Why do Schools use MACS?

[mr.skyrim_pc]

I'm actually not sure what the specs are for the smaller imac, but the larger of the two has a quality display that'd cost a lot if you get something that isn't one of those cheap Korean monitors. :V

I just know its ips, 1080p, and 21.5 inches.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

I'm actually not sure what the specs are for the smaller imac, but the larger of the two has a quality display that'd cost a lot if you get something that isn't one of those cheap Korean monitors. :V

Im guessing its not that fast though.

[Charger]

my last 2 schools used windows based PCs every where but in art and video labs

[peters.11]

Hi, my school uses pc's but the only thing that holds them together is dust. if schools knew what a good pc was, the world would be a better place 

[Nathanv31]

In both primary and high school I've been forced to use macs. What saddens me more is that the other kids in my class would get excited when we were using them it's just my opinion though, I just hate using osx

[peters.11]

same, even though I have a mac,  I had a really nice vaio and it died, the only half decent machine that I could exchange it for is a mac and I cant wait to get rid of it. schools normally pick whats cheap or they ask parents to buy a computer for the child. We should be able to choose what we play games on during boring science lessons.

[marioo1182]

Apple designs they're computers for education and to get real work done.

Students actually improve their learning with macs raising their grades.

 

When I was in elementary we got to take a mac home everyday. My grade went from a C to a B+.

Incredible difference in how much it made to my education and others.

[AMD Lover]

Main reason is that there is less maintenance on a Mac. Install them and leave them

[peters.11]

It honestly depends on what you can be more productive on and what you're used to. Personally PC's RULE and I can do anything and everything on them. Ans in my experience, you are correct, Schols just want an ancient piece of computing that will just suit what 'the average student' needs 

[macpro622776]

If 99% of the people who have contributed so far actually used a Mac for a considerable amount of time performing a wide variety of functions on the machines, then they would understand the view that the people who are for Macs have written about.

 

One thing to point out after seeing one post of someone (out of not very many in this forum) who has an idea of Windows server systems is that Apple have their equivalent of the Active Directory in Mac OS X Server (see, if you don't know anything about this, then you should stop posting on this) called Open Directory. Machines are joined to this directory very quickly and easily. (In addition, if the school or office used a combination of Mac and Windows systems, Macs can join the Active Directory natively as if it was another Windows machine). OS X Server also has many extra features in terms of collaboration, file, user and other management and server applications.

 

Schools and offices will typically buy a fleet of branded machines to simplify fleet management. If anyone has had any experience in dealing with this sort of thing then you wouldn't be talking either. The reason for this is simplifying maintenance and software changes. They will only buy Workstation/Corporate grade machines which are more expensive yet more durable. Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP are examples of these brands. They also offer much better support and warranty than consumer grade machines. This is why they do not build computers themselves; not only is it a waste of time but in the long-term they will be disadvantaged. These brands also offer fleet management software so they can easily track and find errors with the machines. People who are posting links to PCPartPicker etc. cannot win this argument because you are comparing computers from two different grades for two+ different uses, even if you pick workstation grade parts.

 

By having a simplified, standardised and consolidated fleet, maintenance is far easier. You only need one (or just a few depending on the infrastructure) image to deploy across all of the computers via the network, only a small variety of replacement parts. If a machine breaks down, a simple swap will fix the issue and students/employees wouldn't even notice.

 

In terms of speed, Macs can be just as fast as Windows machines. You cannot simply compare spec for spec as the software that runs on them is different. OS X typically, from my own personal experience and comments from others, far smoother than Windows, especially as it ages. Again if you used one for an extended period of time then you would be able to see this.

 

The only reason why people find Macs hard to use is because they are Windows/other OS users. They are not willing to learn the system thoroughly because they are simply saying to themselves the whole time, "this is hard/crap to use". If people were more open to change and adaption then they would find that it is actually easier to use, especially for people who may be more computer literate than others. I know most people on this forum will fall into this category, but not the 80% rest of the world.

