At the Macworld Expo keynote speech earlier this week, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs introduced the two newest additions to the Apple hardware family: a scaled-down version of the iPod, called the iPod Shuffle, and a scaled-down computer, called the Mac mini.
The iPod Shuffle is a display-less, flash-based mp3 player with a storage capacity of up to 1 Gigabyte (GB), capable of storing up to 240 songs. The iPod Shuffle is meant for a different class of user than the original iPod. The difference is that users are meant to use the eponymous "shuffle" feature, which plays songs contained on the device at random. And at $99, the iPod is meant to attract a slew of new customers to the Apple brand.
The Mac mini is a computer the size of hot plate that sells for $499, again, meant to attract more people to the Mac platform. It's a little light on everything, but doesn't cut corners by any means. Leading up to the conference, Apple was rumored to be developing this "headless" Mac, meaning that it doesn't come with a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. This lets potential buyers who might already have those items simply connect them to their newly purchased Mac mini. Feature-wise, the Mac mini is comparable to the latest Powerbooks, minus a screen. This machine will probably be attractive to many incoming students, if for the price alone.
Apple's foot in the door in education
This past fall, every incoming freshman at Duke University received an iPod. According to a university press release, Duke students were meant to use the technology to "download course-related content, conduct field interviews and in other various ways."
No colleges at Ball State currently have a similar policy and it's not looking like that will change any time soon, Art and Journalism Building Computer Technician Jerry Pierce said.
"I haven't heard anything about us getting [iPods] in the labs. The iPods you'll see will probably be student-bought, but I bet we'll be seeing more and more of them," Pierce said.
Pierce said iPods provide their owners with many benefits.
"A Zip Disk might have 100 Megabytes (MB) of memory. With an iPod, you'd have 20 GB. They're great for projects that involve photos or audio files," Pierce said.
Senior Erin Ingram purchased a regular iPod last summer. She said she does utilize the device in "other various ways."
"My iPod has 20 GB of memory, but I need like 40. I save my projects on it, but most of the space is music files," Ingram said.
At $260 after student discount, Ingram said she feels like the gadget was a good investment.
"When I'm working on projects and stuff, it's better than saving to a CD or disk because it's super quick," Ingram said.
New Macs on campus?
As with the iPod, if Ball State students want to operate a Mac mini, they will have to go out and buy one. Chances are, they won't be appearing in BSU computer labs any time soon, Apple Representative Chad Cooper said.
"In the VIA 2 Lab they got some more G5s this summer, so I don't think they'll be getting any minis," Cooper said. Apple's latest high-end machine, the Powermac G5, is a massive, lightning-quick desktop suitable for intensive video or audio editing. The G5s have been making appearances in computer labs all over campus. Additionally, Bracken Library recently purchased several G5 iMacs. The new iMac is the descendant of Apple's original iMac, which brought the company back into the public eye in the mid-90s.
Traditionally, Macintosh computers have often been out-of-reach for students because of their prices, but hopefully this will help change that, Cooper said.
"You can go to Wal-Mart and get a [Microsoft Windows] PC for $700 bucks, but you don't get the same quality. With the Mac mini, people who have tighter budgets will be able to afford a Macintosh-quality computer," Cooper said.
Required purchases
Still, some Ball State students are required by their colleges to make huge investments in technology.
Sophomore Architecture major Sarah Shelley said the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State requires all of its incoming students to buy laptop computers.
"I spent $2,000 on that machine, then I had to go and buy software," Shelley said. "I guess it's worth it though. So much of your work is done on the computer."
"It's been this way for a while now," Chair of the Department of Architecture Jon Coddington said. "The computers help the students every step of the way, from learning the programs to applying that knowledge."
Computers play an integral role in many of the courses offered by Ball State's Architecture program, Coddington said.
Computer technology has changed the face of education. The introduction of word processing the the 80s changed the way students write papers. The saturation of the Internet changed the way students study and research. Perhaps the popularization of the iPod will change the way students think about storing, transporting and accessing information.
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