“While nearly every college student can operate an Apple iPod with their eyes closed, the vast majority of Sam Houston State University students are unable to log in to an Apple computer on campus,” Andy Rhodes writes for The Houstonian (Sam Houston State University Student Newspaper). “Though Apple has found overwhelming success with its sleek music storage devices, when it comes to computers the opposite is quite true on this campus and many others across the nation. In order to access the Apple Macintosh computers on the SHSU campus, students must acquire a “Mac Account” through Computer Services. Yet due to low demand, most students never bother to get one.”
“The fact remains that most students have no use for the flashy visuals and complicated graphics programs that Apple’s Macintoshes are so famous for carrying. They may be more appealing to the eye, but Macintosh computers have yet to produce any real educational or basic functional value for the majority of college students,” Rhodes writes.
Rhodes writes, “According to Computer Services, students call in for help with their Macintoshes overwhelmingly more often than for PCs. Based on the number of Macs versus the number of PCs on campus, students seem to experience much more difficulty in operating the Apple system as opposed to other more standard systems. ‘We definitely receive at least two to three calls a day for help with the Macs,’ Kaleb Cuevas, sophomore psychology major and Computer Services employee, said. ‘It’s usually because of something like the operating system messing up. But it’s often because of user error too.'”
Rhodes writes, “More often than not, students and even faculty turn to PCs simply because they are easier and more practical to use. According to Cuevas, PCs could be described as more business based than the Mac, with an emphasis on typing-based programs such as Word. With the majority of college students’ assignments focusing on word-based projects and papers, the PC logically provides a much better means of producing their work. ‘PCs are more user friendly,’ Cuevas said.”
“It may seem that Macs could be done away with altogether after finding that most students on-campus do not even use them. However, many courses and majors at SHSU require students to use programs only available on Macs,” Rhodes writes. “Because of their editing and design capabilities, Macs are king in the world of art. Many courses and projects in the art department require the use of programs and capabilities only available on Macintoshes, giving many students a big incentive to pick the Macs over a PC. ‘I think they’re a lot better,’ Chris Pry, junior mass communications major said. ‘They’re more user friendly for Photoshop, and they process things a lot faster.'”
“In addition to having better applications for students to use, Macs also may be easier to access than other computers on campus. Since many students do not have Mac accounts or avoid using the Macs, those who do have accounts have a much simpler time finding a computer to use,” Rhodes writes. “Having Macs on campus seems to have created a catch-22 for students and faculty alike, as some struggle with simple tasks while others cannot complete any assignments without them. So as Computer Services continues to deal with Mac complaints and photography majors continue building their masterpieces on exclusive Mac applications, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will keep getting richer off students buying iPods and universities purchasing bittersweet Mac computers.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Macaday” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Most people are much more familiar with Windows than Mac OS X. Most people who really try Mac OS X and who are able to divorce themselves from ingrained Windows thought processes choose Mac OS X. Those who don’t, won’t, or can’t do so, understandably can’t operate Macs effectively and stick solely to Windows. For just one example among many, it takes people a little while to understand that Mac programs don’t quit when you close a window. Some concepts are quite alien to Windows-only users.
Windows-only users “choose” Windows because that’s all they know. Most Mac users have been exposed to Windows at work/school. Most Windows users simply have little or no experience with Mac. In our experience, people who have used both Mac and Windows overwhelmingly and quite tellingly choose Macintosh. Mac users have made a conscious technology choice and are therefore better informed. You don’t see a lot of Mac OS X users switching to Windows, that’s for sure.
Macs are different than Windows. Macs are also much better than Windows, but only those who have used both OSes understand that fact. The rest will continue to ignore Macs, and even spout ignorant comments such as those seen in the article referenced above, unless they get a chance to properly use a Mac. The Apple retail stores are helping. Positive Apple Mac reviews are helping. Dissatisfaction with Windows security problems is helping. Switchers are quite effective in helping, too. The ability to run Windows on Macs will help immensely (embrace and extinguish). It’ll take time, but many will eventually come to understand, appreciate, and choose the Mac platform. We believe that process is accelerating today.
