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From: djb@gatech.CSNET (David J. Buechner)
Newsgroups: net.cse,net.college
Subject: Re: On required pc's (ref UVM & AT&T)
Message-ID: <69@gatech.CSNET>
Date: Fri, 17-May-85 05:54:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: gatech.69
Posted: Fri May 17 05:54:02 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 18-May-85 02:19:58 EDT
References: <378@uvm-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: djb@gatech.UUCP (David J. Buechner)
Organization: School of ICS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Lines: 50
Xref: watmath net.cse:401 net.college:743
Summary: 

In article <378@uvm-cs.UUCP> punia@uvm-cs.UUCP (David T. Punia) writes:
>
>	Much as the pocket calculator became the technical tool of choice
>during the 70's, the personal computer is becoming the tool of choice in
>the 80's.  Granted, the costs are drastically different, but so are the 
>capabilities.  When you get right down to it, the micro can be a fantastic
>productivity enhancer.  Given the work load demanded of the typical student
>in an engineering curriculum (as I once was), I would grasp any affordable
>opportunity to improve my personal productivity.  I can't count the hours
>I could have saved had I owned a micro with a decent graphics package and
>word processor.
>

I could not agree with you more, but....
I can safely say that I have saved MANY hours by having a micro of my own
which has stand-alone as well as terminal emulation capabilities.  But I
also feel that it is very important that I was able (as in your calculator
analogy) to pick the kind of pc that *I* wanted.  Having disagreed with
some official opinions in the past as to what is best I feel that I am
most qualified to decide what kind of machine fits my needs while in
school and beyond.
 
>The extra cost of a personal workstation and
>the improved productivity it allows makes it attractive purely from a
>cost/benefit viewpoint.  

Wonderful cost/benefit aside - for those of us struggling to pay our own
way through school any additional required cost can be unacceptable.  
Financial aid covering the required pc (as is apparently the case at UVM)
is all fine and well except in cases such as mine where people don't 
qualify for financial aid.
 
>	Or they can sell it at the end of four years and recoup some
>of the investment.

Not an option.  At the end of four years the machines available will
have made the machine purchased so obsolete as to render it virtually
impossible to regain any significant portion of the original investment.


---------------------------------
David Buechner
UUCP : ...!{akgua,allegra,emory,rlgvax,sb1,ut-ngp,ut-sally}!gatech!djb
ARPA : djb.gatech@CSNet-Relay                   CSNET : djb@gatech

Federal snail : Ga. Tech P.O. Box 33336, Atlanta, Georgia 30332

These opinions are of course mine, but nobody else in their right mind
would adapt them as their own so please don't attribute anything I said
to anyone else.  (insert more generic legal mumble-jumbo for a disclaimer)