V131Q5CG@UBVMSC.CC.BUFFALO.EDU (John Taylor) (01/31/89)
>Date: Fri, 27 Jan 89 17:37:47 GMT >From: Dick O'Connor <blake!djo7613@BEAVER.CS.WASHINGTON.EDU> >Subject: Micro setups for elementary schools [...deletions...] >Pricetag for this setup including some level of support (that the >teacher in charge was *very* pleased with) was $70,000. Gag! Choke! $70,000? If you can invest that kind of money, why not buy a micro-vax and workstations- something that was designed with networking in mind? You could probably port all kinds of neat applications in. [...first two points deal with the timeliness of the ps/2...] No-one says anything much about Micro Channel Arcitecture anymore, except that the name sounds neat. Unfortunately for IBM, the micro channel is the problem with PS/2's (beside the fact that IBM makes them); if you start doing outboard communication the machine will bog down- big, memory intensive programs do this also, mainly because the micro-channel is just that: it has no backplane and limited bus bandwidth; I would never, ever recommend this machine, especially in your case. Don't believe everything dealers tell you. >3) Is there an equivalent setup available (tried, tested, and true) using >Apple IIe or Apple GS machines? Who would I contact to find out more about >such a system (I don't know much about Apples at all). Although I've never seen it applied, I understand Applelink might be what you're looking for. [...4th point deleted; covered above...] If you must buy an IBM-micro, buy the AT. Best of luck in your search. >-Dick O'Connor > Washington Department of Fisheries > djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- John Taylor -- SUNY at Buffalo Bitnet: v131q5cg@ubvms Internet: v131q5cg@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu "Two wrongs don't make a right, but two (W)rights make an airplane." /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
abc@BRL.MIL (Brint Cooper) (01/31/89)
Re: >From: Dick O'Connor <blake!djo7613@BEAVER.CS.WASHINGTON.EDU> >Subject: Micro setups for elementary schools >>Pricetag for this setup including some level of support (that the >>teacher in charge was *very* pleased with) was $70,000. > > Gag! Choke! $70,000? If you can invest that kind of money, >why not buy a micro-vax and workstations- something that was designed >with networking in mind? You could probably port all kinds of neat >applications in. > OK, a simpler setup, and one that works VERY WELL in elementary school situations, high schools, and teacher workshops uses one Apple II machine as a file server, usually from a floppy drive although a hard drive can be used, I think. Ten to 16, perhaps more, "workstations" are connected to this network. Each workstation is a full Apple II (e or GS) with a single disk drive. Each workstation can stand alone, booting from the local drive, or can boot from the OS on the file server. Unfortunately, I don't know the cost and have forgotten the price. Typically, it's sold by Apple dealers although it is not an Apple product. I provided info to someone else on Info-Apple about this at one time. Perhaps someone can help? Incidentally, this setup didn't cost anything like $70,000. There's a WEALTH of Apple II software, free and very modestly priced, that's useful in the classroom. An important source of well-written stuff seems to be the "Minnesota Educational Comput(ing,er?) Consortium." The school district joins MECC for a modest annual fee. Write if you can't find info on the network file server, and I'll try to get some product info for you. _Brint