Bong! . . . :-) . . . Welcome to Macintosh!
One of my fellow Low End Mac writers recently wrote an article that
encouraged me to come back from an almost three week hiatus. Ted Hodges
wrote a very interesting Vintage Mac Living column in which he told how
some schools would rather keep old computers in storage rather than use
them in the classroom. If you want to take a look, check it out here:
What A Waste! Some Schools Would
Rather Store Old Computers Than Put Them To Use.
Sadly, this is an epidemic that's all to apparent with school
districts across the country. Once a school district deems a computer
"obsolete", into storage it goes.
This has me asking the question: Just what is considered obsolete?
You'd figure that in this age of multi-gigahertz processing with
massive amounts of RAM and storage any computer would be more than
capable and not considered obsolete.
Any computer is better than none.
Even computers ten years old or more have their place in schools.
Set up writing stations in classrooms. Give children access to
computers who may not otherwise have that access. Any computer is
better than none. Give or loan out older
computers to as many children as possible!
Back when I went to Lone Oak Elementary from 1987-1993, we used
Apple IIs of all flavors (mostly Apple IIes), and we were darn happy
when we went on our weekly visit to the library just to get to use
them! We eventually got a computer in each classroom, although our time
was limited on them.
In this age, you can set up any vintage of computer for certain
uses. There's absolutely no excuse to put perfectly good
computers in storage, whether they be Mac or PC.
Have we become so accustomed to the latest and
greatest that we can no longer see the value of any older
computer?
I think it's sheer stupidity and laziness on the part of
administrators for not seeing the value of older technology and for
spending unnecessary money on the latest and greatest when many times
it's simply not needed. I also think it's crazy that some teachers and
faculty can't or refuse to think outside the box in not wanting to set
up older machines and putting them to good use. Have we become so
accustomed to the latest and greatest that we can no longer see the
value of any older computer? Are we too spoiled?
Take me: I'm typing this article on a vintage 1997 Newton eMate 300, which
most would consider stone age, but it gets the job done - and in cute
style, I might add!
It's a waste of space and money to keep purchasing computers that
will only be used for a year, if that. With ingenuity and
resourcefulness, a fleet of today's machines could be used for five
years or more as main machines - even without upgrades.
Going back to grade school and even middle school....
In an era where Windows PC were becoming the dominant platform in
the early-to-mid 90s, guess what our computer labs were using? Ataris.
We used them for math and reading drills, and we were really happy just
to have time on a computer. Were they old? Sure. Did that make it yucky
to even consider using something considered so obsolete? No, not in the
least!
Teachers, staff, and administrators, if any of you read this article
and Ted's - for those of you who are used to the latest and greatest,
there's nothing wrong with that, but think for once! Broaden your mind
and be creative. Especially teachers: You are teaching our hope for the
future. What kind of example are you setting if you don't teach kids
the value of using what you have available to its fullest
potential?
Older computers still have a place today. It takes a little brain
power to adjust, but isn't that what school is all about, to learn?
Further Reading
- Starting a Computer
Loan Program, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report
- A
Gaggle of LC IIIs, Part 1, Steve Wood, View from the Classroom
- A
Gaggle of LC IIIs, Part 2, Steve Wood, View from the Classroom
-
A Gaggle of LC IIIs, Part 3, Steve Wood, View from the
Classroom