Related articles:
Mossberg offers advice on switching from Windows to Mac – October 05, 2006
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Apple’s Mac market share rises over 24-percent year-over-year – September 21, 2006
Apple Mac’s 2007 market share climb will dumbfound almost everyone, create mayhem in PC market – September 08, 2006
My switch from Windows XP to Apple Mac OS X – August 30, 2006
The Age: Switch to Apple Mac; just say no to Microsoft Windows – August 15, 2006
NY Times covers the basics of switching from Windows PC to Apple Mac – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Liberal blogger on switch from Windows to Mac: I’m sold – August 03, 2006
IDC: Apple Mac attained 4.8% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006
Gartner: Apple Mac grabbed 4.6% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006
Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X – July 13, 2006
Sophos: Apple Mac OS X’s security record unscathed; Windows Vista malware just a matter of time – July 07, 2006
Top Ten Reasons I’m Glad I’m a Mac Switcher – June 20, 2006
Switching To The Mac: A Guide For Windows Users – June 15, 2006
BusinessWeek: big market-share gains coming for Apple’s Macintosh – June 15, 2006
Sydney Morning Herald Tech columnist dumps Microsoft Windows, switches to Apple Mac – June 13, 2006
Analysts: Apple Mac market share to surge by end of 2006 – June 07, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Apple Boot Camp’s ‘Windows Insecurity Blanket’ helps buyers decide to switch to Macs – May 19, 2006
PC Magazine: Top ten questions and answers about switching to Apple Macintosh – May 18, 2006
Macs that run Windows will calm potential switchers’ irrational fears – April 06, 2006
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
Thurrott: ‘Mac users have made conscious technology choice and are therefore better informed’ – December 06, 2004
That’s why they’re at college–they’re learning–they’ll get it eventually.
One has to appreciate the daring satire in the article, at least…!
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“According to Cuevas, PCs could be described as more business based than the Mac, with an emphasis on typing-based programs such as Word.” and Word doesn’t run an a Mac??? What a dusch bag
What happend to the raving maniac editor at MDN that would attack this type of fud piece without once thingking of where the writer was coming from?
I applaud the MDN take here on this article and look foward to more sensible discussions in the future. If the old editor is on holiday, please extend it undefinately.
What happend to the raving maniac editor at MDN that would attack this type of fud piece without once thingking of where the writer was coming from?
I applaud the MDN take here on this article and look foward to more sensible discussions in the future. If the old editor is on holiday, please extend it undefinately.
meant douchebag, I really can’t spell. I’m so em bare assed
mw. Student, hmmmm maybe I’ll learn
well… this makes Sam Houston Sutdents sound like idiots. Perhaps their student population is the problem, not the computers. When a Computer Services employee says “the operating system ‘messes up'” that send a clear signal they have no idea of what they speak.
Friggin’ uninformed hitpiece.
What is wrong with people…
Eschew Mac, chew on crap!
As I was reading this, I was waiting for the MDN take where it ripped the article apart. (Especially where it said PC’s are easier to use.”
That’s why I read this site. Bring back the commentary.
MDN Word: problems, as in Macs have fewer problems than PC’s
He says PCs are more “user friendly” than Macs? That must be a typo. I think the author meant to say “virus friendly.”
just got a mac for my girlfriends 65 yr old mother, and she works it perfectly with very minimal overview from me, and these guys are uni students hhmmmm, ill say no more
“…most students have no use for the flashy visuals and complicated graphics …”
My Mac is too flashy, please help me.
I’m confused, it’s too complicated.
There’s no “Start” button to shut down!
Helppppp!!!
(Yes, I’m really a university student, what are you implying, that I’m stoopid??
Why I otta…get a Dell…
Agree with the post above…. Good, clear, sensible response… and TRUE!
This article is a steaming pile of howdoyoudo.
It’s clear from the limited info given here that Sam Houston’s IT dept makes Mac users jump through hoops even to use the computers. But, I have a few questions:
“two or three” Mac calls a day for a student body of HOW MANY thousands?
What version of “Mac” operating system are they using?
How many Macs, how many PC’s are we talking about?
And finally, what huge percentage of PC’s are FLAT OUT NON-FUNCTIONAL on any given day?? I’ll bet it’s big.
Anyway, it sounds like the college should just buy ’em all a bunch of typewriters if that’s all they use their PCs for… it seems like their students have a problem with anything more advanced.
“PC’s are just easier to use”?, No, typewriters are.
My son attended Texas State University and brought his iBook with him. He was on their network as soon as he plugged in the ethernet cable in his dorm room. In the library his Airport card instantly picked up the internet. Sounds like the Windows-centric “tech” guys at SHSU need to get off of their butts and do some work. They are definitely behind the curve. Requiring a “Mac Account” in this day and age is ridiculous.
Windows users having to buy a Mac to use for an Arts course certianly would have a lot of questions.
IT weenies like the one quoted in the article are probably giving the wrong answers.
If you have to ask the same question, over and over again, you do help generate a lot of Mac calls.
OK I’ll add the MDN ‘on holiday’ piece for those going a bit soft in the head!
This uni is just 159 miles from the HQ of… yep you guessed, Dell.
With that proximity the guy has probably been sat on by his aunts, uncles, grandparents, uncles of friends and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all to smack those up and coming Macs and get folk back to buying Dells…
Too funny!
All of these comments and I’ll bet no one read the actual article. How do I know?
The “Full article here.” link is incorrect!
My 9 years old son has easily mastered a Mac and my 12 years old son rates it far and away better than the PCs he has to use at school yet “…State University students are unable to log in to an Apple computer..”
America – here is your future. Doofers.
You would be surprised at how little windows users know about Macs.
