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Converge Magazine Article

"IF YOU CANNOT FIND IT AT THE LOCAL COMPUTER
STORE, THEN YOU SHOULD NOT INVEST IN IT"

In September 1998 Converge Magazine requested advice for the following issue:

The Issue. The decision has been made to expand the use of technology in your schools. One of the key concerns is which hardware (i.e., computer) manufacturer(s) do you buy from and which of their models or products (e.g., desktop or laptop systems) should you purchase?

Your Advice. What were the key issues you considered when making your buying decision(s), and what was it that persuaded you to buy the product(s) you bought from a particular manufacturer?

Response. The following was submitted by Yannis Grammatis, director of Information Systems, Chaminade College Preparatory:

Chaminade College Preparatory is a blue-ribbon middle and high school in Southern California. We have been using technology very successfully for more than ten years in a multitude of applications. During these years we learned a lot about how to implement technology with the least amount of pain and maximum gain. Here is my humble advice to any school embarking in new technology implementation or expansion:

First, investigate the capabilities of your staff and find the people who will be able and willing to support the technology. Make a list of skills, knowledge, platform and availability of these people. Make a firm decision on the computing platform (Win or Mac ) you are going to invest in and stick with it.

If you have good internal technical support, then by all means buy only no-name-brand computers. They are easily upgradable and cheaper. Keep in mind that hardware usually does not become unusable because of failures. It rather dies because of obsolescence. The [previous] statement is true for the Windows platform. If you select Macintoshes, then you have to stay with Apple.

If you do not have internal technical support, then you have to go with a brand name company to be sure they will be in business to support you for years to come.

Stay away from proprietary technologies at all cost. Follow the golden rule that if you cannot find it at the local computer store, then you should not invest in it.

Before you buy a piece of hardware, make sure it is compatible with your existing systems, and it has the appropriate software drivers for the operating system you use.

Recycle components within your school. Remember that the only parts that have possible longevity in a computer system are the monitor, keyboard, mouse and case. All the rest becomes useless fairly fast as the software, processors and bus change.

Invest in excellent network infrastructure, reliable servers, production workstations, network printers and other massively shared resources.

Be prepared for support issues, training and more training.

Thank you
Yannis Grammatis

Last modified: February 25, 2005
Yannis Grammatis