Things Technologists / Librarians should know about Macs and AR Originally prepared by Wesley Fryer (10/6/99) Last updated 4-4-2001 wesfryer@yahoo.com A linked copy of this document is available at www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/macs.html Fallacy #1: "Older Macs won't work on an ethernet Network." This is false. Any Mac that can run OS 7.1 (operating system 7.1) and has a 68030 processor or newer can support the Novell Client (version 5.11) that allows access to a Novell server. This means Mac IISi's, LCs, LCIIs, LCIIIs, 575s, 580s, and all Power Macs can access your campus Novell file server for AR, file sharing, or printer sharing (printing to a LaserWriter printer in a lab). Macintoshes older than these, like SEs which have a 68000 processor, can still be fitted with an ethernet card, but cannot connect to your Novell network. They have to connect to either a Windows NT file server (which has better built-in support for Macintoshes than Novell) or to a Macintosh file server. Any Macintosh can be set up to share files, but unless it has special server software, only 10 Macs can simultaneously connect to it. For help on setting up Mac file sharing, refer to: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/macfaq.html#Q5. You can upgrade a Mac SE (see Fallacy #8 below) to a 68030 processor that will boost its performance about 460% for around $150 (http://www.sonnettech.com/product/allegro_se.html). Then it can connect to a Novell file server. It is probably not worth the money to do this-- I would recommend adding just an ethernet card to a SE and using it as a AR workstation and word processing station, connected to a networked laserjet printer.   Fallacy #2: "The best productivity software for my campus right now is Microsoft Office." This is probably false. Unless your campus is already filled with Windows 95/98 computers or Power Macintoshes that run at 100 mHz or faster, a better choice for productivity software is AppleWorks. That is because AppleWorks version 5 (formerly called ClarisWorks) is completely cross platform and can run on older Macs with as little as 4 MB of RAM (like LCs). Even if you have a 100 mHz PowerPC Macintosh, Microsoft Office will run sluggishly. You really need a G3 Mac to run Office well, with lots of RAM. AppleWorks is clearly the best instructional software choice for most campuses, because almost all existing Mac computers can run it without any problems and it runs just as well on Windows 95/98 computers. The TEKS for Technology are NOT platform/application specific: students do NOT have to know how to make Power Point presentations or write a letter in MS Word. They DO have to learn multimedia presentation skills and word processing skills (among other things), but they do NOT have to learn Microsoft Office. Sorry Bill Gates and Michael Dell..... :)   Fallacy #3: "Networking is too confusing. I can't figure out how to get the Macs on my campus connected to the network." Actually, there are just 3 main steps you need to follow to get your Macs networked once Information Systems installs your building proxy server for internet access and Novell file server: Get your school building completely "wired." That means getting at least 2 "drops" (ethernet network connections) installed in each classroom. Order ethernet cards for each Macintosh you want to put on the network. They will probably cost around $50 each, less in lab packs. To figure out which card to order, refer to: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/ethernet.html Download and install Novell Client Software for Macintosh, version 5.11. It is free from Novell. You can download it from http://www.lubbock.k12.tx.us/rush/downloads/. If you have 5400s or 5500s you will also have to download a patch at the same site. Instructions for installing it are available at http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/macfaq.html#Q1   Fallacy #4: "I can't figure out how to get the Macs on my campus directly connected to the internet through our proxy server." Yes, you can figure it out! After your computers are connected to the network (see fallacy #3), there are three main steps to directly connecting to the internet through your proxy server. Refer to: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/macfaq.html#Q12 for these steps. If you need to configure Windows computers for proxy server internet access, refer to: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/win95faq.html#Q8   Fallacy #5: "There doesn't seem to be anywhere I can learn all this new information about networking!" Lucky you, the world-wide web can help! Refer to the online Power Point presentation: "Hardware/Software/Networking: Essential Terms and Concepts" at http://www.wtvi.com/teks/integrate/facilitators/terms/terms.html to get a good overview of Macintosh as well as Windows networking. You can download a handout containing all the points of this presentation from http://www.wtvi.com/teks/integrate/facilitators/handout2.pdf. I teach a course titled "Strategies for Managing School Computer Labs and Classroom Computers" which covers many of these issues and might be helpful. The curriculum for this workshop is online at http://www.wtvi.com/teks/labstrategies/.   Fallacy #6: "It is going to take a long time for our campus to network Accelerated Reader, since we can't figure out what we need and how we set it up!" Follow these 4 steps and you'll have AR networked campus-wide: If your campus doesn't already own it, order the AR Client software for Windows from Advantage Learning Systems. That way you can run AR on Windows computers as well as Macs connected to the network. Increase your number of licensed users for Accelerated Reader by calling Advantage Learning Systems and ordering enough for your entire campus. The basic AR program just includes a license for 250 users. Follow the steps described under "Fallacy #3" above and get all capable Macs on your campus connected to the network. Call the Instructional Technology department and tell them you're ready for someone to come out and install AR to the network. They can help you move all your AR users and test records over to the Novell server so every "client" computer on campus can run AR.   Fallacy #7: "I just do not have enough time in my schedule to support all these Macs on our school network." If you have scheduled classes from 8 to 3 pm, then this statement is true. If your principal makes you a facilitator half time or full time, however, you can obtain some software tools that make managing networked Macs MUCH easier. The Apple Network Assistant (http://www.apple.com/networking/ana) will let you remotely install software on campus Macs, send messages or even chat with teachers in their classrooms, delete files, distribute files, rebuild desktops, restart computers, shut down computers, and much more! (Other lab management programs for Windows machines are listed on School Computer Lab Management Software (http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/netop/).   Fallacy #8: "These old Macs just won't go fast enough to access the internet or open large document files." Many Macintoshes can be upgraded relatively inexpensively with a new processor. One of the best companies offering these upgrades (according to different reviewers on the web) is Sonnet Technologies (http://www.sonnettech.com/). These upgrade processors are available for the Mac LC series, Color Classics, 5500s, and others. Not all Macs are processor upgradable but many are: some PowerPCs can be upgraded to G3's running at over 500 mHz! For an up to date listing of available Sonnet upgrades, see http://www.sonnettech.com/product/.   Fallacy #9: A newer version of AR is available, so I definitely need our campus to upgrade If you are running AR version 4.0, you should contact Advantage Learning and install the free upgrade to version 4.5. Some newer tests with higher numbers require this upgrade and won't work properly on computers running AR version 4. Beware of upgrading to AR version 5 however-- if you are using older computers as AR 4,0 or 4.5 workstations, they may not be able to run AR version 5! Check out the minimum requirements for AR version 5 at http://www.renlearn.com/ar/techspecs.htm. We have decided NOT to upgrade from AR 4.5 to version 5 because we run AR on so many older Macs, and they CANNOT run version 5!   Fallacy #10: "There is no way I will learn this information because I don't want to type in all these internet addresses!" Lucky you, a linked copy of this entire document is available online at: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/exchange/macs.html. You just have to type in ONE address! "For those of us who passionately defend the Macintosh, it's not simply a matter of clock speed. It's about quality, intelligent interfacing, innovation, and individuality. If you take the time to learn both major platforms, you can get similar results in the end. The Macintosh is, however, much more efficient. It is better engineered. It is more reliable. How many people do you hear speaking passionately about their PC's...........or any product for that matter?" Have a question or solution to submit? Please enter it here! 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