There's been an ongoing debate about Macs for schools: Is the iMac
too expensive? Does the iBook cost too much? It's an important
question, because the economics of education are very different from
those in the workplace or at home.
Economic Realities
Schools don't usually buy one or a dozen computers at a time; they
buy them by the classroom, computer lab, school building, or even for
the entire school system all at once. The recent order for 23,000
iBooks from Henrico County Public Schools is a case in point -
at just $11 more per computer, the taxpayers would be paying another
quarter million dollars for that contract. That amount of money pays
for several teachers or a few administrators.
Another important point, one which Windows proponents try to
ignore, is the total cost of ownership (TCO) and the average cost per
year of use including support. When I launched MacInSchool three
years ago, I heard from students who reported that one-quarter of the
computers in their Windows lab were down at any given time - and
those were new machines. Mac labs usually have 95-100% of the
computers up and running, have an easier-to-reinstall OS, and need
far less technical resources.
But in the end, while a Mercedes may have a lower TCO than a Kia,
the cost of entry is a major obstacle. (For a lot more on the reasons
schools should use Macs, see Should
Our Schools (or Anybody Else) Have Macs or PCs?)
The eMac
Then entry level iMac runs a
400 MHz G3 processor, has 64 MB of memory, a 10 GB hard drive, a 24x
CD-ROM, FireWire and USB ports, a 56k modem, an AirPort slot, an
internal 15" display, and memory expansion to 1 GB of RAM.
It
sells for $899 on the retail market, $50 less to individual
educators, and $100 less to school systems (see Apple
Education: "I'm Not Dead," (Yet).)
That's pretty darn cheap for an iMac, but Apple could do better if
they offered an iMac designed for a network environment and ready to
run Mac OS X out of the box. For simplicity, we'll call this the
eMac and let the "e" stand for education, economy, or ethernet.
The first change is removing the 56k modem from the eMac. This is
a networked computer, so the modem is unnecessary. (Those who need
the modem can buy an iMac.) This might save anywhere from $10-30 from
the selling price.
The second change is eliminating the internal CD-ROM drive with an
optional external FireWire drive. The school could choose CD-ROM,
CD-RW, DVD, a Combo Drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM), or even the SuperDrive,
which can also burn DVDs. Based on parts prices and typical markups,
this could trim anywhere from $50-100 from the selling price of the
eMac.
This would also eliminate the leading repair problem for
slot-loading iMacs - nonstandard CDs stuck inside the mechanism.
(No, you do not want to put a mini-CD in a slot-loading
drive.)
The third change would be a range of BTO options for schools
purchasing at least 20 eMacs at the same time and in the same
configuration. Choices might include:
installed RAM: 0, 64, 128, or 256 MB
hard drive: 7, 10, or 20 GB
There isn't much else you can do to reduce to cost of the eMac.
And by offering a zero RAM configuration, schools can shop around for
the best price on Mac-compatible RAM - and Apple won't have to
inventory it and mark up the price.
Apple may be able to economize by switching from the older G3
(PowerPC 750) processor to the newer 750cx, the same CPU used in the
500 and 600 MHz iMacs today.
The eMac would bring back the simplicity of the single-model iMac:
one speed, one color, one base configuration with BTO options
available only in large quantities. By eliminating the modem and
making the CD-ROM an accessory, Apple could conceivably sell a 128 MB
eMac with a10 GB hard drive for around $699 - $100 less than today's
iMac.
Selling the eMac
We've created a very cost-competitive computer for education, but
we need to sell it to schools. That's often an uphill battle, and I
see no need to rehash the Mac vs. Windows debate (John Droz has done
a great job with Should
Our Schools (or Anybody Else) Have Macs or PCs?).
Instead, we need to address the peculiarities of the iMac/eMac vs.
Wintel clones.
No Floppy
First, floppy drives are no longer considered essential in the
Windows world. They are becoming an option on more models every month
- a trend begun with the iMac in 1998.
Second, floppies make it very easy to transport files between home
and school, which may mean unwanted or illegal transfer of software.
By eliminating floppies, schools reduce the likelihood of software
license violations and unwanted software on school property.
