Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!mcnc!ecsvax!cjl From: cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Charles Lord) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Cynic's Guide to SE #6: Forthcoming Revolt Summary: NO,NO! a BALANCE of PCs to Minis! Message-ID: <5519@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> Date: 5 Oct 88 17:37:34 GMT References: <9@helens.stanford.edu> <5479@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> <1301@banzai-inst.SW.MCC.COM> Organization: Triangle R&D Corp,RTP,NC Lines: 31 In article <1301@banzai-inst.SW.MCC.COM>, wex@banzai-inst.SW.MCC.COM (Alan Wexelblat) writes: > Sure, the department has _a_ Mac with the requisite software, but when there > are 20 or more people in the class (times however many classes make > assignments that require Macs) and the department's Mac isn't always up (or > available after 5PM - this is not the CS department we're talking about > here), the situation can get ugly. The department does not have _one_ Mac, nor _one_ IBM-PC. The school I described has multiple labs with multiple computers in each lab. The assignments require software that is provided either free or at HEAVY discounts ($45 QuickC, PC-SAS at OUTRAGEOUS discounts, etc), many times using PD/Shareware programs such as PD-Lisp for an AI course. The secret is that these courses BALANCE this with VAX labs where a comparable UNIX-based program is available for those who don't wish to persue PC-based solutions. Instead of a prof sitting on his lazy duff grading on his Apple-provided Mac as you go on to insinuate, the profs in this case are willing to put in the extra effort to allow assignments to be done by *multiple* avenues. After all, most assign- ments are graded by grad student TAs, right? Don't jump to conclusions that PC-based assignments are based upon ulterior motives of PC makers. There *are* bad apples in academia as well as industry, but a lot of people are really trying to TEACH students about the real world. And, alas, the college students of today are much more sophisticated about computers than we were. (PC in 1973 meant "printed circuit"!) -- * Charles Lord ..!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!cjl Usenet (old) * * Cary, NC cjl@ecsvax.UUCP Usenet (new) * * #include cjl@ecsvax.BITNET Bitnet * * #include cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu Internet *