Re: "The Apple II is DEAD" - Long Live the Apple II

[Jim Owens <jow@helix.nih.gov>]

In article <2d7tae$56a@news.ysu.edu> Eric S. Ford, ag471@yfn.ysu.edu
writes:
>Sure, and I can walk into every Sears, every Price Club, every
>CompUSA, every MicroAge, every ComputerLand, every Connecting Point,
>every Radio Shack (with at least one in every town having a
>population of 15 or more) and find multiple systems running Windows. 
>If I am in Sears shopping for a computer, I have probably also
>noticed the Babbage's or Software Etc next door has several hundred
>square feet of MS-DOS products and only one 4x4 display of Mac
>related products -- many of which are likely to be marked
>"Clearance".  In short, if I haven't already made up my mind to buy
>an Apple product and if I don't already know where to go to find one,
>I am unlikely to see anything on the shelves to stir my interest in
>that direction.
>
>Don't get me wrong, I am not touting MS-DOS over Apple.  I am an
>Apple afficianado of long standing.  I cannot believe that anyone
>with experience on Apple's GUI (Mac or even IIGS) would ever opt for
>Windows without feeling they were settling for the ugly sister. 
>Nonetheless, a first time buyer wants to be assured he is not buying
>a white elephant and cannot help but be influenced by the ready
>availability of MS-DOS products and the relative lack thereof when it
>comes to Apple.  And this is precisely the same as what happened
>between the VHS and BetaMax product lines.

To Eric and all true believers I would like to pose a provocative
question:

If you were asked (as I am asking you now) by a grade school principal
(not me, I'm just a parent) whose school has a substantial investment in
Apple IIgs computers and a lesser investment in ][c's (leftover from the
school's initial computer purchase) and Mac Plus & LCs and even smaller
investment in MS-DOS cpus, what should the school do for the future
purchases of computers to prepare our students to use computers later in
life (high school or real life)?

As I see it, our current supply of Apple ][ cpus are good for getting the
kids used to using computers.  Is that sufficient considering the level
of the students?  Should we let high schools worry about preparing
students for computer literacy in real life or college and be satisfied
with making them comfortable using the machines?

What should we do with our backbone of IIgs' as they begin to require
more and more repairs?  From a finacial point of view it is probably
cheaper to repair them, but that depends on help from parents since not
all teachers, even computer teachers, are comfortable messing with the
innerds of the computer.  If that fails, with what should they be
replaced?  The parents seem quite willing to help the school raise money
for new computers through "Apples for the Students" programs that depend
on collecting register receipts from grocery stores.  

Apple is pushing Mac LC variants for schools.  Is that the way to go or
should we go for Windows?  The current computer teacher is eager to make
connections to Internet, and a few parents (not just me) support this. 
The IIgs and the Macs can support this fairly easily, but Windows cpus
are harder to network and require more support where I work.  I cannot
see the school being able to support networking non-Apple computers.  If
the kids will be dealing mostly with Windows later in life, might that be
the way to go anyway?

Comments?

Jim Owens