We all understand that in the children of today rest our hopes for a better tomorrow. I hope and pray our next generation will untie the knots we have made for ourselves. This is a Mac ezine, not TIME magazine so there's little point me banging on about third world starvation and the crumbling global economies.
To understand the wider implications of a problem you need to see the smaller foundations of the structure, and in this case it's PC's in UK schools. Universities all have sponsored by Intel or thanks to Gates our hero above every I.T. department's workrooms. Junior and primary schools are slightly different on the other hand, normally grossly under provisioned.
One of my friends works in a primary school that relies heavily on 8-year-old Acorns and 12-year-old BBC computers. The head of purchasing knows little about computers and only buys from the knowledge provided by mail shots and advertising buff sent through the post.
Hmmm!, about five months ago I got my friend to give me his name and I put him on every Mac mailing list I could find. My friend also rubbed it in about the fact that she had a Mac and only knew Mac users. I sent the guy free iMac stickers, CD's, a 6ft square iMac poster and I even sent him an Think Different mug given to me and made him think it was all from Apple UK.
 
Five months on the first eMate's have arrived and the 14 Acorn/BBC's have been replaced with 2 iMac's. £2,490.00 [$3,984.00] in the bank for Apple Computer Inc.
It could be true to say I could sell you fresh air if I had to. But all this guy needed was buttering up and the FACTS, Mac's are better, cheaper in the long run, last for upto 3 times and toast PC butt. Mission accomplished!
A lesson for the High flying Ad boys and girls from the Apple PR departments.
WHY ARE WE STILL DOING YOUR JOB? Apple users have supported the company for years, give us a break do what you're PAID for.
Why can't Apple UK invite selected heads of purchasing for Primary and Secondary to iMac days or send them information packs covering new lines discounts and pricing, with comparisons to PC platforms and the low maintenance needed to run Mac's in schools. Not just a one-page ad with no price and little information and just a few arty photos in Bondi blue.
I know about five or six teachers in local schools and they are so misinformed. One even thought the iMac was hand held and cost about two grand!!
I'm a Mac evangelist and proud of it. Would this head of purchasing in question have spared a thought for buying a Mac if he was not provided with the choice? I think not.
Three other local primary schools all took the Wintel option within the same month, at least this one school choose to Think Different
