Mac vs. PC debate plays in Hooksett school

YOUR COMMENTS

My name is David Pearl, I am the person quoted in the Union Leader article. I have not responded until now because we have been with out power since Thursday. For those of you who don't "know" me, I don't spell very well, I own my own video business and use 8 PCs (P4 2.8 gig Intels) with mostly CRT monitors and I don't know how to type. But some how I have stayed in business for 21 years. I have volunteered in the schools for 6 years. I am a member of the budget committee, but did not speak from that position in the article. I was speaking a citizen of Hooksett.

1.Hooksett School District offers one formal computer coarse in K-8. It is one quarter in 6th grade
2. My self and other are trying to offer all students regular computer classes, starting in 1st grade.
3. We created a computer lab at Underhill School with free Computers, Desks and software.
4. We have offered classes and assisted teachers in this lab for three years
4.5 I am not paid by the school
5. We are not able to reach all of the students.
6. Hooksett School District has Grade Level expectations for technology that are supposed to be met by the classroom teachers.
7. The teachers are given little or no support or training.
8. In 2007 the Technology Committee sent a letter to the school board identifying the biggest need as professional development for teachers.
9. The three Media Specialist employed by the school teach with technology not about technology
10. I believe keyboarding skills are very important and can be taught as early as 2nd grade
11. We have taught keyboarding to 2nd graders
12. It is easier to learning keyboarding correctly the first time then to relearn it.
13.The basic qwerty Keyboard lay out has survived since 1898
14. It is beneficial for students to have a basic understanding of how a computers works
15. We have used Open Office in the Underhill Lab for Three years
16 We have never had a virus at the Underhill Lab.
17. Computers built today will likely be useful longer than any built in the past.
18. A computer should be upgraded when it won't do something you need it to or it cost to much to repair.
19. In 2007 two Hooksett residents that work in the computer field offered to do a TOC study for Hooksett they were turned down.
20. Software is all starting to look alike, programs migrate to the most intuitive interface to be successful.
21. Spending money does not always solve problems
22. Technology must be constantly reevaluated
23. Attendance at Hooksett School Board meetings rarely exceeds the number of board members
24. Many peoples taxes have doubled in the last 10 years
25. Education is the biggest part of any town's budget
26. Many cost in education can not be reduced.
27. Many people live on a fixed income
28. Many people are losing their houses
29 The economy stinks!

I think we are at a point where it doesn't matter as much what we have as what we do with it. Where if a ten year old computer serves the purpose we use it. Where if open source software works we use it. Where if a 2nd grader is eager to learn to type we teach them. We can argue, debate and spend money, but none of these things teach any body any thing. This Friday I will be at the Underhill Computer Lab teaching 2nd graders how to type, where will you be?
- David Pearl, Hooksett

You all are forgetting that WIndows comes with the same software as a mac nowdays - you still have to buy office if you want it on a mac OR on a PC. PC's, Vista and prior, come with Notepad and Wordpad - the same thing as Mac's text edit. They can both run iTunes, Mac has iPhoto, windows now comes with Windows Gallery which integrates nicely with WIndows DVD & Movie maker and gives you quick ways to make movies from your pictures. Mac's have the equivalent in one way or another - so far, they are the same. Viruses? Yes, they ARE in the wild for the Mac, Mac is even suggesting that people run Virus protection. Eventually, it'll be the same game with the same xploits on the mac system as it is with Windows.

Patches & Updates? its the same if not worse on a Mac - I've seen macs have just as many issues with updates as I've seen with Windows.

