Mark Rollins wrote:
> Weeell, not really. Look at the DOS -> Windows386 -> Win98 -> WinNT
> progression, and compare it to what Apple offered as an OS at the
> time. Students using the more advanced Mac OS in school were and are
> MORE PREPARED to use whatever MicroSloth copies from Apples OS when
> they get to the business world!
In theory? Maybe. In practice? I doubt it.
Sorry, but as someone that grew up using Apples right through the time that
you seem to be talking about, I can say that I certainly was NOT "more
prepared" to use what I would be using (Windows) pretty much everywhere in
college and the "real world."
And I just personally think that is even moreso the case now. I just don't
think that, say, a 14-year-old is better off learning on a Mac in school right
now than a Windows box. Simply because, much as people might not like it, I
think they are much more likely to be using a Windows box 4 years later when
they go to college than a Mac.
So, I'm not trying to flame here -- because I probably wish things would have
gone differently and I saw Macs all over the place still. But, it just isn't
the case in what I've seen. There are Windows boxes all over. I don't see
that having a kid learn on a Mac gets students "more prepared" for using
Windows in the "business world."
> Schools just can't support the MIS staff needed to effectively keep
> a PC network running as efficiently as a Mac network.
That's a different argument completely. I didn't say that they might not be
easier to maintain/configure for the school. But that certainly doesn't imply
better for the students. What about when they move onto a place that does
have the MIS staff and DOES keep their Windows boxes running fine? You think
those students will be better off going "I haven't really used these Windows
boxes much -- we did all of our stuff on Macs in school"? I just don't think
that most employers will see that and go "great! You learned on a Mac!
You'll be much 'better prepared' to use our Windows boxes than the other guy
that we hired that grew up using Windows!" :)
Again, I'm not arguing that Windows boxes are BETTER than Macs -- don't get me
wrong. And, heck, I'm not even arguing that schools shouldn't have Macs in
them. I'm just saying that I think the belief that using a Mac through a
youth's school years gets them "more prepared" for the "business world" is
just not fully correct.
- John...
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