SAm Houston State University has had a number of names over the years. One short lived name was the Sam Houston Institute of Technology. That would come out as S.H.I.T. rather than S.H.S.U. maybe they would prefer a brown Microsoft Zune.
This is a third tier school in a state full of third tier minds. You know-Dubya’s voting base.
What’s even more sad is that this place cranks out Education Majors like Nabisco does cookies. Doesn’t bode well for the future of education in east Texas, does it?
Well, if nobody is maintaining those Macs, what do you expect? Sounds to me like the IT staff at that college have very little clue about Macs, and they probably don’t maintain them like they do the Windows PCs, which I’m sure don’t need regular anti-spyware, anti-virus and popup blocker updates, not to mention all the security patches.
What I’d like to know is, how old are their Macs, and what OS are they running?
This FUD article seems like something I would have read about 4-5 years ago. I can’t believe this kind of biased misinformation is still being spread today.
By the way, MDN, you need to fix the link. Looks like it’s changed. Full article requires registration though, so most people won’t bother with it anyway. No great loss.
Obviously a “grassroots” MS piece. I wouldn’t say this is based on misunderstanding. I’d say someone’s suckling on the M$ teet.
This has totally shattered the confidence I had in the scholarship, intellectual rigor and overall educational environment of Sam Houston State University.
Nice how they add the bit about Steve Jobs getting richer off Mac and iPod purchases, as if he’s laughing all the way to the bank… but no similar commentary about Bill Gates and all the Windows and Office purchases they’re making. This piece was carefully crafted.
The truth is that when a PC is puchased/used in the real world by an Average Joe, that machine will be compromised and virtually unusable within six months. Anyone who buys a cheap PC online or at the local Wal-Mart and DOES NOT HAVE ON-DEMAND ACCESS TO A PC TECHIE is doomed! And that is a fact of PC life. Look at the rip-off “drycleaning” services offered by ALL of the big-box stores today! “For ONLY $100 we’ll remove all of the spyware, malware, trojans, worms, viruses, and MS software from your machine . . . and we’ll need to keep it here at the shop for only three to four weeks!”
Can you even IMAGINE such a service for a Mac? ROTFLMAO!
WinFans deserve everything they get, ladies and gentlmen; I truly believe that. The total cost of ownership for a PC for an “Average Joe” is absolutely astronomical, which very few people of that ilk can–or ever will–understand. It’s like buying a $500 car from a drunken neighbor: Looks like a deal at first, but it ain’t a’gonna’ get you to work in a few months!
Maybe this piece is intended as satire.
Let me check the calendar to be sure it’s not April Fools Day.
While I applaud the MDN take here it contains a little inexactitude.
“System Preferences” and “Help Viewer” are two examples of Mac applications that quit when you close the window.
Very irritating and very unApple especially as they come from Apple.
This article is hysterical.
For instance: “typing-based programs such as Word”??? How do I manage to sit at the keyboard all day typing on my Mac when there are so few applications based on this method of input? And if only that program could be Word!!!! Businesses only use “typing-based programs”, I hear. Strange that, at my company, I give PC users instructions on how to use Excel. Of course, maybe I’m just out of touch (1990 grad) and didn’t realized college these days is like the business world. I guess, having made it through college with on a Mac, I could not possibly complete the “typing-based” assignments in the college of today.
“Having Macs on campus seems to have created a catch-22 for students and faculty alike, as some struggle with simple tasks while others cannot complete any assignments without them.” Sorry, that is not a catch-22. This would only be a catch-22 if Macs were the exclusive computer on campus, since there is an option for the tasks that people “struggle” to do with a Mac.
Whatever.
Sounds like another PR piece funded from Redmond. You can always find a whore if you have the dough.
When it comes to my PB I can’t log into my college wi-fi despite having the latest certificate etc…
Will keep trying though.
TTzz, Apple is very well aware of those window behaviors, and were intentionally made that way. Many applications will quit when there are no windows left open, because the application is useless without at least one window open. Why force them to click on “Quit” when it is the only option available?
ron–this is dan rather’s alma mater, i think that have gotten what they have been taught…which is, “as a journalist, true is whatever you says it is”
MW: “most” as in “Most people don’t know what they are missing by only using Windows PCs.”
A few points I picked up from the article:
1) Never EVER hire a Sam Houston grad. If they can’t work a Mac, I don’t wanna know what else they can’t do.
2) Never EVER hire a psychology major as your Computer Services technical person. Don’t let them talk to the press.
3) If you have a Mac lab and the OS crashes, you need to fix that. Users should not be experiencing that.
4) The Computer Services group should understand all the machines they are responsible for. If you are in Computer Services and you don’t know that Macs can run Word, Excel, etc., you need to be educated or fired.
“… Macintosh computers have yet to produce any real educational or basic functional value for the majority of college students…”
HOW ABOUT AN OS THAT WORKS YOU TWIT!!!
Windows is earier to use and more user friendly??? Ok… Has this person ever used a Mac??