They are the same, 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other ... but macs are NOT the almighty, all powerful, completely bug free, no maintenance, EASY to use and network machine some of you are saying - its MUCH easier to setup networking between computers and on printers and shares under Windows than it is on a MAC network ...
- James Jones, Hookestt, NH

I am a teacher and former school technology coordinator, and I was a member of David Pearl’s technology volunteer group for a while at the beginning. I left because in the long term it was a disservice to the schools to fill them with business’ cast off computers. What teachers and students at the elementary and middle school level need is not the same as what is used in business. We are not training workers, we are providing education. The argument that Windows operating systems are what business uses is not valid. By the time the first and second graders get their first job, the technology will not look like anything we have today. In the classroom we use computers as tools for gathering and presenting information. Students create content to show what they understand about subjects they have studied. They use educational software and web sites to view information. The most important thing about computers in the classroom is that they work. In every school district where I have worked there have been more support issues with the classroom PCs than with the Macs. It takes fewer IT hours to keep a Mac lab up and running than a PC lab. Teachers won’t use computers or networks that are complicated because they do not have time to troubleshoot technology. A teacher’s job is to teach; for a computer to be integrated into the classroom it has to be as easy to use and as dependable as the overhead projector or the vcr. Schools do not budget for nearly as much IT support as a business with a similar number of computers does. If the district is mostly using Macs, switching to PCs to save money (and it is not as much as Mr. Pearl claims) will reduce productivity of students and teachers and hinder the learning process.
- Kathy, Hooksett

I am disappointed that more correspondents didn't complain that computers are being purchased for kids in elementary school. Computers in the classroom are a waste of time. When are these teachers going to teach? Half the kids in the Manchester High Schools can't read at their grade level. Any reform must begin at the elementary level.
- Joseph, Manchester

I'm a tired taxpayer living in Hooksett. I pay more than most in the town for property taxes and I'm very tired. While everyone argues over which overpriced laptop computer the school district should buy, I'm the one who's gonna have to cough up the money to pay for it. I'm the one who pays the generous salaries for all the " directors " and administrators of the various school departments in our town. I'm the one who pays top salaries for our law enforcement personnel and for our fire and rescue crews. I'm the one who has had to continuously trim my own budget in order to pay for the rapidly increasing costs of maintaining the salaries and expenses of an ever increasing number of "professional" staff that now occupy my town. Far be it from me to suggest that they are not worth every penny. Most of them are. Some are worth more. Oh,but did I mention that I'm very tired? I keep telling everyone that I'm tired but know one wants to listen. They're too busy fighting over how fast they can spend the money that I've entrusted them with. I guess in the long run it won't matter much. Soon I won't be able to afford to live in this town anymore. I certainly won't be able to retire here. All in all, it probably won't matter much to most of the town officials, they've pretty much forgotten about me, they're too busy fighting over the money I gave them. Did I mention I'm really tired?
- Paul, Hooksett

Of course there are less expensive alternatives, "Open Source" Linux, Open Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD Open Office, etc.. An EEE Linux (factory installed) notebook $399.00.But those are not for the technlologically bankrupt. Instead they would rather bankrupt the taxpayer. Don't worry about the kids they can (and will in the future) learn anything an adult can't. The economy has been good which has allowed propritary software to florish, but as the econony shrinks it allows Open Source to be discovered and florish. The New York Stock Exchange runs Red Hat Linux as well as a lot of Microsoft servers. If you want prepare the students for a "recession proof" job you need to teach them to work on a heterogenous platform. A $1000 bucks for something that's a commodity that depreciates faster than a new Chevy.Geez!!!
- VC, Derry

I went to Phillips Exeter Academy, and Harvard. I've used both Macs and PCs at work. Macs are a better buy, they have a better TCO, even though initial cost is higher. They have no viruses in the wild. They are easier to troubleshoot. They network easier. They come preinstalled with tons of great apps like iMovie. They don't get a BSOD. The OS is constantly updated, unlike Windows, which is constantly being downgraded to XP, a 7 year old OS.

More importantly, Macs are the leading seller to Universities this past year. At one Ivy, Macs were the preferred computer with over 50% of the incoming Freshmen owning them, that's more than all the PC vendors combined.