Third, for years floppies were the primary means for distributing
viruses. By making the floppy an external option, it becomes that
much more difficult to move a disk- or file-based virus between
computers.
No CD-ROM (eMac only)
By not including a CD-ROM drive in the eMac, Apple would make it
that much harder for students to install unwanted/unauthorized
software on school computers. They wouldn't be tempted to rip MP3s
from the favorite CDs. They wouldn't be able to bring in games from
home.
By giving buyers the option of CD-ROM, DVD, CD-RW, etc., the
school can decide which technologies are available and where. A
classroom might have 2-3 CD-ROM drives for installing software and a
Combo Drive so the teacher can archive files and run DVDs.
If anything, removing floppies and CD-ROM drives from school
computers is a benefit: it protects the system setup, prevents
unauthorized software transfers, and reduces the cost of the computer
itself.
Only a 15" Monitor
Windows people live in a different world, one where fonts are much
bigger. They really need a 17" monitor to see the same amount of
information on the screen as iMac users have. A typical 17" display
runs at 1024 x 768 pixels, while the 15" iMac display runs most
comfortably at 800 x 600. But which displays more?
If you have access to both Windows and Mac OS machines, run a word
processor with 12 point type and see which displays more, Windows at
1024 x 768 or Mac at 800 x 600. Do the same with a spreadsheet and any
Web browser other than Internet Explorer 5.0 for the Mac (which is
designed to give Mac users the same grossly large fonts that Windows
users are used to).
You'll find that the Mac displays more information on the smaller
screen than Windows does on a larger screen. It's not intuitive, but
many aspects of the Mac/PC comparison are not intuitive.
All-in-one Design
Windows users might even protest that the eMac/iMac is an
all-in-one design, which means that if the hard drive, processor, or
monitor dies, the whole computer needs to be serviced. That's a straw
man argument - a modular computer with a dead hard drive, processor,
or monitor is no more useful than an all-in-one design with the same
problem.
Where this argument does make sense is the world of Windows.
Remember that PC lab where 25% of the computers were down at any
given time? Well, if 5% were down with bad monitors and 20% with
other problems, by moving monitors around, a few more systems would
be functional. Of course, having even 10% of the Macs down in a
computer lab is almost unheard of, so the all-in-one design is not a
real problem.
Not only that, it's a real benefit. Instead of two power cords and
a monitor cable, the iMac/eMac just needs AC electricity. That's two
less cables to become unplugged and one less electrical outlet
needed.
Mac Advantages
Perhaps the biggest plus for any current Macintosh - AirPort. By
installing one or more base stations, any recent Mac accepts a $99
AirPort card for wireless networking. No need to pull wires. No need
to put the computer where there's an ethernet port. This could save
thousands upon thousands of dollars in wiring costs.
Nearly Perfect
The iMac is practically perfect as an education computer. Sure, a
17" display would be nicer, but it offers excellent performance, is
built for networking, tends to be more reliable than Windows PCs, and
is easier to set up.
Make a few changes to the iMac to create the eMac, and you've made
it a more affordable networked computer. And if you think the $799
(school price) iMac is a good deal, a $699 eMac would be even more
attractive to schools.
An RSS News Reader with the Power of Google, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 08.20.
Unlike browser-based RSS readers or dedicated news reader apps, Google Reader lets you access your favorite feeds from any computer and browser.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 08.19.
Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $999; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,450 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,649; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 08.19.
Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, $70; DVD, $90; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $72; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $130.
Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work
for all. Computers are like that. Please report errors to
.
Letters sent to Low End Mac may or may not be published at the
editor's discretion. Email addresses will not be published unless the
sender specifically requests it. If you prefer that your message not
be published on Low End Mac, clearly mark your message "not for
publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match
house
style.
LINK
POLICY: This site allows and encourages
links to any public page, so long as the linked page does not appear
within a frame that prevents bookmarking the linked page.
PRIVACY
POLICY: In brief, we don't collect any
personal information unless you subscribe to one of our email lists,
in which case you have to give us your email address.
Low End
Mac is an independent publication and has
not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple
Computer, Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iMac, and iBook are
registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and
product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the
individual companies and are hereby acknowledged.
It
sells for $899 on the retail market, $50 less to individual
educators, and $100 less to school systems (see 
