OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

Trent Bolte tbolte at mercycollege.melb.catholic.edu.au
Thu Jun 19 15:39:02 EST 2008


No ipod for me either.  iTunes is one of the most convoluted pieces of
software I have come across. (after trying to help friends with ipods!!)

 

 

  _____  

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Anderson, Stuart L
Sent: Thursday, 19 June 2008 3:18 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

 

I will NEVER own an ipod. Why would you pay nearly double the price to get
an mp3 player that attempts to restrict the file format you can use?

 

 

  _____  

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Kent Beveridge
Sent: Thu 19/06/2008 1:57 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

Toys and attitude? Never! (but...its obvious Ros does rather like her Mac!) 

I used to be totally non Mac but, I have always been open to new ideas so
perhaps I am just getting soft in my experienced years...hmmm? 

Ok, fess up folks...how many of you IBM clone geeks out there own an iPod?
(I dont..YET!)

Kent.

 

Kent Beveridge,

I.T. co-ordinator

St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College

Horsham

email.. kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au

 

|<3|\|7  b3\/3r1D93 ?  ;-)

PARTY..PARTEE,..PARTIE,...PARTAY!!

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From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Stephen Digby
Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 10:22 AM
To: 'Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: RE: OFFTOPIC Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] Parallel thinking

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 

 

 


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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
<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
 
 
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