste a CD blank every time you need to take a 200kB Word or Excel file home? Students wouldn't be irresponsible with their pen drives if their parents had to cough up $20 every time they lost one.
I also felt that way about PowerPoint, and imovies. But.. think of it in another way. When you have a small group.. or individuals working on a project they will always remember the material much better. They also tend to remember other student's presentations on a subject better than an instructors lecture.
I agree USB drives are far better... but many of our students don't have high powered machines at home. Some have computers that don't even have usb ports! It's easy to provide a cd blank to a student on a as needed basis... but I can't hand out USB drives.
OK, here's a thought. Take the screen off the 15" Mac Book Pro, and make a 15" iMac like design (maybe a little thicker) with a tough plastic case and good screen protection. Throw in about 10-15 lbs deadweight for theft protection and ... hmm ... might have something there. Only problem I'm having is that I can't picture this not being really ugly.
No, I picture an iMac in its current form. 17-inch display. Intel Core Solo at 1.83GHz, Integrated graphics, 80 or 160GB hard drive, combo drive. 512 MB RAM. $899.
Comments
1.66GHz Core 2 Duo E4200
17" LCD Display
80GB HDD
Combo Drive
Cost Savings:
No ATI Graphics processor
No Video Memory
No bundled remote
No bluetooth/airport
Combo instead of superdrive
80GB hard disk instead of 160GB
Core 2 Duo E4200 instead of today's T2400
The price of the LCDs have come down so much that the current 17" and 20" iMac will be replaced by 20" and 24" displays , and 4MB cache Core 2 Duo processors will be used in the iMac to further differentiate the two.
unless mac mini goes back to $499,$599
or
Mac Mini is replaced with iMac Mini
$999, $1099 looks better price points with discounts for Edu market
I've always liked the fact that there has always been a Mac designed just for schools. It seems right somehow. If education is still a key segment for Apple (and if Apple products are an expression of its 'values'), then there should be a proper replacement for the eMac. Something super-simple, in the classic Mac tradition, and cheap.
Here's hoping that they resist the urge to use ultra low-quality displays this time. The eMac's crummy CRT thoroughly earned its reputation, unfortunately.
*Note I added back wireless because the current emac has it*
eMac
Looks like a 17" imac but with a plastic aluminum coloured stand(the stand might be in kind of a tripod shape for better stability but take up the same amount of space as the current stand)
799
- 17" widescreen with some sort of screen protection
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 80GB 3.5" 7200rpm HD
- Combo Drive
- Wireless
- 3 USB Ports
- 2 Firewire Ports
999
- 17" widescreen with some sort of glass type protection
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 160GB 3.5" 7200rpm HD
- DL Super Drive
- Wireless
- 3 USB Ports
- 2 Firewire Ports
- possibly isight?
I think they'll be restricted to the education market at least to start to not canabalize their other machines.
But by the time I think these will drop (Aug-Sept I think) Mac Mini and iMac will become:
Mac Mini
599
- 1.66 core duo (the new cheaper version)
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 60GB HD
- Combo Drive
799
- 1.83 core duo
- Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
- 2x 256mb RAM
- 80GB
- DL Super Drive
and
iMac
1299
- 17" Widescreen
- 2.00 core duo
- ATI 128mb Graphics
- 512mb RAM
- 160GB HD
- DL Super Drive
1699
- 20" Widescreen
- 2.16 core duo
- ATI 256mb Graphics(that's right, it's standard now)
- 512mb RAM(a gig if the 256mb vram isn't standard)
- 250GB
- DL Super Drive
I think that's what everything needs to stay competitive. I think eventually we'll see 20" iMac and 23" iMac HD but not until 2007. I see the speed bumps I listed happening in July-August when the Mac Pro debuts, so the rest of the product line doesn't look stale.
Originally posted by Kolchak
To reduce the need for big hard drives, the kids could either store their data on a centralized server in the school (Eserve variation of Xserve?) or be issued USB flash drives, which are pretty darn cheap nowadays.
THe usb idea is really a no go, the usb flash drives are too easy for kids to lose, espcially if they make goal posts out of their jackets in the playground. Centralized storage is the way to go but you do need a small internal, say if you have just finished a 20 page lab report and go to save it and the central data server is down for some reason, where about is it going to go.
At a minimum you would need 20 gig to allow for distrubuted applications and the OS. But this really is bare bones minimum.
Combo drive at best, but more likely CD drive or no optical drive at all (as with previous education Macs)
80GB hard drive minimum, Core Duo minimum (legacy school applications will be running in Rosetta)
Camera cost is negligible (less than wireless), so I would expect it would be included, but easily disabled in software.
