“The Cobb County school board says its attorneys will look into an allegation that school leaders pressured employees to pick Apple Computer to supply a new laptop computer program,” Kristina Torres reports for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The last witness who testified in a hearing Friday about the program’s legitimacy made the allegation.”
“Mindy DiSalvo, who was on a committee that scored initial bids from companies seeking to supply the laptops, said a system employee hinted that school leaders wanted Apple to win. Although Dell and IBM scored higher than Apple initially, DiSalvo indicated that scores changed in subsequent assessments. Apple eventually was picked to supply the program,” Torres reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: In a world where nothing’s certain but death, taxes, and the Cobb County iBook saga, we have to ask in which category did the Dell and IBM laptops running Windows score higher than the Apple Macs? Virus, adware, malware, and spyware infestation downtime? Butt ugly case design? Bassackwards upside down user interface? Running the latest games instead of doing schoolwork? No, really, we want to know. Perhaps the Dell and IBM laptops running Windows scored higher in third-rate applications that try and fail to be iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, iDVD, etc.? Maybe it was in the category of overall productivity hit due to underlying OS? Most patches required? Wishing they were Macs? Escalating IT staff and budget? Greatest Total Cost of Ownership increase? Most probably, it was a combination of all of the above.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Lawsuit to halt Cobb County’s 63,000 Apple iBooks for education plan goes to court today – July 08, 2005
Cobb County’s Apple iBooks in schools saga continues with lawsuit – June 04, 2005
Lawsuit filed to stop Cobb County’s Apple iBook program – June 01, 2005
Cobb County school board approves Apple Mac plan; could eventually distribute 63,000 iBooks – April 29, 2005
Henrico school board dumps Apple Macs, picks Dells with Windows – April 29, 2005
Cobb County school officials intend to move forward with Apple iBook program – April 21, 2005
Cobb Commission chief urges delay in Apple iBook program, says issue has become too emotional – April 20, 2005
No conflict of interest in ongoing Cobb County Apple iBook saga – April 19, 2005
More controversy in Atlanta-area school district’s plan to buy Apple iBooks – April 16, 2005
Cobb County Georgia approves first phase of plan that could equip schools with 63,000 Apple iBooks – April 15, 2005
Atlanta-area school district on verge of deal for 31,000 Apple iBooks – April 12, 2005
Cobb teachers voice concerns over using Macs for proposed laptop program – March 29, 2005
Cobb County Georgia meeting discusses plan to equip schools with 63,000 Apple iBooks – February 24, 2005
Report: 90 percent of emails opposed to Georgia’s Apple iBook program – February 10, 2005
65,000 Apple iBooks for Georgia schools one of the largest school laptop programs in the country – February 10, 2005
Georgia school district to propose 63,000 Macs for students and teachers – February 07, 2005
No I think it’s people’s lack of knowledge about just what a Mac can do. The students were happy with them, the teachers were happy with them. Aren’t they the one’s who should really decide? They are the ones that are going to work with them. Not these board members or lawyers.
The IT people are probably behind this as well. God forbid would they ever want or need to learn something other Windows.
Dell and IBM scored higher than Apple initially when it was a motherboard in a box
but wait…
u need video cards…
audio cards…
software…
OS…
virus software…
network software…
geez, that dell is now at 10k
No, the IT people are behind it because half of them would be out of a job if it weren’t for Windows PCs. Afterall, there wouldn’t be any more viruses, spyware and other malware for them to clean up anymore…
What’s wrong with trying to make sure the deal is legit?
Are you saying, that because it’s Apple, a little cheating here and there isn’t a big deal?
When it comes to millions of public dollars on the line, I’d like to know things happened legitimately before the money changed hands rather as an afterthought.
Of course it should go without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – the deal should be scrutinized despite what vendor is chosen.
What’s wrong with trying to make sure the deal is legit?
Are you saying, that because it’s Apple, a little cheating here and there isn’t a big deal?
When it comes to millions of public dollars on the line, I’d like to know things happened legitimately before the money changed hands rather as an afterthought.
Of course it should go without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – the deal should be scrutinized despite what vendor is chosen.
What’s wrong with trying to make sure the deal is legit?
Are you saying, that because it’s Apple, a little cheating here and there isn’t a big deal?
When it comes to millions of public dollars on the line, I’d like to know things happened legitimately before the money changed hands rather as an afterthought.
Of course it should go without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – the deal should be scrutinized despite what vendor is chosen.
This deal should be “scrutinized” by who–the courts? Are you kidding?? If there is one institution LESS competent than a school board in evaluating the best computers for schools, it’s a court of law. So what if the leadership of the district made a decision that differed/overruled some advisory committee? As pointed out above, the teachers preferred the Macs. Unless it can be documented that the decision-makers personally benefited (financially) from the decision, it’s their responsibility to use their best judgment. Sounds like sour grapes from some Wintel fanboy (or girl).
Get a grip.
RT
This deal should be “scrutinized” by who–the courts? Are you kidding?? If there is one institution LESS competent than a school board in evaluating the best computers for schools, it’s a court of law. So what if the leadership of the district made a decision that differed/overruled some advisory committee? As pointed out above, the teachers preferred the Macs. Unless it can be documented that the decision-makers personally benefited (financially) from the decision, it’s their responsibility to use their best judgment. Sounds like sour grapes from some Wintel fanboy (or girl).
Get a grip.
RT
This deal should be “scrutinized” by who–the courts? Are you kidding?? If there is one institution LESS competent than a school board in evaluating the best computers for schools, it’s a court of law. So what if the leadership of the district made a decision that differed/overruled some advisory committee? As pointed out above, the teachers preferred the Macs. Unless it can be documented that the decision-makers personally benefited (financially) from the decision, it’s their responsibility to use their best judgment. Sounds like sour grapes from some Wintel fanboy (or girl).
Get a grip.
RT
Waste of time and money… just buy the Apples already.. you know they are better… I SAY TAKE IT TO THE SUPREME COURT!!
Overheard at breakfast tables in Cobb County-
“Why that Mac doesn’t even come with Anti-Virus software. Mildred, have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in all of your life?”
“No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H.L. Mencken
The danger is always there that people automatically assume initial lowest price equals best deal.
They are almost always wrong.
Tenders like these employ an arbitrary rating system. It depends on what factors in the specs are most important to you as to how heavy you weight them. So if Ease of Use and lack of Malware is weighted as very important the Macs will win. On the other hand, the Macs might lose if you just go on price of the base unit.
I don’t think it should be illegal to want the best system to win. Having the specs weighted so the best system wins is the way to see that this happens. Bias towards the best solution is not bias in my opinion, it is just being smart.
Next time my boss tells me what to do, I’m going to sue because the leaders shouldn’t be “pressuring” the employees…
Unless the board that made the decision was somehow bound by the scoring committee’s results, I don’t see how their possible overriding the scores by deciding to get Macs anyway would be illegal or controversial. These people are put in that job to make decisions, after all.
It’s the total cost of the operation that is more interesting. The initial plaintive said that ‘replacing obsolete hardware’ does not equal giving every teacher and student a top of the line machine. (Note that he never critisized the fact that Apple was chosen over some other brand.) I have to say I understand that point of view.
A point that is unclear, of course, is the question if the plaintive would have had the same problem if some other brand was chosen. As we simply don’t know that, I suggest we take it easy on the conspiracy theories, lest we come across as mindless blind fanboys.
Apple snatches defeat from the jaws of victory…