The fact is, when people get to choose, they are increasingly choosing Macs for their great value and functionality. Kids who excel and go to top universities are using Macs. I see no reason why anyone needs to doubt the recommendation of the IT director. He is completely correct. The kids are getting a tremendous amount of technology for the price.
- KenC, Gardiner, Maine

I started out in Computers with an old Compaq portable with 64 K of Ram and a 3 inch black and white screen. Back when IBM first came out with the home computer I bought one with an employee discount but it still cost close to 5 grand for a 8 meg machine that you could speed up by pushing the turbo boost button to get it to run at 16 meg and along with it I got this nifty daisy wheel printer and an operating system of dos 5.0. Over the years I have used a lot of computers and right now I'm running 4 of them with two on windows 98 and two on Windows XP.. My oldest one is 10 years old and like the rest I bought generic computers and loaded in my own software. That being said I want nothing to do with Macs because of a lack of available applications software. There is a high availability of application software for PC's and that is why you end up with big IT groups because they have so many pieces of software that do not always interact properly with each other. That and far to many people do dumb things with their computers.

For those that say you don't have virus troubles with Mac you do but so far you have lucked out. For those that say that the latest version is very stable and does not need to be fixed I gather you are unaware of the massive stack of fixes that Apple has had to come out with for Hacker Fixes. The market share for Mac since it's inception has always been between 8 and 12% with bounces up and down. The reality is the biggest gainer in the market for operating software is Linux and I am not talking about a Mac being a Linux based system. There is various Linux operating systems out there that have worked well for years and they allow a dual boot environment and will work on any old PC that you can find but they will not work on any old MAC that you can find. The Linux based systems also have a ton of applications available. In fact I use a spare drive and loaded it up with Ubantu and it runs fine on my old PC. I test and verify to make sure everything runs right and it does support a dual boot system without me spending 5 times the amount I would have spent for a plain generic PC.

Now as for it being a good tool for the kids you will find out that school computers are often the best and fastest way to spread all forms of viruses / Trojans and Malware. Besides that it is a great tool for kids to cheat with and copy each others work. A lot of our kids have become so computer orientated that they have lost the ability to think. Just go to any store and give a younger kid exact change for a purchase and they will get lost because all they know is what the computer tells them.
- Don Armstrong, Henniker

The Mac and PC debate has been going on for years. Both have had their flaws for instance MACs used proprierty hardware that was very expensive and upgrades were a small fortune. The problem with the PC is the GUI software platform. Now we have MACs using Intel processors and standard hardware that works MAC or PC. MACs can now run Windows Vista! The bottomline is from a hardware standpoint the machines are the same minus the fancy names and colors what seperates the two is software. The MAC Platform has not been widely accepted by the everyday users in the business environment with the exception of graphics art and media applications. I think todays students should have knowledge of both platforms. MAC users have you seen a PC running Linux? If the PC didn't go hand in hand with Microsoft I think the tables would turn.
- Waz, Manchester, NH

If teacher don't have decent computers they won't use them, way to frustrating. I have seen what Underhill school has for computers. Lets just say I think Afghanistan has better computers in their school computer labs than Underhill does. Good job getting those macs for the kids and teachers.
- Bud, Hooksett

The narrow-mindedness of some commenters here is frightening.

First: long-term ownership costs matter, not initial purchase price. Any purchasing decision should be made with that in mind.

Second: we are discussing computers for elementary school children. No computer that these children use today will be in use by the time they join the workforce. One might argue that since Mac computers operate both Mac and Windows programs with equal ease, it makes more sense to buy the more versatile computer.

All that said, I would very much appreciate seeing elementary school children learn more social skills rather than computer skills. A computer is no substitute for a good teacher.
- Mike, Manchester, NH

The amount of bad logic, false premises, and regressive thinking is staggering.

Do some basic research and you will find that almost every argument against macs and for PC's is not true.

Total Cost of Ownership. Google it.

Known Mac Viruses. Google it.

Mac Market Share. Google it. Then extrapolate it. PC market share is high because almost all of those computers were bought in 2000 for the Y2K refresh when Windows was virtually unchallenged.

99.99% of all cars in the world run on internal combustion engines. Do you think that will be true in 12 years when these children graduate high school. Or in 17 years when they are college educated and entering the work force.

Choosing PC's FOR FIRST GRADERS because they need "to be trained for the corporate world" is by far the dumbest thing I have ever read. If you are that concerned, get them all phones so they can sit on hold to talk to an IT person who really doesn't know anything about computers. That is what the corporate world of PC's is really like.
- Martin Snider, Manchester

Since the arrival of Windows Vista, I have stopped recommending PCs to my colleagues. There have been too many technical difficulties which get in the way of productivity and learning.

