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February 1999, Week 2

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From:
LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 10 Feb 1999 08:18:28 EST
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--- Forwarded Message from John de Szendeffy <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Tue, 09 Feb 1999 13:51:46 -0400
>From: John de Szendeffy <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>Organization: Boston University
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #4845.1 Any labs using iMacs? (!)
>References: <[log in to unmask]>

------------------


Charles Oliver Wolff <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
> I read with great disturbance the apparently huge investment being made in
> iMacs as serious lab machines. iMacs are the next generation Performa (and
> we should've learned from that!): limited in scope and ultimately not
> upgradeable. They are a consumer grade machine designed to get the average
> home user on the web. If you have heavy traffic in your facility and expect
> the useful life of hardware to be relatively short, that's not a big
> deal...you'll be replacing them fairly soon anyway. If not, and you insist
> on using Macs, better to invest in G3's, although the repair statistics on
> these are frighteningly high (but when they're right, they're awesome).

Oh boy. Looks like the opening of a can of worms to me.  I'm reluctant to respond to this writer as I was the one to
begin this thread and feel I have an obligation to sit back and listen to others.  I guess I'm not able to do that.
I'll at least refrain from any philosophical disagreements relating to PC vs. Mac and stick to the facts (I too work
on both platforms).

I first posed this iMac question to list members assuming (hoping) that many labs would see the logic of the iMac
for a networked lab environment, the next best thing to a true NC.  Having owned a Performa and used an iMac I can
say that one is not a replacement for the other.  One of the problems with the Performa was that it was put together
as some PC clones, with the cheapest components possible to reduce the price.  The 603 processor in the Performa was
almost enough to make me abandon the Mac.  The G3 is a different story.  The iMac is also half the price of the
Performas.

Regarding upgrading, this concern is vastly overstated here as elsewhere.  How many labs actually upgrade their
logic boards?  We've never done it or considered doing it.  Considering the expense and the advancement of
components in new systems other than the logic board, most people forgo the upgrade and just buy a new computer a
couple years later, getting a larger hard drive, faster ports, more L2 cache, etc., while they're at it.

The iMac IS a serious lab machine. Who else, for example, has the guts to get rid of that useless floppy?  I manage
50 lab Macs and have responsibility for another 25 faculty and staff Macs.  I can't tell you the last time I needed
floppies or got software on them.  That's what a network is for. The iMac was made for the network (LAN or
Internet).  And who else makes a machine of such performance with such a small footprint?  Component systems would
be too cumbersome in our carrels  and would probably require modifications to the furniture (we currently have the
one-piece Power Mac 5260s).

With regard to having to replace the hardware soon in a lab with heavy traffic, well, we have about 500 students a
semester using 50 lab Macs nine hours a day.  In three years I have replaced one hard drive.  Headphones, yes,
plenty of those.  But is the implication here that PCs are more durable than iMacs or Macs in general?  Puhleeze.

G3 instead of iMacs?  Sure, great idea--if you have the option of spending twice as much and have the room for them.

> An NT server running RealServer software will allow you
> to stream audio and video over the network.
>

We stream RealAudio files to all of our clients from our NT with no streaming server software.  Ditto with MPEG
files.

-John
__________________________________________
John de Szendeffy <[log in to unmask]>
Multimedia Language Lab
Center for English Language and Orientation Programs
Boston University
ph (617) 353-7957 fx (617) 353-6195
Lab:  http://www.bu.edu/celop/MLL
CTG:  http://www.bu.edu/celop/CTG
Personal: http://www.bu.edu/johndesz/

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