 

The opinions here are very biased and do not understand the whole concept of managing a fleet of computer systems. Apple have created a model which suits IT managers managing a fleet of computers that works very well, better than many other brands that do the same thing. Apple also offer educational pricing on top of additional benefits. Other brands do also do that but have found to not have as many benefits as Apple does.

 

Too many posts here are purely judgmental and do not reflect the reality and truth that needs to be made clear.

[ILunde]

At the school where i work, its given to music students. all other students gets Win7 machines.

[ViruZ_HUN]

I Hade mecs...

[qwertywarrior]

its idiot proof thats why

[peters.11]

I see your point, but the general gist of macs is that they are 'creative orientated'  but when it comes to writing a simple document or using the worst mac program ever created, numbers, to create a graph they are useless compared to PC's. Schools just want to provide a simple option that most students can use. The cost of macs can also be a complete joke, (yes i know that they don't need virus protection) but if you are the student who has been asked to buy a mac for school the cost can be upwards of $2500, and for a computer that is not orientated towards creating simple documents, that price is beyond crazy. I go to a school which uses macs, PC's and IPad's, and the general view is that the macs are just not made for schools and IPad's are better charging than being actually used. The PC's are versatile, easy to use, and accept a usb when you need to save a document. Apple tried to design a mac that would be perfect in a school environment but the environment that they were imagining had no students in it, not every student has a mac, as soon as you get home, if you even try to open a pages document on a PC it changes everything you've done to the document and it looks completely different. schools should base what computers they use by what the majority of the students use.

[Ghoti_Fingers]

At my school starting next year they are bringing in Macs, although all students must buy their own.

 

As others have said, the idea that they don't need much maintenance is pretty accurate for UNIBODY MBPs and MBAs. The old MacBooks made of plastic are awfully built. 

 

I have had a MBP for 3 years now. I hate it through and through, but its lasted. I use it around 12 hours every day and I have had a few bicycle crashes with it in my bag. The only damage it has sustained is one of the rubber feet fell out so I taped it back on. Also the hinge on the left side is a little loose. There are some strange bumps on underside around where the HDD is though...

 

Anyway. They last, build quality is incredible.  I guess I can see that as an advantage for a school.

 

In 3 years it hasn't needed any maintenance or replacement parts.

[peters.11]

Lenovo, Toshiba and Panasonic. All of these brands make 'tough oriented PC's

[macpro622776]

I see your point, but the general gist of macs is that they are 'creative orientated'  but when it comes to writing a simple document or using the worst mac program ever created, numbers, to create a graph they are useless compared to PC's. Schools just want to provide a simple option that most students can use. The cost of macs can also be a complete joke, (yes i know that they don't need virus protection) but if you are the student who has been asked to buy a mac for school the cost can be upwards of $2500, and for a computer that is not orientated towards creating simple documents, that price is beyond crazy. I go to a school which uses macs, PC's and IPad's, and the general view is that the macs are just not made for schools and IPad's are better charging than being actually used. The PC's are versatile, easy to use, and accept a usb when you need to save a document. Apple tried to design a mac that would be perfect in a school environment but the environment that they were imagining had no students in it, not every student has a mac, as soon as you get home, if you even try to open a pages document on a PC it changes everything you've done to the document and it looks completely different. schools should base what computers they use by what the majority of the students use.

 

This is why many schools and offices actually deploy Microsoft Office across their Mac fleets so it is easier to deal with compatibility issues. I agree with the iPad comment in terms of its use in schools, however Macs can be used just like any other machine. Most programs that are used within schools will have versions for both OS X and Windows. The cost of Macs within schools is discounted by educational pricing, and I believe if you bulk buy, you get a further discount plus other benefits on top of that. If students are asked to buy Macs then that is different. I don't know what the education system is like in regards to BYOD outside of Australia but here, if schools use Mac networks, they will usually provide them to the students who will then return them once they finish school.

