08-13-2009, 08:17 PM
PeterB wrote:
Wow, this part is astounding:
"The Macintosh "pogrom" reportedly began when then-Superintendent Gary Norris came to town and declared the school system would be PC-only. A variety of students and teachers protested – including sending letters to the editor. Even though Norris is gone, the surplus declaration for Macs continues.
The school system, at the urging of joint county-school board information technology chief Bob Hanson, entered into a leasing agreement with Hewlett-Packard this year to replace all school computers with HP machines as existing computers aged beyond five years. The Booker "Mac massacre"– as another teacher dubbed it – is part of the five-years-and-out effort."
... wait, so one guy just arbitrarily said "no Macs", and that's what's led to this...? Shouldn't that be a decision for an IT department? I'm guessing there might have been some kickbacks to the HP rep...
Re-read what you quoted: "at the urging of ... IT chief ..."
These things are always decided by IT departments, because nobody else raises their voice, and there won't be enough Mac users to shout down the PC lovers. Teachers? Why listen them? What do THEY know about it? They're just users
Regarding "kickbacks" --- there are always incentives by HP, Dell etc. Apple offers very little unless they get involved in a big state-wide deal. And IT always loves dealing with PC companies and MS; they don't get the same kind of love and kisses from Apple. On that score it's hard to blame IT.
Regarding tossing them --- I'd like to hear from some accountants here. I'd "heard" that many places can't adequately show old tech as being depreciated and off the books unless it's destroyed, i.e. sent to the dump. I'll bet I'm wrong though.