On the hardware side, Mac are generally very robust and can stand up well to torment from kids and teachers. Macs also do not need third party virus protection which requires yearly licenses.

Bottom line, total cost of ownership, usability and longevity are all on the Mac's side today.
- Hank, Portsmouth

I am an IT consultant for one of the top IT services providers in the world. I use both Windows and OS X side by side all day. The TCO of using a Macs is lower, and IMO OS X is easier to use. I challenge folks to do the research, and to take the time to visit the Rockingham Mall Apple store and to see for themselves. I was a 100% PC user for years, I did this, and I was shown something much better. Also the business argument is flawed... business really runs on UNIX variants and Mac OS X is a 100% UNIX certified OS. As Wayne Gretzky said... "Skate to were the puck will be, not were it is now". The iPod generation will be our leaders tomorrow and many of them will be bringing their Macs with them. College students with Macs is at an all time high, these people will be in their 'jobs' tomorrow and requesting a Mac.
- -wsn, Milford NH

No question - Macs are the better choice. "Business" may use Windows due to its initial cost-effectiveness but EVERY business has an IT department to help maintain them. Do you really expect the teachers to know what to do every single time Windows asks "do you want to allow X to do Y", or do we need to hire even more people just to keep the "cheaper" computers working.

Please re-read the comment from RON N, SAN DIEGO, as this is not uncommon. Macs are simply the better choice.
- Ted, Nashua

A few reasons Macs are better.

1. Mac's also run windows. I've got an iMac on my desk right now that has Windows XPSP2 on it and OSX 10.5.5. I am able to run all of the software available. Windows only machines are limited to just windows software.

2. Macs do require less service and last longer. I've got a 9 year old 300hz G4 sawtooth Mac that is still running along. The darn thing just won't die.

3. Macs don't slow down with age, they run faster. As the Mac OS evolves, Apple continuously prunes the operating system to make it faster and faster. The number of lines of code gets less and less, making the machine even more efficient than before.

4. Macs can run Virus Protection Software, but only because Apple promotes being a good net citizen. The poster above who talked about Apple computers needing Virus protection software doesn't have correct information. Apple offers virus protection software, so that when their windows friends send them a virus in an email their mac can recognize it and delete it. Viruses do not affect the Mac operating system. I've had one on the net, as a server, with no virus protection for 8 years. There has been not one instance of it getting a virus.

5. Total Cost of Ownership. Macs are less expensive over the long haul. While I've enjoyed my 8 years of using my G4 Mac, my siblings have had to upgrade every 2 - 3 years. They buy two computers for every one that I buy. And while we own them theirs require much more service and support.

6. Repair turn around time... On the occasion that my iMac has needed support, (failed HD), the turn around time for repair was 2 days. Not a lot of time.

7. The comparison above with the Yugo automobile against a car that needs less maintenance is accurate and not exaggerated. They just work, they cost less, and they just last. Purchasing a mac for business, even as a windows box, is a sound decision.
- Jim, Manchester

A free alternative to Office, called OpenOffice, is available, and well supported:
www.openoffice.org. Microsoft just doesn't want people to use it, because it is free.
- Texter, Newfields

I worked as a tech in the middle school for six years. Our school buildings were 100% Mac except for the high school which had PC labs in the business department. Each of the other schools had one woman who worked as a tech to maintain the 100's of Macs in their building. Piece of cake. We had a local Apple reseller who fixed any equipment that we couldn't, which wasn't much. In our spare time, we maintained the school's web pages, scored test results for state tests, and taught workshops. Techs have more to do with their time than fool with computers that keep going on the blink. Give me Macs in my school any day!
- Gayle, Carlisle, PA

Mr. Danforth:

What the heck are these kids doing with Adobe that you have to pay $500 for per install?

The Adobe reader is FREE and, unless they're doing high-end graphics, there are other utilities (whether web-based or stand alone) that can do many of the same things for free.

