[muglo] Re: PC / Mac Argument on Ivey List

Alan Pomfret:

> If you give us some idea of what they are saying on the list we could
> probably be of more help to you.

Hi Alan. Thanks for the reply.

Well, unfortunately it's nothing specific.  No challenges, just 'Ivey gets
what Ivey wants...they support PC's because they're trying to deliver an
education...'  Stuff like that.

Also, it was more a posting in frustration than anything else.  I've given
up on replying to such calls of ignorance a long time ago, it's just that
this time I want to represent the Mac properly.

> From the posts so far it seems as if
> the main gripes against Mac boil down to the old 'its just a pretty
> piece of fluff' compared to real computers such as Windows. Of course,
> MS and others keep trying to come up with ways of legally emulating the
> fluff as much as possible, but that is another story. But more often
> than not the commentary on Windows discussion lists are idiosyncratic
> at best. They certainly are not based on any experience or knowledge of
> the existing information.

Exactly.  
 
> To me, one of the biggest selling points for the Mac is that those who
> have given both systems a fair try almost always go for the Mac. My
> impression is that, in general, Mac users are much more familiar with,
> more more frequently use, Windows than vice versa. Admittedly, this is
> often out of necessity but it does make one wonder who the fanatics are.

I brought up the fact that from his words, most recently being 'whim and
fantasy' (to choose a Mac over a PC), he's spent zero time on a Mac.  I told
him to perhaps take some time to see why I am choosing a Mac over a PC, for
the reasonable accolades of having a better ROI, productivity and stability
rating than the PC environment, not to mention one I prefer to work in.
 
> A relative of mine who was recently certified for WIndows and attended
> his first IT provider conference. He was discussing some of the
> deficiencies in the Windows OS when he was told that many ITers were
> glad about the problems because it provided them with employment.

Bingo.  This keeps a verbal individual (sales person) for Windows, installed
in an establishment.

> (I 
> think they have a point, It seems to me that one of the main benefits
> of inefficiency is that it does provide people with employment and
> hence ways to raise families and pay for others to do the same). But
> this anecdote is consistent with the few cost benefit studies I was
> able to find comparing Windows with Mac OS - the Mac system was always
> cheaper to run. If anyone knows of any study showing the opposite I
> would be interested in hearing about it.
> 
> Apple has a Switch page at http://www.apple.com/switch/

I was going to start throwing URLs, however I had a look at Apple's and it
isn't quite geared towards serious enterprise use.
 
> I think the basic reality is that Windows successfully played to the
> business and commercial needs and on the basis of inroads there edged
> Mac out of the consumer as well as business markets, as it is now doing
> in the increasingly anxiety prone and business dominated education
> market (and I am talking about mindshare as well as other trends here).
> And Windows does adequately meet the needs of many of its users.

As does a Big Mac.  The majority of users out there use Office and nothing
more.  

> Certainly no one ever got fired for recommending the adoption of a
> Windows network even when the rationale given for the decision is based
> on inaccurate information and a certain amount of fear mongering. But I
> think that it is interesting that those in a position to exhibit some
> independence (i.e., the knowledgeable and highly skilled 'geek'
> community) do not flock to Windows. It remains to be seen how much the
> Unix crowd will warm to Mac OS X, but the early signs are not
> discouraging.

I've heard that about 'nobody got fired', but it was using IBM.
 
> But I remain puzzled by the fact that Ivey still transfers files
> exclusively via floppy. Wow. I could understand it if it were merely
> one option. After all, it is probably unreasonable to ask those
> advocating innovation in other people's lives to innovate in their own
> (you don't think that is too sarcastic, do  you?) But even the Windows
> world is abandoning the floppy.  BTW, here is what the Harvard of the
> South offers re computing services to its faculty
> http://www.hbs.edu/research/rcs/

Yes.  The floppy thing just baffled me.

As for innovation, one recent grad told me they are full of iBankers, so
they are very institutionalized.  I have already questioned how far the
school might be associated with MS, and I might do some investigation as to
how much MS has invested into Ivey.

Interesting about Hawvawd.  I applied there too, but since I didn't donate
an oil field or a 7 million dollar fountain, they said 'go fly a kite'.  :-)

> Without being aware of the Ivey's equipment, I can see why any CD
> burned on you Mac should not be accessible by a Windows machine if all
> you are doing is transferring a file. With OS X you should be able to
> transfer the files via a 802.11b or 802.11g connection. I would find it
> hard to believe the Ivey is not wired to these protocols. I don't see
> why you can't publish the file to your .mac account or to your UWO web
> site and simply email the URL to the administrator to download via
> HTTP. For text files I would assume rtf format would work for most but
> the current MS Word programs for Mac and Windows open Word files
> created on the opposite platform. Apple has paid a lot of attention to
> networking Mac in non-Mac environments. Most of the difficulties in
> access these capabilities lie between the chair and the keyboard.

I'm not PC savvy.  I was just asking about the technical aspects of the file
format, or image format, of an OS burned CD on a Mac.  I know I can use
Toast and burn an ISO 1996 or whatever it is, and get away with it.  Would
be nice to burn on the OS alone though.  Again, I'll have to do some
testing.

Transferring using 802.11 (they don't support G, sigh), would mean someone
would have to have filesharing on.  After some of the conversations, most of
them would be happy to have MS Office installed and working.  They only
support B so far.  I can turn on my own Windows Filesharing, but then I'd
have to get them to mount a server and look for my dynamic IP on the DHCP
network.  See, every way I turn, it's some silly thing or another, based
upon PC closemindedness or inexperience.

I'll be running my own fixed IP and dynamic web server, mail server, ftp
server, at my place come August.  In the works right now to get pepole's
attention.  They are currently reviewing if the wireless components, will be
turned off during classtime.  Too many people surfin porn and MSNing
eachother, apparently.

Word is the standard, but I choose Tex-Edit over anything else.
 
> Most of me believes that this can't possibly be such a big deal. Other
> than being able to use the platform of your choice, does anyone really
> care about what others are using? I hope  your upcoming experiences
> don't prove me wrong.

Well, I have made it a personal project to get this all cleared up.  2
applications are used singly in 2 separate days.  SABRE and MS Project.
I'll get a copy of VPC and go for it.  They are using XP (strange how the X
made it in there). 

As for others caring, I think there are a lot of egos I might either give
fodder to argument to, so they take advantage of what they think could make
them look good.  I can respond to anything, especially the usual accusations
that have no meat.  That's what's been going on so far.  Secondly, there are
egos that might be damaged by anybody trying to do something outside the
box.  Entrepreneurs are apparently scarce around there, so they love the
'summer camp' infastructure of institutions, so they play the social games
as opposed to focussing on getting a job done.  What a shame, eh?  I'm sure
by the end of the 2 years, they'll realize I am going to challenge myself,
not to compare myself to others.  You see, I'm a Mac guy.  I am an
individual.  I can hunt, breed, and dance, on my own.

Cheers

...wait, did I just say I can breed on my own?  You know what I mean.



--- Rich Fortnum / Viaduct Productions / Toronto (EST)
--- Introducing LDCMS Web-based Content Management System!!!
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