Never ask a man what computer he uses. If it’s a Mac, he’ll tell you. If it’s not, why embarrass him?- Tom Clancey “
And dont forget iPhoto, which I find very irritating.
Read the comments here. Quite entertaining.
It is surprising how many switchers/newbies are unable to grasp the simplicity of a Mac. Many go out of their way to make things more difficult, guess it’s hard to break old habits.
As an aside, I’m amused by the number of typographical errors on the Internet. Probably typed by those that cavil at the same in their local newspaper.
From what I read, I order to use a Mac on campus, you need get a special account that you don’t need to get to use a PC. Sounds like the IT dept. is creating extra hoops to use on campus Macs. So, no wonder people just use the PC.
BTW, it is Sam Houston State which is in Texas and Dell Country. I would be much more concerned seeing this type of article from a top-25 university.
I’m sure it’s a coincidence that students at a college in Texas believe a PC outperforms and is easier to use than a Mac, and the same students elected Bush as governor. That’s the quality of Texas education!
What a hoot. The difficulty lies with the lack of Mac support in web support. Difficulties in e-mailing others? Duh….its goes back to IT idiots.
PC’s are easier to use….normally that is crap but is true if you think in terms of getting web access for e-mailing etc. Stupid article makes SH university look like a bunch of frigtards. Maybe they are but I suspect that it is the usual suspects (a tiny group of PC loving IT morons plus one idiot newspaper journalist). There are not enough O’s in stoopid to describe those twits.
I am not sending my kid there (whereever it is)
I call bullshit on this article. My daughter goes to FSU (Florida State University. They are wonderfully intigrated with Mac’s and PC’s. She called me only once and it was because of Microsoft Office. FSu should be a case study in the compatibility between the Mac and PC.
My school uses PCs and Macs in all of their libraries and labs. Everyone uses the same account to log into either/or. No problems, no hicups, in addition, the school’s PC store sold more mac’s at back to school time then PCs (and they offer lease options on the PCs).
M di L B Simoni, I can see the method behind the madness. I close windows in apps when I am finished with that particular window but like the app running so I don’t have to relaunch it so it just gets very irritating when I don’t intend to quit the Sys Prefs or Help Viewer but close windows then have to relaunch them over and over again.
Been using a Mac for many moons and have become something of an old dog and its hard to learn new tricks especially when the old ones are still the norm.
What macaday said. They’re keeping it local, yo.
A friend of mine in Houston told me she was buying a Dell. I told her how much more she would prefer the Mac experience, how much I enjoyed it, etc. She basically said that while my experience sounded good, she would “keep it local.”
I understand the sentiment of “buying local.” I’m just glad I don’t have Dell in my backyard. Yecch!
I work as a Tech for my campus, only issue students have with macs is finding how to add the IP settings needed to connect to our network. Total mac trouble tickets in the past 2 years: 2 Total pc trouble tickets: 3,000+.
it’s called Active Directory, and OSX can handle it.
it’s the school fault for not using it.
ONE LOGIN for ALL SYSTEMS.
“”The fact remains that most students have no use for the flashy visuals and complicated graphics programs that Apple’s Macintoshes are so famous for carrying.”
WHAT THE F*CK KIND OF STATEMENT IS THIS? This guy sounds like an old geezer back in the 80’s.
All you Mac users and your flashy comPUters. Floobedy floo.
I think a fairly large number of IT people are not aware that Macs can use the SMB network protocol. That may be why their Mac users have to get a “mac account”. With SMB, there is no reason for a special account on the school’s servers. If I were there, I’d go to IT with my laptop, log into a non-mac account and then have them explain to me why it is impossible to do what I just did.
OTOH, we’re all just Apple cultists, so what we think doesn’t matter.
As previously pointed out, this is not a “Catch-22” but more of a “self-fulfilling prophesy”.
Example:
– The IT dept. believes Windows are more popular, thus less support and thought are given to Macs and their users.
– The users have a less than satisfying experience with the poorly supported Macs.
– The users complain about using the Macs, and the IT department is rewarded by their correct prediction …and the cycle continues.
It seems their IT department would have eliminated Macs altogether if it weren’t for those twinky, artsy-craftsy, people that want to do more with their computer than be a typewriter emulator.
But, please, make a very important note that many people think this way about government and laws. Are you one? Should majority always rule, or is the Constitution really written so the rights of the minority are not trampled by the majority?
Be very careful who you condemn others for using “majority rule”, you are probably one too! No? How do you feel about Gay Rights, Flag Burning, NEA Nude Art Funding, Multi-language Voting Ballots, etc. Do you think the majority needs protection from these evils or do you think these minorities need their freedom and liberties protected from the opressive majority?
You don’t need to want something to protect it. I may not burn flags but I will die to protect their right to express their anger in a way that does not harm others; I may not be gay, but I will die to protect their right to love the person of their choosing; I may not see the beauty of a painting of a 300lb nude man, but I will die to protect the artist’s right for expression. Willing to fight for freedom and liberty. At one time, being an American meant having pride in protecting those with no voice or power, those weaker than yourself; but, today it seems more trendy to be the bullying coward within a vast majority.