They don't need Adobe Illustrator, PageMaker or Photoshop.

They need to learn how to read, write, spell and do arithmatic because, if current society is any indicator--that's something kids aren't learning in vast quantities.

Also, $300 for Office per install? Yes, if you buy it off the shelf. If you have some kind of site licensing it's, often times, much cheaper than that. Further, if you're using something like the free java-based utility called OpenOffice, it doesn't cost you anything, yet it has incredibly similar features to Office.

The fact is that educators are more prone to buy Macs so that's what they request for their classrooms. Perhaps one or more "teacher workshops" could be dedicated to teaching these professionals how to use a PC so that THEY can broaden their spectrum.

Don't blame it on start-up costs or the economy. It comes down to this: someone put in the item to buy Macs and you had the money in the budget so you bought Macs.
- William Smith, Manchester NH

Why not do what Manchester does.. Just dont give the kids anything modern at all to work with. If Hooksett is sending the kids to Manchester, why have them learn on something they wont be using at the high school in Manchester. LETS ALL SAVE MONEY!!!!
- Jorge, Manchester

I ran a large company - half Mac and half Windows. I needed 7 IT people to maintain the Windows devices. The single mac IT person helped the Windows people most of his day. No viruses on the Macs EVER! Always messing around cleaning up the Windows devices.
- RON N, SAN DIEGO

I think what Mr. Pearl was trying to say is why spend $2000 for 2 macbooks for the lower grades where high horsepower laptops are not needed when that same $2000 could buy 5 PC notebooks.

I think Mr. Pearl is trying to close that 1 PC to 5 students ratio by stretching the dollars to buy more PCs with the same amount of money.

I applaud Mr. Pearl's efforts to make more PCs available to the students without blowing the budget.
- David R, Manchester

First a few facts, Apple has the top rated customer service rating among computer companies while Dell, often the company of choice for schools, has the worst customer service rating. Something such as this probably factored into the School Board's decision to pick Macs.

Now as of almost three years ago Apple made the switch over to intel making all of its computers based on the intel chipset allowing it to run both Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista natively. So macs are "PCs", which is also another benefit if the school so choices the can install Windows on the machines and allow the user to choice between either operating system.

Some people have stated that by using macs they are handicapping the kids in the future because they won't be used to Windows. But I bet the majority of these students will be using a windows based machine at home, so they have the added benefit of being exposed to both operating systems. And even if they don't use windows at home aren't students taught how to adapt to different things. While many businesses use Windows based machines, many embedded systems run on Linux or even Windows 3.1.
- AS, Greater Manchester

I would like to address some of the comments, if I may. First, the PC initial cost is about $700 (hardware only), and the Mac initial cost is about $800, ready to use out of the box, needing no additional sftware for student use. The additional software needed for the PC so you can use it, and not stare at a blank screen is about $300 for office, and about another $500 for adobe ($800) which makes the start up cost of a PC at about $1500 vs the $800 Mac charges the SAU per unit. You cannot compare retail prices with negotiated prices between the SAU and Mac vs the cost of a PC. To change the platform from Mac, which already exists to PC will incur a drastic burden upon the taxpayers that they simply cannot afford in this economy. It is also a fact that the Mac can do everything we need it to do, without a negative impact on student learning. That's what this is all about, the students and their learning, not what a few individuals may prefer. Also, Mr. Pearl is a member of the Hooksett Budget Committee, but he cannot speak on behalf of that committee, only as an individual. I think that if you contacted other memmbers of that board, you may find differing opinions on the matter. This issue was discussed on Saturday, December 6th in a session with the Hooksett School Board, were the issue in my opinion was not explained, but the reasons for such were justified. I am a member of the Budget Committee, but in this circumstance I can only speak to my own opinion based upon the discussion held. The Budget Committee has not discussed this issue at length, and to do so at this juncture would be outside of our realm for many of the critics are not solely discussing dollars but policy.
- john danforth, Hooksett, NH