I do think Airport Extreme will still be built-in, but I agree Bluetooth won't.
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
Originally posted by backtomac
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
Common speculation is that Apple both wants to guarantee that all Intel Macs have specific chip features available so the compiler can assume certain scheduling and instruction availability, and that while Apple perfects their OS's anti-copying technology they don't want to release something that will run on the vast majority of Intel machines out there. I believe one of the differences between 10.4.2 and 10.4.3 for Intel (or maybe it was .3 to .4) was that the former would run on a Pentium 4 chipset and the latter would not.
Originally posted by backtomac
IMO, Apple is unnecessarily restricting themselves with only core duos. Intel make many chips at many price points. Why not take advantage of this instead of trying to build several different Mac models for different users (with different needs) around ONE chip? Does that make sense?
Didn't Apple have all their product line built around the G3 for a while?
A lot of things in a computer cost next to nothing, but you need to strip out what isn't needed. I doubt a dual core is necessary here either. Going with a Pentium D may require a more expensive power supply and more expensive cooling options as well as additional noise. If you go Core Solo, you drop a little cost without having to use different sockets, possibly different chipset, use less power, require less cooling.
Originally posted by JeffDM
Didn't Apple have all their product line built around the G3 for a while?
Is that smart?
Originally posted by Booga
Common speculation is that Apple both wants to guarantee that all Intel Macs have specific chip features available so the compiler can assume certain scheduling and instruction availability, and that while Apple perfects their OS's anti-copying technology they don't want to release something that will run on the vast majority of Intel machines out there. I believe one of the differences between 10.4.2 and 10.4.3 for Intel (or maybe it was .3 to .4) was that the former would run on a Pentium 4 chipset and the latter would not.
Perhaps you are on to something. I wasn't aware of features in 10.4.3 that prevented it from running on a P4. If so that's a shame, a lost opportunity to take advantage some cheap pent ds to introduce (or resurrect) a new line of Macs.
Originally posted by backtomac
Perhaps you are on to something. I wasn't aware of features in 10.4.3 that prevented it from running on a P4. If so that's a shame, a lost opportunity to take advantage some cheap pent ds to introduce (or resurrect) a new line of Macs.
Why? Pentium is yesteryears tech.
In six months all Macs will have Core processors. from Core Duo, Core2 Duo to Xeon.
Nothing to cry about. and especially not to be sentimental about a mist opportunity to fit an aging technology (Pentium) in a brand new Mac.
There is no advantage in cheap if Apple has to design and build another architecture for it.
It's cheaper to use what they already have: iMac with integrated graphics, small HD etc.
Originally posted by backtomac
Originally posted by JeffDM
Didn't Apple have all their product line built around the G3 for a while?
Is that smart?
Yes,
it was smart:
Apple was the fastest of the class of 1998/1999.
It went wrong when they switched to the G4.
First, I am a Macintosh technician for a large high school. We are currently finishing up our buying plans for the 06-07 school year. Schools typically end their financial year around June 30, and and their new one starts July 1st. What we will by needs to be released by June 1st or it may as well come out 7-8 months later. The summer months are the only time that computer labs can be swapped out and upgraded.
Right now my school is strugling greatly with our buying decision. Emacs are still being offered to us at around $720 for 1GB Ram and combo drives. (Don't quote me on this cost and config as I don't have my notes here)
The alternative is of course imacs... but the cost of those hover around $1,100 each. Please don't tell me that mac mini's are the answer... as their size makes them ideal for theft... and the mess of cables involved makes them much less desirable. You also have to consider the cost of monitors.. at least $80-100 for CRT's. Frankly, since we are handing the current machines down to our elementary schools... we would have to buy mice and keyboards as well... another $35-45 each.
So for us, our options are... $720 for a G4 emac that is nearly a year old already. $1,100 for an imac, or $600 mac mini PLUS $80 monitor for an easily stealable mac mini. Not great options.
I need to replace 100 imac G3's, 28 400mhz G4 towers, and 28 433 Mhz G4 towers. So 160 computers total.
160 x $720 emac is $115,200
160 x $1,100 imac is $176,000
160 x $600 mac mini is $96,000 plus $80 monitor = $108,800
Quite a difference when you look at the bottom line.
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers. Rarely are they used for burning music cd's.