Be very careful of self-fulfilling prophesies made by a majority, they might come true.
“You would be surprised at how little windows users know about Macs.”
No I wouldnt. I worked at an Apple retail store for 4 years. The ignorance was astounding. The misinformation ran the gamut from people who didnt know you could use Word on a Mac, to people who didn’t think you could surf the internet on a Mac, to people who actually thought that Bill Gates OWNED Apple.
Yeah. And we hope these same people make educated choices when voting.
Macyak: If she wanted to keep it local, she would have to buy an HP/Compaq. They are located in Houston.
While I do not agree with the article, you should watch who you are calling stupid.
According to the SMOG Reading Level Calculator (http://www.linda-andrews.com/readability_tool.htm)…
The SHSU article has a reading level of…
Grade 13.22 – Some college, NY Times”
The MDN reply to it has a reading level of…
Grade 9.76 – “Some high school, Reader’s Digest”
The culprit is, as usual, Microsoft servers. I have dealt with this before.
Most IT staff at places like this are Microsoft Certified an don’t know sh*t about LINUX, UNIX, MAcs, Solaris or anything else. Moreover they do not wish to learn. They want to load up a ‘standard’ configuration and let it go.
Microsoft maintains a knowledge base, pubs and optional software that could eliminate the ‘problems’ with accessing the school’s servers and e-mail system.
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/entourage2004/entourage2004.aspx?pid=exup2004
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/entourage2004/entourage2004.aspx?pid=exup2004#improved
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=windows2000sfm#sfm
http://search.technet.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?siteId=1&tab=0&query=services+for+macintosh
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mail/2.0/en/ml89.html
Yeah, I “keep it local” when I buy, too – there are two Apple stores within five minutes of where I am sitting right now in Dallas, TX. That’s local enough for me!
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There are a number of blatent falsehoods in this piece. As someone who lectures in a medium sized University in the United Kingdom, I can comment that student support is very rarely required for Macs, as the principle problems from Window PCs stem from virus infestation, popups and other assorted malware. Even if SP2 is installed, students run various (“borrowed”) pieces of software that inevitably end up compromising the machine.
As for the statements along the lines of their being no extra educational value – perhaps the author has never sat through a keynote presentation with excellent graphics, slide transitions and brilliant fonts. Or prepared a diagram in Omnigraffle. Or attempted to create a short movie for a business presentation. Or created a kiosk DVD for an open day … etc etc..
This is the most absurdly irritating article I’ve ever read! What a bunch of morons! What was the point of this article, just to attack Macs? Did Ballmer pay for this article?
“I may not see the beauty of a painting of a 300lb nude man, but I will die to protect the artist’s right for expression.”
You had me until that one! Ballmer in a thong? MY EYES . . .IT BURNS . . .
I can’t even begin to comprehend the ignorance that pervades this writer’s perspectives. To say that this article is “black and white” implies some semblance of truth included in it. But the information here is based on old stigmas and then lies. What the hell is a “Mac account”? Basically, some IT Dept. must be having its way with the faculty and students by spreading FUD about how accessible and usable Macs are. And everyone else is too lazy to discover anything different for themselves.
M di L B Simoni, give me a break. You can’t compare conversational language to publication language. The writer, hopefully, took the time to edit and correct his grammar.
When we post, we say things like huh and WTF. And for emphasis, sometimes use sentence fragments.
Like this.
This is nothing more than a hit piece, full of lies, designed to get hits. It’ll look good on the resume they send to the New York Times.
My wife recently went back to a very expensive university after several years working in cross-platform tech support for companies like Symantec, Dantz, and Apple. She was given her choice of laptops as part of her $30,000 tuition. When she asked for a Mac she was told NOT to get one because the IT department couldn’t support it. She told them she still wanted one and that she was perfectly capable of supporting it herself. Whenever she calls IT with a network or email problem they tell her there’s nothing they can do and the problem is in her Mac. She then usually tells them how to fix their network and gets the problem solved. The university IT folks are dolts. They are terrified of anything outside the limited realms covered by their Microsoft certifications.
If the system is set up to make Macs don’t play well in it, is it a surprise that people have a problem operating Macs within the system? Duh! Blame the IT dept. for hiring incompetent people. Many mixed networks work just fine with Macs.
<b>To MDN:</i>
Can you turn Ampar’s extra long URL link into a hyperlink, please? The extra wide page makes it hard to read sonce one needs to scroll left and right.
I’m NOT proud to say that, over the last 20+ years I’ve logged more hours on Windows than Mac, and there is nothing easier about Windows than OS X – period. The most objective thing you can say is that they’re different.
I thought todays college students were smarter than this-I really did. If you prefer Doze-for whatever reason, fine-but don’t embarrass your school and yourself by using such inane and inaccurate statements. Graphics too complicated? WTF? What does an off the wall statement like that mean? You can deal with 1600×1200 Doom with all graphics turned on but you can’t deal with the main OS X screen? And exactly what “graphics” program is too complicated?
