First Mac minis in Classroom a Big Hit
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- 2005.05.25
My new
Mac minis for the classroom
arrived. These are tiny little computers. They're so small,
you really need to lock them down with Kensington cables or risk
having one taken inside someone's pocket.
Okay, maybe they're not quite that small, but it's close.
Mine arrived in a cardboard box about the size of a toaster
oven. The box was more than half filled (by volume) with Styrofoam
packing material - this container could take a lot of
punishment.
Inside the box was a small Apple-style box about the size of a
toaster, complete with a plastic carry handle. The setup
instructions are printed on the side of the box and consist of
essentially the directive to "plug it in."
There are not many things inside the box, but everything that is
necessary to get up and running is in there. I ordered mine sans
modems, so no modem cables. The mini can be so small, in part,
because it uses an external power supply provided as a brick.
That's the thing that looks like a giant iPod shuffle in this
photo.
You
also get a removable power cord for the brick - why Apple does this
I don't know, because it uses a proprietary connector. It's not
like you can use the cord for anything else.
- Thanks to everyone who wrote in and pointed out that moving to
a country with different power plugs would make having a removable
power cord very handy. Since the brick is autosensing, all you need
is a new cord that fts the plug.
A video adapter goes from the DVI port on the mini to a VGA
port. I wonder about the decision here; this is obviously a low end
machine. Who will be plugging these into flat screen monitors worth
more than the computer?
Anyway, I read sporadic reports of poor video port stability
(flickering images, etc.) on various websites, and this made me
apprehensive when I too saw a screen connected to the mini freak
out and turn green. Then I discovered the port adapter doesn't just
sit there through friction. You can tighten it via two thumb wheels
on the side, which is not immediately obvious.
Aside from that, I plugged in a USB keyboard and mouse, attached
a spare monitor, and the computer booted up nicely. I'll be writing
more about the performance and behavior of the minis. Low End Mac's specs page can tell you
about the ports and options available.
The computers the minis are replacing are so old that the 1.25
GHz mini's are a real treat. They're faster than any of the other
computers - and you can tell, even with the OS X display
overhead, that they boot faster and respond better to applications
like Word. The students already prefer to use the two mini I've set
up.
So far I have only one unsolved problem. Using the accounts pane
to restrict student access, there is no way to eliminate access to
the school network through the Go menu except to invoke the Simple
Finder, which seems so far removed from the normal computing
experience as to be counterproductive educationally. I wish I could
turn off casual network access so I wouldn't have to worry about
little hacker wannabes trying to see what they can on the campus
network.
You can't boot a mini into OS 9 so I can't use the Foolproof
software I normally use (see To Internet
and Beyond). I wish they'd port that over to OS X.
I'll be working on solving this problem....
Stay iTuned.. 
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: New 2008 iMac 2GB $42 / iMac Intel Core2 DUO & MacBook Pro 2GB $36 - 1GB $20. MacPro 8 Core Memory 8GB kit $286 / 4GB kit $143 / 2GB kit $93 -- Free shipping available. LIfetime warranty.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
Other World Computing has the Upgrades, Enhancements, and Accessories for getting the most from your Mac. Quality Products, Competitive Prices, Expert Support Staff - www.macsales.com
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
- 2005.05.25
My new Mac minis for the classroom arrived. These are tiny little computers. They're so small, you really need to lock them down with Kensington cables or risk having one taken inside someone's pocket.
Okay, maybe they're not quite that small, but it's close.
Mine arrived in a cardboard box about the size of a toaster oven. The box was more than half filled (by volume) with Styrofoam packing material - this container could take a lot of punishment.
Inside the box was a small Apple-style box about the size of a toaster, complete with a plastic carry handle. The setup instructions are printed on the side of the box and consist of essentially the directive to "plug it in."
There are not many things inside the box, but everything that is necessary to get up and running is in there. I ordered mine sans modems, so no modem cables. The mini can be so small, in part, because it uses an external power supply provided as a brick. That's the thing that looks like a giant iPod shuffle in this photo.
You
also get a removable power cord for the brick - why Apple does this
I don't know, because it uses a proprietary connector. It's not
like you can use the cord for anything else.
- Thanks to everyone who wrote in and pointed out that moving to a country with different power plugs would make having a removable power cord very handy. Since the brick is autosensing, all you need is a new cord that fts the plug.
A video adapter goes from the DVI port on the mini to a VGA port. I wonder about the decision here; this is obviously a low end machine. Who will be plugging these into flat screen monitors worth more than the computer?
Anyway, I read sporadic reports of poor video port stability (flickering images, etc.) on various websites, and this made me apprehensive when I too saw a screen connected to the mini freak out and turn green. Then I discovered the port adapter doesn't just sit there through friction. You can tighten it via two thumb wheels on the side, which is not immediately obvious.
Aside from that, I plugged in a USB keyboard and mouse, attached a spare monitor, and the computer booted up nicely. I'll be writing more about the performance and behavior of the minis. Low End Mac's specs page can tell you about the ports and options available.
The computers the minis are replacing are so old that the 1.25 GHz mini's are a real treat. They're faster than any of the other computers - and you can tell, even with the OS X display overhead, that they boot faster and respond better to applications like Word. The students already prefer to use the two mini I've set up.
So far I have only one unsolved problem. Using the accounts pane to restrict student access, there is no way to eliminate access to the school network through the Go menu except to invoke the Simple Finder, which seems so far removed from the normal computing experience as to be counterproductive educationally. I wish I could turn off casual network access so I wouldn't have to worry about little hacker wannabes trying to see what they can on the campus network.
You can't boot a mini into OS 9 so I can't use the Foolproof software I normally use (see To Internet and Beyond). I wish they'd port that over to OS X.
I'll be working on solving this problem....
Stay iTuned..
Jeff Adkins is a science teacher who isn't afraid to state his preferences in computing platforms. In his classroom he has everything from a beige All-in-One to a a G4 XServe, and they all work together nicely. He calls himself the "poster child for technology integration" in the classroom. He was the 2006 Outstanding Educator of the Year for the California Computer Using Educators (CUE) organization. He also maintains a site for astronomy teachers at www.AstronomyTeacher.com.
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