Since they do use imovie a lot, you ideally need largish hard drives... at LEAST 80gb if not 160GB. Yes our students use network storage... but you can't use network storage for working on movies.. not until a 1GB to desktop and 10GB backbone is the norm. (We're a 100MB switched school)
Is bluetooth needed? No. But I could see in the future the advantage of having things like bluetooth presentation remotes, or bluetooth science probes. Less wires means less problems.
Is wifi needed? No. If the cost of adding wifi to a computer cost the end buyer less than say $10 I would be willing to pay for the flexibility.. but otherwise i don't mind adding it later.
isight? No... but of the new 'Apple standard fun stuff' that are now included in every model.. I would choose this one. Our imovie using and digital photography students would make great use of these camera. They also make great across the school or across the globe web conferencing.
RAM? At least 1GB should be standard. That's what really is needed. And don't rip me off my including 2 512MB sticks... Give me 1 chip so I can add another one later.
Cost? Well our Windows PC's come in around $750.. maybe a little less with CRT 17" monitor. They will have the same core duo chip and 512MB of ram.
Sellling a $1,100 imac vs a $750 HP computer to our school board is very, very difficult. The school board approves all expenditures.
Yes, the macs CAN run Windows Xp... and they are more secure and frankly usually better built... but you can see why we would have a problem asking for computers that cost over $300 more than HP's.
Apple... please help us continue to buy macs and keep them in our schools! It is getting harder to do this every year.
Ok, I'll get off my soap box now.
Originally posted by npynenberg
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers. Rarely are they used for burning music cd's.
RAM? At least 1GB should be standard. That's what really is needed. And don't rip me off my including 2 512MB sticks... Give me 1 chip so I can add another one later.
It could be a portable DVD burner moved between computers as needed. I see no need to have every machine in a lab with a DVD burner and save a lot on optical drives. I don't even write DVDs much, for my computers, I am willing to move to a different computer if I need to write one.
For RAM, you need it to be in matched pairs for the Mac mini to operate in dual channel mode. A mismatch will slow the thing down.
Originally posted by npynenberg
Our educational environment really requires at least combo drives... and frankly DVD burners are not out of line. Our teachers and students really do a lot of imovies.. it is rapidly replacing Power Point. CD burners are used for saving documents for both backup and transfer to home computers.
As much as many people have criticized the rise of PowerPoint in schools as useless flash in the pan that teaches students how to think only superficially and in bullet points, making movies for every little project seems like one step closer still toward absurdity, teaching them that fast cuts and flashy transitions trump everything. $20 1GB pen drives can move documents to home computers just as easily and perhaps more economically, assuming you're not using multisession burns or CD-RW. Why waste a CD blank every time you need to take a 200kB Word or Excel file home? Students wouldn't be irresponsible with their pen drives if their parents had to cough up $20 every time they lost one.
Originally posted by JeffDM
It could be a portable DVD burner moved between computers as needed. I see no need to have every machine in a lab with a DVD burner and save a lot on optical drives. I don't even write DVDs much, for my computers, I am willing to move to a different computer if I need to write one.
For RAM, you need it to be in matched pairs for the Mac mini to operate in dual channel mode. A mismatch will slow the thing down.
I know a portable burner sounds good in theory, but when you are in a lab full of teenagers you quickly realize it doesn't work that way.
Teachers need to have the class all moving at the same time.. and holding up a new lesson plan to burn movies doesn't really work. I hear your argument as I would have made the same one... but it just doesn't work in the classrom environment.
As for RAM, I know about RAM pairing... but the speed differencial isn't all that substantial in my testing.
Originally posted by Kolchak
As much as many people have criticized the rise of PowerPoint in schools as useless flash in the pan that teaches students how to think only superficially and in bullet points, making movies for every little project seems like one step closer still toward absurdity, teaching them that fast cuts and flashy transitions trump everything. $20 1GB pen drives can move documents to home computers just as easily and perhaps more economically, assuming you're not using multisession burns or CD-RW. Why waste a CD blank every time you need to take a 200kB Word or Excel file home? Students wouldn't be irresponsible with their pen drives if their parents had to cough up $20 every time they lost one.
I also felt that way about PowerPoint, and imovies. But.. think of it in another way. When you have a small group.. or individuals working on a project they will always remember the material much better. They also tend to remember other student's presentations on a subject better than an instructors lecture.
I agree USB drives are far better... but many of our students don't have high powered machines at home. Some have computers that don't even have usb ports! It's easy to provide a cd blank to a student on a as needed basis... but I can't hand out USB drives.
We have to provide alternatives to these kids.
That said, I hear your arguments.