People are sheep and can be lead and/or brainwashed very easily by anyone who promises to them, “I’ve got the answer.” It doen’t matter if your talking about a hungry, dirt poor farmer in a third world country, or college students in the US. The need for the special account is all the tip off you need to have. This article was a hatchet job.
Again, you like Doze, fine, but I would be ashamed to sound as ignorant as the people being quoted in the article sound.
The problem is twofold
1- Microsoft Outlook/Exchange Servers
2- MS certification
Most of the problem with #2 is that many know Windows, but lack knowledge of anything else. Further, they have no desire to do so.
I must be a friggen genius. A whole university of young brilliant minds who cannot fathom a Mac, but I have used various Macs for many years without ever calling tech support.
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M di L B Simoni- You’re seemingly ready to die for many varied causes. Get ready to do just that when the Muslim terrorists take over because of all the wimpy appeasement that’s rife around the western world.
To M di L B Simoni, while I greatly appreciate your insightful and well-reasoned thoughts on this subject, I would like to elucidate the matter further by drawing your attention to the fact that the comments posted on this message board for Macintosh aficionados generally question the intellectual ability and integrity of the Sam Houston State Information Technology department (who clearly seem inextricably linked to the nearby personal computer manufacturer that happens to rhyme will smell) not the journalist who actually authored the article. Further to this point, I would also like to suggest that the journalist in question probably spent substantially more time concocting his article than most of the replies in this discussion forum – hence the noticable difference in SMOG reading level.
PS Stick the above paragraph into the SMOG calculator – Grade 23.86 (well above post-graduate degree/IRS Code level) Boo-shak-a-lak!!!
PPS Using short words doesn’t make someone stoopid
I went ahead and registered and found this comment to the above story. I thought you might like to read it. Most of the other comments were much shorter but in the same vein.
N.
COMMENT SECTION for the above article*********************8
J P
posted 10/05/06 @ 11:05 AM EST
After reading this story, I’m ashamed to say that I got a my degree in journalism from SHSUand that I was ever on the Houstonian staff. Why is this the lead story? It’s a biased hit piece, pure and simple and the conclusions that the author, Mr. Rhodes, comes to are ludicrous. Even as feature story, it’s flimsy at best.
It’s nice to know that some things don’t change. Even when I was at SHSU in the ’90s Computer Services had a grudge against anything that wasn’t an IBM box. Of course they have to come “fix” the Macs on campus. They aren’t maintained the way they should be. In one department office on campus that I am familiar with they are still running Mac OS X.1 on all their machines except one, and it’s running OSX.2 – which is five years old. Apple is about to release OS X.5 in the first quarter of next year, and many, many improvements have been made to the OS in the past five years. Try driving your five-year-old car without ever giving it an oil change or a tune-up. It will break, too. But the PCs are maintained and maintained and replaced frequently. Ever wonder why they require so much maintenance? Maybe because they break down so often? That’s the real “Catch .22” here.
Also, did anyone ever consider that demand for Mac usage is low because they are so hard to find, usually shoved off to a dark corner somewhere, because Mac labs have screwy hours and because Computer Services apparently requires each student to get a separate login from their PC account just to use one? How does that serve the students’ needs? Why can’t they figure out how to make each student’s Mac login the same as their PC login? It’s not hard to do. And as for getting “two or three calls a day” for help with a Mac … ever track how many people need help in the computer lab each day with their PC? Last time I was there – which wasn’t that long ago – people were still having problems and still needing help. I challenge Mr. Cuevas to put his statement to the test. Get rid of all tech support in the computer labs and then see how the help requests measure up. I don’t know the ratio now, but when I was a student at SHSU the ratio of PC to Mac techs was around 15:1. My roommate was a PC tech, so that’s not specualtion. I actually wrote a NEWS story about it for the Houstonian several years ago, when I was on the staff. And I used numbers to back up my story, not wild speculation and conjecture.
“Flashy visuals and complicated graphics programs?” You mean there are no flashy visuals in Windows XP? I guess looking like a Candy Land game isn’t considered “flashy” these days. Yeah, the Mac OS does some really cool things, ..
You want to talk about complicated programs? Adobe Photoshop runs on both the Mac and the PC. I use both frequently. It takes an average of 2-3 clicks more to get things done on the PC version of Photoshop than it does on the Mac. And don’t even get me started on trying to actually FIX anythng on a PC or plug in a piece of hardware and expect it to show up on your desktop without running four separate “wizards.”
The conclusion that “Macintosh computers have yet to produce any real educational or basic functional value for the majority of college students” is laughable on its face. I bet Mr. Rhodes didn’t know that the entire Microsoft Office suite runs on a Mac…
…
I learned to use a computer on a PC..
