I guess there are statistics on actual operating costs over a period of years - and I've no doubt those would favor the Mac over the PC. Doctor Q, how did you sway the powers that be at your school?
We wrote a mission statement that made our goals clear: to make the best use of computers to help instructors in the teaching of
all subjects, as opposed to teaching students
about computers themselves. That defused the oft-heard statement that we should teach students about PC hardware and the Windows O.S. to get them ready to get a job using a PC. Instead, we teach them English, math, social studies, science, and other subjects, and use computers in the classroom however they can help.
Almost every year somebody brings up the Mac vs. PC debate, and we point out that a PC, once equipped with software to match the elegant software that comes with Mac OS X, is roughly the cost of a Mac, that TCO (total cost of ownership) can favor the Mac, and especially that Macs have little if any issues with viruses; that's typically important to people comparing the platforms. We point out how Apple's all-in-one models like the iMac make it easy to set up computers in the classroom; teachers hate tangles of cables as much as anyone else.
We admit that there is more software for Windows, but point out in the same breath that much of it is not applicable to use in schools. They need to know that Macs have
quality educational software, including MS Office and Adobe's suites, Firefox and other web browsers, utilities for teachers, subject-specific programs, and almost anything else they might plan to use.
Technical experts like many MacRumors members could argue the tradeoffs more precisely, but we're often dealing with a less technical audience. We go over the main points in an organized fashion that explains rather than lectures. And we don't insist on Macs if that's not what a particular teacher wants to use. After we show them the tradeoffs, most teachers choose Macs, but we keep in mind that the important issue is whether they'll be able to use what they get effectively in teaching.
One other thing: Schools, at least in my area, rely a lot on volunteers. If there's a smiling volunteer offering to help with a teacher's Macs, they are much more confident in the choice to use them. We don't expect teachers to be computer experts. I've set up maybe 200 classroom Macs personally and I make it a point to answer any questions the teachers has, to get them off to a good start. As time goes on, if they get prompt help whenever they need it, vague rumors about "problems with the Macs" are nipped in the bud, and teachers catch the enthusiasm as they see other teachers successfully teaching with Macs.
By giving fair assessments and describing what Macs can do whenever the subject comes up, I have gained support for our Mac-based program from people in authority who started out with an ardent Windows-only attitude.