I find it interesting all the luddites that argue that computers have no place in the classroom. I would agree...if this were the 1950s. However, a quick check of the calendar shows me we've moved on a bit from then, as have the kids. I am in the classroom everyday and one of the axioms many of us teachers repeat nearly daily is: those who have no ties to the classroom should not be making decisions for those that do have those ties. We see a whole lot of stupid that was designed without students' needs in mind. As for Macs or PCs, find out what the teachers will use most effectively with their students. Our school has recently shifted back to Apple in large part due to the dual boot capabilities of the new Apple hardware. I say use them both, use them effectively, use them often.
- Matt Smith, NBCT, Albuquerque, NM

that is easy - PC's are the best choice. why teach them on systems that are NOT in business use. MAC's are toys not tools. and to the poster that says PC's have no use in classrooms, what planet are you on, this is 2008 you know.. just look at market share and analyst ratings, there is NO practical business use for a MAC. it is like teaching Linux to them, no use at all...
- rick, lee nh

I am wonder why Mr. Pearl is the only budget committee member in this article? Is he not working with other committee members? Is there not a budget process in Hooksett? Why not work with his committee instead of all this negativity in the paper and follow the budget process? We have enough negativity in the news. I think this article really has a positive meaning... The Hooksett schools went out and did something good for their students. They purchased great equipment and the kids love it.
- Steve, Manchester

Macs in schools are the biggest scam foisted on public education and the taxpayers. They are more expensive to purchase and maintain, and much harder if not impossible to upgrade. The parts are far more expensive.
I teach alt ed and my students are building PC computers, state of the art, for only $275 each. I guarantee they are better than any Mac or Dell out there. There is no reason any school district with even one IT staff member cannot build its own computers and save the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars or perhaps hundreds per district. You can also build a state of the art PC laptop for around $600; only takes about 30 minutes.
- tony, manchester nh

What about Linux based One Laptop Per Child systems? They are cheap, and not tied to Microsoft.
- Texter, Newfields

If all we are trying to do is produce students that are ready to go out and sit in a cube, why bother teaching them anything other than Excel? I seem to recall when I was a senior in high school 20 years ago, they were teaching Wordperfect. I don't use it in my job now, but I seem to have adjusted just fine.

Since when is the point of education to fill a job? What's wrong with knowledge for the sake of knowledge?
- Michael Walker, Fayetteville, AR

Gary in Stratham, I went to SHS in Amherst, graduating in 1996. They only had Macs available in all the classrooms. Growing up with the technology as I did, even as limitied that was compared to what today's children have available, I had no issues jumping back and forth - recalling the transition between the two now, I didn't notice anything, really, it was seamless because I was familiar with both platforms. Now remember, having computers in a classroom in 1996 was very cutting edge, I didn't have the familiarity today's kids have. Its not going to matter to the young generation - to them, it'll be like driving a truck then driving a sports car - subtle differences, but all in all the same thing. This is not something thta will confuse them - if they are confused by going from mac to Windows, then the schools aren't doing their job as Technology is slowing becoming the replacement for the pen and paper. Just as those were indispensible technology in the 20's when you went to school, computers of any type are indisposable in today's schools. Confusion with Mac and Windows would be like being confused when going from a pencil to a pen for these kids,
- Bryan S., Aspen, CO

Len:

While I agree with you, I'd like to correct one of your statements. Microsoft Office on the Mac is very different than it is on the PC. Microsoft Office on the Mac is like Microsoft Office Lite. For most users there is no difference; however, when I purchased my own Mac for the office, software and all, I quickly learned that for spreadsheet intensive positions, MS Office on the Mac is a joke. That written, Macs for kids in school are just fine.
- Mike, Bedford

Education is not like business. Education is about giving students and the teachers the tools they need, mac or PC. If the school district is 95% macs why frustrate teachers and students with "crappy" $400 PC's? I know Mr. Pearl, lets just say he could use a mac for his spelling and by the looks of this picture and his "high tech monitors" he could use one the to replace those as well.
- Carl, Manchester

In the Mac vs PC debate, you're all missing the big picture. Computers in the classroom have no proven educational benefit. In fact studies show that they negatively imapct the learning.
- Tony G, Manchester

Why make every tax payer pay for these? Make the kids or the kids parents who use them pay. Oh wait, forgot schools are training grounds for socialism.
- Jay, Manchester

Gary in Stratham, welcome to fifteen years ago. Microsoft Office and other business applications have been standard across both platforms for many, many years now. The programs are identical, the files they produce are identical and can be shared across machines.