For so……
When I was on the Houstonian staff, the entire office was Mac-based, as was the Journalism Department. In fact, back then most of the administration, faculty and staff used Macs in their offices, with the exception of Computer Services and the Business Department. Go ask some professors who have been there for any length of time. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
So as an alum, I suggest that Mr. Rhodes actually do a little bit or reasearch before writing such biased crap and trying to pass it off as a news story, much less the LEAD story. I wonder. Did Mr. Rhodes put his hypothisis to the test for this story and actually write this story on a Mac? No? Maybe this should have been a feature story called “Macs make me uncomfortable because they’re not what I’m used to.” Macs may require a little bit of “out of the box” thinking initially. But then again, isn’t that what’s SUPPOSED to be happening in an institute of higher learning?
Think different. Exactly.
Well, I was going to add some more comments, but I think Norm e. just about covered it for me.
Clearly not an ivy league school. Is that a university or an asylum? Or are these students simply retarded? Or is this some kind of candid camera skit? Or is this report from the Twilight Zone?
Well, it is in Texas, after all. That place does seem to be some kind of alternate reality.
I can tell you that at Harvard Medical School and it’s affiliated hospitals, where I work, and at MIT’s Whitehead Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the two most prestigious organizations in American biological science, the majority of the scientists use Macs. I would estimate about 60%. I’m willing to bet that’s also true at most other top American universities.
This article has gotten a lot of people upset needlessly.
It was a joke people. a badly written satire.
Sam Houston State University? Never heard of it.
I’ve heard of it – it was where QB Rhett Bomar went after he got kicked out of the Oklahoma program for accepting too much cash for selling cars or something (heard about it on ESPN). Other than that, don’t know much about it.
SMOG level: 8.48 – Ladies Home Journal, d’oh
It’s a prety good piece if it’s the HOUSTONIAN “ONION,” but otherwise, clearly a degree in journalism there is like printing your own fake “HORVARD” blank diploma from OfficeMax.
Either that or his dad’s Dell bonus got cut way back this year and he’s just a little bit bitter he has to ride a unicycle to his clown college.
My biggest question is how much money does MS spend in a year to get a variety of hungry “journalists” to create hit pieces like this? It’s gotta be a small fortune. Of course, there are always the IT guys who fear being let go if too many Macs make their way into the hands of users. Then what would the do?
I support Bush.
And I still think this Rhodes guy is full of crap.
Thanks to John Crapper for lending his name to the Crapper(TM)
and other stuff like this article (ie crap) that belongs in the Crapper(TM).
At least Bush beleives in family, and is trying to protect us from terrorism.
He led us to war in Iraq because he honestly felt that it would help us in that fight.
It may or may not turn out that way, but our soldiers are there to fight for freedom.
Hopefully a little freedom will be a good innoculation against fanatacism.
I may be wrong, but I still beleive in the goodness of man.
Of the plight of these peoples is alleviated,
I suspect that most will not support the terrrorists’
quest to attack western targets and innocent civilians.
Not really surprised by this story. Macs are still a mystery to many. I manage an all Mac office. I offered to give a new employee an old G4 tower since I knew he didn’t have a computer at home. This guy is clearly a bit computer phobic and had never used a Mac before. But even though he is now using OS X all day, his reply was “Thanks but I think I’ll buy a “regular” computer” – meaning windows pc. – so I gave the tower to someone who would appreciate it.
Maybe he really prefers windows. So be it. But I think he is like many people who are just too scared or simply don’t care enough about their OS that they never really understand the power and beauty of OS X.
Actually, having been a student at this University and a former employee of computer services, I would actually place MORE blame with them than with the particular problems/annoyances that could “possibly” be associated with the architecture, or with the student population. The students there are mostly quite intelligent and fairly computer literate. The majority of the computers there that are Macintoshes are not contantly and consistently kept up to date (unless something has changed recently).
The University consistently uses software that isn’t kept up to date, runs programs in the background which some might consider dubious in nature (all in the attempt to “control” the machines–and as was mentioned above, the entire university tends to have a “grudge” against anything that isn’t a wintel box. Overall I’d rate the school a 2 on its ability to support Macintoshes. The one shining spot on the campus (and this is limited) would be the education department, which still maintains quite a cadre of macintosh machines (though that # is dwindling year on year, as more staff and faculty are “convinced” to switch to the Windows machines from the Mac.
I thought this was an out-of-date April Fools article at first…
As someone mentioned above, the Mac tech support calls are likely the poor support by IT in getting OS X users to connect to networked facilities. I used to work for a university IT department in grad school. You’d be amazed at the ignorance and tunnel-vision of the Windows-only IT folk. OS X users are labeled as “cultists” yet IT practices a cult of its own – and they enforce their high-priesthood at any cost. God forbid somebody do something on their own without the blessing of IT…
I do understand enforcing standards – but the standards should allow for multiple approaches and access to common resources. Essientially to free people by allowing tool usage, not to bind them to a limiting experience.
