🚀 go-pugleaf

>In response to Tom Brestel's comments on the use of the Mac vs the
>IBM/clones for teaching, I have to say that the Mac is far easier to use
>than the IBM types. I've used both types both at my high school and at
>the Univ of Colo since their introductions and the STUDENT response (the
>most important factor here - not the teacher's) is overwhelming for the
>Mac.  A couple of points of fact - 1. CU's physiology lab dropped using
>all their IBM's in the labs because it was taking about 2 weeks to get
>the students comfortable with the computers before even starting on the
>meat of the course.  With the Macs it takes 2 or 3 days to get to the
>same point.    2. the open computer lab at the CU library held
>about 30 IBM's and 60 Mac's;  only 1 or 2 IBM's were used while students
>had to take a number and wait for a Mac.  When polled, the student
>response was simply that the Mac's were easier to use.  They've now moved
>out most of the IBMs and put in more Macs.
>One argument that I hear often is that there's so much more IBM
>software.  I agree that there is, but most of it is simply redundant and
>the games are part of that count.  There may be 100 word processors for
>the IBM and only 25 for the Mac, but most people I know only use one, and
>the best one for each machine is almost identical.
>
>The bottom line is simply to find the software and then the hardware to
>do the most effective job - in this case teach non-computer stuff by
>using a computer - and the Mac does a better job.  The IBM certainly has
>many advantages for some things, ease of programming for one, but, just
>as there is no "one best car" there is no "one best computer."  Sometimes
>you need the ol' pickup and sometimes you need sedan.  My science wing at
>BHS is home to 50 Mac's, 5 IBMs, and even 5 or 6 old Apple II's.  They
>All get used.  And even many of the Mac's run SoftPC to emmulate an IBM
>at any time, and 20 of the machines have Apple IIe cards to run all of
>that educational Apple software too.  3 machines in 1 !!  Do that on your
>IBM Tom.
>
>(PS I personally own 2 Macs and 2 IBMs, they all get used often but in
>different ways)
>
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>Bob Carlisle                                            *
>Physics/Astronomy/Computer Technology                *       *
>Boulder High School
>Boulder, Colorado 80302                                 ***
>ph: (303) 442-2430                                      *
>email: bcarlisl@bvsd.k12.co.us                        *     *
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Same here: all the science classes use macs: sensornet, cricket graph,
claris works, and netscape for WWW work. We also use interactive physics
and voyager for astronomy. Even the religion teacher at our school uses the
mac and voyager to put together historical star observations. Fast, easy,
user friendly. We cannot afford the time to learn the old testament IBM.
Much better.
aloha
Bill
------------------------
Bill Wiecking
Honolulu Hawaii
Bill@ahi.pbrc.hawaii.edu
Pacific Biomedical Research Center
Bekesy Lab of Neurobiology
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