Over this year, our school has decided to move to an Apple environment. We have been operating on Windows XP, largely via Dell computers for several years. We looked at Apple previously but Korea just didn't have the support we needed to make this happen. This initial exploration was actually before my work began in technology. However, after looking at this decision for over a year, we felt this was the right time to make a switch.
Some people argue you can do such and such with a PC or you can only do this with a Mac. I'm more of the mind that if you know what you are doing and have the right software, either one can really work for you. However, in evaluating the needs of our students and our teachers, we felt Apple was the way to go. As I have transitioned myself over the last 9 months, I see ways that I can be more productive, efficient and include more multimedia effectively in my work through the Mac OS, enhancing my ability to engage my audience and allowing more of my creativity to shine through. It is not that I can't do it on the Windows machine, it is just that it is much easier on the Mac and therefore I do things that I would not even try on Windows.
I mention multimedia and Apple is well known for their professional grade multimedia capabilities. Multimedia companies and education are two of the key places where Apple shines. And as we evaluate what we want students to do in school, more and more multimedia is required. In the same way, as we look at what engages students in teacher's lessons, multimedia can play a significant role. In my personal experience, I have included multimedia in presentations on the Mac that I would not have even considered on a Windows' machine.
Overall, the decision to move to the Apple platform is multi-faceted. I've only scratched the surface here. In the last couple weeks of school year, I will attempt to articulate some of the rationale behind our decision. I believe this rationale is the same reason why many schools continue to look to Apple to support their efforts to integrate technology throughout their school environment, particularly in their growing Asian market. Please stay tuned for more in this series and feel free to ask questions along the way...
Only Multimedia + Apple = Good (Graphics, Art, Music)
ReplyDeleteAny application + Windows = Good (Not limited to any particular field)
Is multimedia the only focus for your school?
Are you sure others will be as efficient as you on the Mac?
Thanks for the comment and questions. Let me mention that I chose multimedia to focus on first in this series of posts talking about our decision to move to Apple. I will be addressing other aspects as well as I progress. That said, multimedia is not the only focus of our school. However, it is an important component of our educational program that must integrate with other areas and needs.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned previously, both platforms function in similar ways with the right software and knowledgeable users. However, multimedia is a strength of the Mac. I would say that without more advanced and costly software and perhaps a high spec machine, it is a weakness of the Windows PC. For example, pictures work well but movie editing is problematic. Numerous teachers at different division levels with anywhere from very basic to more advanced editing needs have been very frustrated with Windows Movie Maker over this year. This is not due to 1 or 2 teachers that lack knowledge or due to older equipment. It does not perform at the same level as iMovie, which is default with the Mac OS. Ultimately, I disagree with the premise that Windows + any application = Good results in all fields. I also disagree with the premise that Apple is only good with multimedia. Apple is not that restricted in its uses, particularly now that it uses the same Intel processor that many Windows machines use.
I doubt that all users will increase their efficiency in the same way I have. However, I expect it to be somewhat proportional to their adaptability and speed of learning. Users that are inefficient on their Windows PC will probably continue to be inefficient on the Mac. An opportunity for gain exists. Whether or not it will be actualized depends on the user. I hope those thoughts are helpful...