Perhaps you should keep up with the times before posting about technology you know nothing about?
- Len Haran, Salem

Why not teach what is used in the working world? Isn't that part of the point of school?

Sure, kids can relearn a new OS, but why? Using that same reasoning that others have used here, we might as well start teaching all classes in German and let the kids learn English when they get closer to high school graduation.

By the way, PC's also last a LONG time. I and many of my customers are still using some PC's that are close to 10 years old and serving their purpose well.

PC's in an enterprise enviroment (like schools) can be managed easier than MAC's. Comparing home users taking care of several PC's isn't a fair comparision

Ever hear of thin clients? Cheap, reliable, easy to deploy, easy to manage, no moving parts, lasts forever.

That said, sure, Mac's should be in the graphics department...
- JAC, Manchester

Computers for 1st graders? Nothing like having spell check and programs to do your work for you instead of having to learn correct spelling and penmanship. No wonder half the kids I work with can't spell or add.
- Bill, Manchester

Yeah, yeah, yeah...Macs are great...blah, blah, blah.

Macs are great if they don't break because, if they do, you have to ship it out for repairs and then who knows how long it will take.

Plus, Apple now recommends some kind of virus protection for Macs. As their market share has increased, so has the potential for them to be a target. It's not that the Mac is immune to viruses and security threats, it's that no one really cared enough about their presence to take the time and devise malicious code for it.

PCs have their downsides, sure, but they have significant upsides as well. These kids aren't doing anything so platform specific that it can't be done on a PC.

$1,000 vs. $400. Do the math.
- William Smith, Manchester, NH

This was a good decision by Hooksett. So many people get caught up in the initial purchase price (yes, Mac hardware is a bit more expensive) but forget the higher support costs that come with buying a PC. PC's are a lot more prone to viruses and other problems than Macs are and it's been well-documented that the total support cost of a PC vs a Mac over the life of the computer is indeed higher.

To Gary in Stratham: Yes, Windows is the dominant OS in the business world but that is changing. According to surveys, Apple has gained significant market share in the past few years (approx 12% market share - BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volvo COMBINED don't even have 12% market share of worldwide auto sales, yet they're doing just fine) and younger people are migrating to the Mac in droves. I'd also like to remind you that these are first and second graders. They're not going to be in the business world anytime soon. If you know what platform businesses are going to be using twenty years from now please tell us. I'd like to buy stock in that company now.
- Bryan, Nashua

How many of you have an I-Pod and love how easy it is to use? Guess what, MAC! I bet you aren't confused using your PC after that. That is what is great about using a MAC, the computers are that easy to use also. They have none of the security issues of a PC. I have gone to MACs at home for myself and kids and will never go back to a PC. I suffer through using one at work. The additional security features for safety on a MAC for internet are amazing. Check one out, you just might change your mind!
- JLD, Bedford, NH

there is a reason you only see PC repair shops everywhere.

Yes there are many PC in businesses, I worked in a hospital -admin used PCs and the hospital had a huge IT staff full of highly paid people... the doctors and scientists used Macs, they needed a dependable machine which was easily self-maintained. The highly paid IT staff were the ones who always argued against Macs... it reminded me of the Oil Industry arguing against solar energy a few decades ago.

I read that software was a big issue, well had it been the other way around -the Macs could have used the PC software and Mac software. PCs use PC software and crash a lot.

