Business Week Online columnist Charles Haddad says it’s time to send school boards and administrators back to school when it comes to considering the Mac. Haddad’s comments are made in his recent Business Week “Byte of the Apple” column entitled Reeducating School Boards about Macs.
Haddad recognizes that school administrators are often of the mindset that kids have to learn on PCs — an assertion Haddad dismisses as nonsense.
“That’s like saying someone like me could never hope to land a job as a writer because he learned to type on a Remington manual typewriter in high school, rather than on a computer keyboard,” said Haddad.
For Apple to get back on top in the education market, said Haddad, they need to continue to innovate with products like last week’s newly redesigned iBook. It’s equally important for folks with an interest in Apple to get involved, too. To that end, Haddad cites the example of John Droz Jr., who was the focus of a MacCentral article posted last week. Droz has presented his local school board with a point-by-point analysis of why their decision to replaces Macs with PCs will cost them more money in the long run.
Haddad recognizes that with so much against it, Apple is in for a tough fight with school boards who feel more comfortable procuring PCs than Macs. But with champions like John Droz taking up the fight, Haddad says that it’s possible.
“So rise up, ye olde Mac enthusiasts. Help school administrators see they need not herd with Corporate America, turning computer labs into a dreary pasture of beige PCs,” said Haddad.
For his complete observations, please fire up BusinessWeek Online.