 

Lenovo, Toshiba and Panasonic. All of these brands make 'tough oriented PC's

 

Lenovo does in terms of fleets, however not Toshiba and Panasonic. You cannot think about a machine alone, you need to think on a wider scale (i.e. the entire fleet) and in the long term as schools and offices cannot afford to replace tens, maybe hundreds of computers regularly.

[ShadowCaptain]

Here you go

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

 

Dude it was just an example build trying to match spec for spec what the mac had, plus I went for very high quality components not the cheapest since apple components are generally extremely high quality. Also I felt that the monitor I chose was closer to the fantastic LG IPS panel that apple use.

 

You still have to take into account the mac coming with a high quality wireless keyboard and mouse, as well as extra software such as iMovie, iPhoto, Garageband (which are all really great) as well as Pages Numbers Keynote etc, I know a lot of schools are using iPads so having these programs will be of great use. Obviously they can still install microsoft office etc on there so no problems with compatibility.

 

Anyway the point I was making is its not like they are TWICE the price, they are maybe 100/200 bucks more spec for spec. Considering that schools often get educational discount that is better than the usual price you get from store, they often get great deals on warranty etc. 

 

They would also never use consumer grade parts, they wouldnt self build a PC, even if they went custom they would pay labour charges for somebody to build and warranty them.

 

It is not as expensive as people make out in the long run. 

 

Anyway, none of this is helpful to the OP

 

Basically, with educational discount and support, the wealth of software that comes included with OSX, the build quality, reliability and warranty that come with the macs are great. They are very easy to set up and integrate, they are compatible with all the software educational establishments need and often last a long time, they are a great financial investment

[peters.11]

I attend school in Aus, and from my point of view the school population is too PC oriented to start using macs at school

[macpro622776]

I attend school in Aus, and from my point of view the school population is too PC oriented to start using macs at school

 

To switch from a PC school to a Mac school is a very difficult task that many schools would not do at all. Same applies in the reverse. Not only is it a user problem but it is also a software issue. That's not the point though.

[peters.11]

when it comes to laptops and desktops the majority of the world population uses PC's

when it comesto web clients the majority of the world population uses Windows Oses's

Microsoft still dominates the world with their programs and judging by the current statistics it is better to learn how to use a PC while at school. Even if you dont use PC's or computers in your profession you will still retain a vital piece of information. We don't know where apple will be in the future, it is a safer bet to learn and create on a PC.

[Maxibonbits]

They shouldn't, price : performance is terrible and that is huge when it is with a schools budget. I guess you could use the argument they have easy to use apps for students to learn and use?

Taking into account possible education rebates, and maintenance costs Mac could possibly be the cheaper option considering the schools IT situation.

 

Licensing for Windows is very expensive as well, this is especially important since Mavericks is a free operating system. For windows the school would need a Windows Server, Windows OS for the workstations and many CAL's.

 

There is also Office for Mac, and Office 365 supports Mac.

 

There is no problem with a school using Mac, however if the school offers advanced Information Technology courses Windows machines need to be available for the class.

 

Also Unix is great.

[macpro622776]

when it comes to laptops and desktops the majority of the world population uses PC's

when it comesto web clients the majority of the world population uses Windows Oses's

Microsoft still dominates the world with their programs and judging by the current statistics it is better to learn how to use a PC while at school. Even if you dont use PC's or computers in your profession you will still retain a vital piece of information. We don't know where apple will be in the future, it is a safer bet to learn and create on a PC.

 

It's nice to have multiple skills. People need to learn to be able to adapt and change, one of the biggest issues gripping society today.

[macpro622776]

There is no problem with a school using Mac, however if the school offers advanced Information Technology courses Windows machines need to be available for the class.

 

Run them in virtual machines - easy.

[peters.11]

But is it safe to adapt and change? apple has had a violent financial history, during the 90's apple's existence as a company was in jeopardy, we don't know if they will exist in the future.