The Yugo was a good analogy. Imagine a car that did not require servicing and a slightly more expensive car that required tune ups, oil changes, etc. If you go with the car that needs service then you must be a mechanic.
- cjn, manchester

How dare anyone question a bureaucrat or educator as to what is be$t for the children...
- tree, bedford

I love everyone trying to say kids shouldnt use MACS because PC's are used in the business world. Come on, its not hard to learn both OS. I use a PC at work and a MAC at home. Its not tough! Second, the business world may use PC's, but there are plenty of other industries that use MACS such as any advertising / art business. Use your head people!
- Fergmatt, Manchester, NH

Gary from Stratham,

These are 1st and 2nd grade students. Do you think the computers these kids will use in jobs 10-12 years from now will bear any resemblance to any operating system in use today?

Even if they did, kids adapt very easily. When we set up a spare computer for kids and guests, I loaded it with Ubuntu Linux. The teens and tweens who had never even seen Linux had no problems picking up immediately how to use it, with no instruction at all.

If we "teach them what they'll use in business", then we should have touch screens with pictures of hamburgers and fries.
- Kevin, Lancaster

Good for those students because I am jealous! I have owned personal computers for over twenty years. The kids get to learn on the best tool available.
Sure laptops can be purchased for less than four hundred bucks. You could also buy a Yugo for under five grand, but where are they now? Mac will be around for some time! You get what you pay for.
The purchased was an intelligent one by the IT guys employed by the school district. Do you think those kids want to spend their entire pc time downloading the weekly bug fixes that Microsoft deploys? I have 8 workstations in my home, all pc's, and I am so sick of ridiculous security issues Microsoft has. It takes some time!
Enjoy the Mac's, kids! Good for you! And good for the Hooksett school district.
Finally, Hooksett is in the news for a positive reason!
- Tom Donovan, Hooksett, Nh

The decision to "go with Mac's" in 2001 was made due to the district recieving a federal grant for HARDWARE only. This grant was given to Hooksett because the districts technology was so old. At that time Hooksett was already all Mac and so was the thousands of dollars in software purchases. The grant did not include software. At that time, there was no Open Source software available. If Hooksett switched to PC's, it would have cost the district tens of thousands of dollars in software costs. Also, the total cost of ownership for macs was much less than PC'c. Viruses for the Mac were uncommon and Hooksett had only 1 tech support person. Since 2001 things have changed, with the advent of Open Source software, thin clients etc.. My favorite quote still is: "The best computer is the one that works!" Except for tech support, the platform doesn't really matter anymore.
- Jim, Manchester

I don't think tax money should be spent on computers, which are an ineffective tool and a poor substitute for actual teaching.

But that issue aside, the Macs will be good for three times as long as the PCs. Saving money at the initial purchase is false economy.
- Kevin, Lancaster

This whole article, the representatives of the school, their administrators and those who pay the bills (the tax payers) are all doing a great disservice to the students by going the Mac route.

90% of businesses in the USA use PC's and Windows (not Mac's). Starting kids off with a Mac will only confuse them (Unless, of course, they are loading Windows on them). The decision to use PC's and Windows by business are made by those who have studied the matter extensively. The actual number of businesses that use Mac's is around 3% and they are used primarily for some specific media applications as a rule.

All NH school districts should know this, or apparently have no clue of what businesses use?

This is like buying locomotives for drivers ed classes, leather belt driven mills for machine shop, or cut and paste desks for graphic arts.

It's beyond explanation.

Let's teach the kids what they need to know, not what a few stuffy teachers want them to know, and stop wasting taxpayer money.
- Gary, Stratham, NH

This kind of thing is simply "par for the course" in Hooksett. Our taxes just went up over $600 and they buy expensive laptops? I dont even own a laptop and my personal PC certainly is not up to Hooksett school district standards. But they dont call this place "Crooksett" for nothing.
- Diana, Hooksett

First off, the Mac is an excellent product. No one will argue that point. Also, I am not at all involved in the computer industry, however I know a good bit about computer technology.

A good value purchase for the elementary school? Gimme a break already! This is just one more example of just how out of touch some within the education profession are.

And the School Board that made the decision to adopt a Mac based platform proves just how out of touch they are with real world business (how many offices and businesses do you walk into and see Mac's being used? "Duh!") Their total disregard for spending the people's money prudently is at least no surprise.

Amazing how idiotic the thinking of some without real world perspective can be!
- Jeff, Manchester