OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

Thu Jun 19 10:22:36 EST 2008

Do the words "toy" and "admin" indicate an attitude ?

====================================================
Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager
mailto:  <mailto:digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>
digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au  
Cheltenham Secondary College  <http://www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au/>
www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au
Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617 Mb: 0431-701-028
====================================================

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be
too late. Ralph Waldo Emerson 

  _____  

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Thursday, 19 June 2008 1:02 AM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

We trialed a MacBook for the past six months with no major burning issues.
Wireless was tricky but only because we had to re-read the manual how it is
done. Mark is right that the odd control-alt-fruit combo key mapping might
make some users eyes pop out. I am curious as an XP user who is familiar
with a three button mouse might fare. One of my visually impaired and very
talented IT contacts doesn't even need or use Windows, OSX or even a
monitor. I suppose it is about the freedom to work the way that suits your
interests, passions and background with due dignity and tech support to all
valid options.

Admin staff want an iPhone. I keep getting cuttings on my desk and hints on
the whiteboard. I must admit to being impressed when I saw one at the VITTA
office last week. Now, there is a cute toy to bundle with the next round or
add to the executive jewelery that IT teachers can wear around their necks
:-)

Regards Roland

Meadows, Roslyn M wrote: 

Hi Robyn

As DEECD offers the option of the MacBook I don't know whether you can

prevent staff from choosing that option, and in fact I believe you MUST

offer the choice AND the support to those who use macs.

Staff at Bentleigh have been using department provided macs since 2000

(remember the pretty bubblegum coloured ones??) with little support from

the tech. Everything works, there are never any problems with them and

considering the large numbers of mac users (about 25%) there is rarely a

problem, compared to the several IBM's that we are forced to fix each

day. Most staff who use the macs got them because they also got a free

iPod, not because they were mac enthusiasts.

I have emailed the notebook team to clarify the DEECD view on whether

staff can choose (even if the school says no macs) and whether support

should be given for those who choose macs.

Cheers

Ros

Roslyn Meadows

Head of ICT Implementation

Head of Assessment and Reporting

Bentleigh Secondary College 

| 9579 1044 | 0412 614 062 |

Please consider the environment before printing this email 

In some cases, all it requires is that you rationally point out that

there is a problem. 

In others, all you can do is turn the other cheek. 

At the far end of the spectrum are those for whom the only appropriate

response is to carve out their still-beating heart and force them to eat

it. (Marc Carlson)

-----Original Message-----

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au

[mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Robyn Dunn

Sent: Wednesday, 18 June 2008 5:04 PM

To: itapps at edulists.com.au

Subject: RE: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

Just wanted to share with you something we have decided on. We are going

to allow one person to be a guinea pig and let them have a Mac,

something we have never allowed before. We will get them to sign a

waiver saying we can't guarantee full functionality with our network

(although we are fairly sure it will be OK) and see how it goes. I'll

let everyone here know how it goes in about 6 months!

Ms Robyn Dunn

ICT Co-Ordinator

Camberwell High School

email: du at camhigh.vic.edu.au

phone: 98360555

fax: 98360194

Please consider carefully before printing this email.

"Meadows, Roslyn M"  <mailto:Meadows.Roslyn.M at edumail.vic.gov.au>
<Meadows.Roslyn.M at edumail.vic.gov.au> 06/18/08

4:49 PM >>>

Mark

Did you have the MacBook or the previous iBook? 

The MacBook was only first released in the rollout of March last year,

staff who are coming up for renewals now have the iBook.

The MacBook is a long way ahead of the iBook as it is intel based, it

has an eject key, page up etc keys, and the delete key works for me, and

there are about 4 ways of right clicking. I have had no problems

accessing wireless anywhere or anytime (school, cafes, airports etc) In

fact I have had none of the problems you discuss. 

Maybe you were holding it upside down??? Lol

I just know that to use my MacBook is a pleasure in every way. It's like

driving a brand new BMW! The blinkers may be on the wrong side but you

eventually get used to it! And then you find it hard to go back...

Cheers

Ros

Roslyn Meadows

Head of ICT Implementation

Head of Assessment and Reporting

Bentleigh Secondary College 

| 9579 1044 | 0412 614 062 |

-----Original Message-----

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au

[mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark Kelly

Sent: Wednesday, 18 June 2008 8:45 AM

To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List

Subject: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

Hi all.  This thread is offtopic, but as long as it doesn't hang around 

long we can live with it.

While I'm here, I had a Macbook in the last rollout but have reverted to

a PC:

- I detest the Macbook dwarf keyboard (no true DELETE key [it's actually

a backspace], no PGUP or PGDN etc, Control in the wrong place).  I had 

to use a utility to remap keys to give me proper functionality.