Updating my comment: People need to understand (and there should be a comment coming from the Macintosh director of the University in a bit about this) that many of the machines that are being “complained” about are not actually maintained by the university but rather by individual departments. I meant to state in my previous comment that when I say University, I mean departments/faculty/staff in a general sense and not in a governmental sense that the ENTIRE University has a grudge against these machines, as they do not. People have their opinions (they always do) and this can lead to generalized feelings of a grudge, blah blah blah. Check later to see what they have to say, officially.
“The culprit is, as usual, Microsoft servers. I have dealt with this before.
Most IT staff at places like this are Microsoft Certified an don’t know sh*t about LINUX, UNIX, MAcs, Solaris or anything else. Moreover they do not wish to learn. They want to load up a ‘standard’ configuration and let it go.”
Die in a fire.
SHSU uses mostly Linux servers, only a few Windows Servers. In fact, SHSU runs more Linux Servers than the rest of the schools in the system combined.
i never had any proplems switching from a pc to a mac, none at all and this was after i’d left school and about a year into work. stupid students or at least lazy ones
I visited the school site and found enough information that leads me to believe this article was not well researched and informed sources were not contacted. I offer the following link to contact a responsible party in Public Relations which has oversight of the school paper.
Frank Krystyniak at pin_frk@shsu.edu
Seeing as how this is the same school that invited Rhett Bomar in with open arms, it hardly surprises me…
“Most IT staff at places like this are Microsoft Certified an don’t know sh*t about LINUX, UNIX, MAcs, Solaris or anything else. Moreover they do not wish to learn. They want to load up a ‘standard’ configuration and let it go.”
Actually you are totally off base. SHSU is a large Linux shop. In fact Linux and open sourced solutions are used more often then not for campus solutions. Linux servers outnumber windows servers 2 to 1 at SHSU. This article is a badly researched opinion piece from a guy who has no clue what he’s talking about. The article never makes one valid point. In fact the quote “2 to 3 calls a day”, sounds pretty good to me. Considering there are roughly 400 to 500 macs on the campus, most of which are running the latest update of 10.4.
FSCKING FUD
I really don’t know how it is that this could possibly have any connection to George Bush.
George Bush uses an iPod (even if he has to have Laura load it up for him.) That doesn’t make him stupid.
Even if George Bush uses Windows that doesn’t make him stupid.
Even not finding WMDs in Iraq doesn’t make him stupid.
I believe that there must be some other reason for his stupidity. Did a terrorist put something in his well? Perhaps it was some chemical added to the fuel contaminated the exhaust fumes of the chainsaw that he likes to use to clear the brush on the ranch.
Or could it be genetic?
What a complete load of steaming dung. Claptrap. No need to adjust your set the FUD is coming from Redmond…
You Bush bashers are disgusting. George Bush is one of the best US presidents ever.
As a graduate of dear ole Sam Houston State, I can picture this good ole boy sitting in front of his ASCII terminal and card punch in the computer science building, surrounded by stacks of punch cards. In the morning he teaches Fortran 77 and in the afternoon a lab on the vi editor. For the last 12 years, he’s been a grad student researching memory bank switching techniques for the DEC PDP-11/2. He helped network the campus last year with 1 Mbps Ethernet running over coaxial cable. He installed 300 Baud acoustic modems for dial-up access, too.
This year, with the $2M donation from alumn Dan Rather, the computer science department plans to upgrade to color ASCII terminals, buy a new set of tubes for the mainframe and acquire a used VAX 780. Nothing but the very best for dear ole Sam Houston State.
MacOS X? They don’t need no stinking MacOS X.
(It’d be funny if it wasn’t true.)
I worked in Computer Science at a University. There is a perception that a hard man uses shitty interfaces, using their brains to overcome obstacles.
This kind of thinking is done by students straight out of high school, knowing no better.
They are University students, but until they’ve been at University for longer, they’re still high school students.
In other words, who gives a shit what they think?
I’ve got some news for Sam Houston State — I’m a college student, I use a Mac, and I’m doing just fine (other than being overwhelmed with homework).
I use Word to prepare my writing assignments; I emailed this week’s assignment to my instructor because I was ill on the due date, and he (a Windows user) was able to open and print it with no problems. (And I got a perfect score, but he gives perfect scores to everyone on the first one.)
My Econ class uses an online math program, Aplia; I’m able to access it from my Mac with no problems, and I use Safari, not IE.
I’m able to do all sorts of research using the Internet — most good websites are platform neutral (just as the Internet was designed to be before Micro$oft made it their goal to take it over).
Special “Mac Account”? Give me a freakin’ break…our media labs have both PCs and Macs, and the only login required IIRC is the student ID and a password…no special “account” required.
This article is just another “hit piece” to scare people into thinking that they need a Windows-based PC to do “REAL WORK”, while it’s just the creative types who can use a Mac. Move into the 21st century, folks…
Can’t even get people to use Macs when the’re freely available, how do you expect that large numbers of people will buy them?