- The lack of a proper right-click

-The way it shows every mark on its pristine white skin

-The lack of hard disk space on each partition when dual-booting

-The OS melt-downs (3 times in 6 months the whole Windows partition 

turned into tapioca)

-And finally, the overheating which jams optical disks in the drive and 

refuses to eject them until it cools down!  Of course a manual eject 

button would spoil the sexy look, the drive is not user-removable, and 

there isn't even an emergency eject hole for the paperclip manoeuvre.

- And I never really needed the Mac side anyway

- It amused me how Filemaker 8.5 would not run under Leopard, while 

Windows ran it fine

- Installing Leopard instantly killed wireless access through Edupass

- There was no Office 2007 for Mac

I'm a happier camper now I've thrown off this Mac tendency, and a few of

our Macbook staff are reverting to a Lenovo on the next rollout.

Jock Garnsworthy wrote:

If you think about it, there is no choice !

I converted to mac in the last rollout cos I got a free Ipod - still 

going strong.

Best marketing strategy for yonks.

Apple have it all covered.

Best of all worlds.

Have used Virtual PC for markbook, access and VB. YUK very slow and

clunky.

Now with Parallels who can argue !

Can't wait for the rollout to actually happen.

Cheers,

Jock

__________________________

Jock Garnsworthy

Pasco St.

Williamstown High School

(03)93971899

On 17/6/08 4:28 PM, "Russo, Frank R"

 <mailto:Russo.Frank.R at edumail.vic.gov.au>
<Russo.Frank.R at edumail.vic.gov.au> 

wrote:

    I have always taught on Windows PC's and have only been exposed to

    iMAC in the classroom this year I do remember teaching databases

on

    an Apple IIe but that was many moons ago.

    I have always opted for the Apple option with the Laptop Program

and

    have had no problems being able to do everything I have needed to

    except for Visual Basic.

    Now with Parallels even that will be taken care of.

    Welcome to the club !!!

    As my schools Notebook Rep there seems to be a swing amongst staff

    over to Apple (especially those whose Thinkpad died on a monthly

basis)

    Frank Russo

    ICT ~ Teaching & Learning

    Monterey Secondary College

------------------------------------------------------------------------

    *From:* itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au

    [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] *On Behalf Of *Roland

Gesthuizen

    *Sent:* Tuesday, 17 June 2008 3:54 PM

    *To:* Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List; eLearning

    mailing list

    *Subject:* [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

    With the current round of notebooks for DEECD teaching staff, and

    after many years teaching VCE IT with Toshiba, ACER, IBM and then

    Levono laptops, I have decided to opt for the Apple notebook

option.

    Last week I was really impressed with a colleague running

Parallels

    who was able to seamlessly switch between OSX to XP applications

(or

    Ubuntu Linux) using a little used feature called Coherence.

         link to a blog entry with details about this feature

<http://lifehacker.com/software/parallels/hack-attack-how-to-run-windows-and
-mac-apps-sidebyside-with-parallels-221002.php>
<http://lifehacker.com/software/parallels/hack-attack-how-to-run-windows

-and-mac-apps-sidebyside-with-parallels-221002.php>

    It didn't really matter what operating system we use .. shift

    happens. I saw this myself at the VITTA conference last year after

a

    day long session demonstrating programming with Python in the

Apple

    lab. It didn't matter. A lighter weight and better design are also

    factors I am considering .. bluetooth, perhaps Apple iPhone

    integration??

    With due dignity to all users and systems, I do not wish to turn

    this into a mac / windows flame or debate about incremental

    advantages. Jokes about one or two button mice mean nothing when

    both systems plug and play just about anything you throw at them.

    Somebody once described this to me as how we learn to play chess.

It

    doesn't matter if your pieces are made of finely crafted glass or

    bottle tops. It doesn't matter if the chess board is made of ivory

    or newspaper. What matters more is the game that you play.

    Is anybody thinking along the same path?

    Regards Roland

Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If 

received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before 

opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. 

Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the 

negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from

the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying 

any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed

are 

those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of 

Williamstown High

School._______________________________________________

http://www.edulists.com.au  <http://www.edulists.com.au>
<http://www.edulists.com.au> - FAQ, 

resources, subscribe, unsubscribe

IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/infotechindex.html 

<http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html 

 > - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and

http://www.vitta.org.au  <http://www.vitta.org.au> <http://www.vitta.org.au>
- VITTA Victorian 

Information Technology Teachers Association Inc

_______________________________________________ 
http://www.edulists.com.au  <http://www.edulists.com.au> - FAQ, resources,
subscribe, unsubscribe 
IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by 
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/infotechindex.html
<http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html> -
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and 
http://www.vitta.org.au  <http://www.vitta.org.au> - VITTA Victorian
Information Technology Teachers Association Inc 

Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/itapps/attachments/20080619/0bbfe8d6/attachment-0001.html