TUAW meldt een opmerkelijk maar heuglijk besluit van de Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Het bestuur heeft daar besloten de komende drie jaar gefaseerd de 1700 campuscomputerwerkplekken en het netwerk volledig Mac based te maken.
Op de website van de universiteit wordt de keuze toegelicht.
“Macs are constructed with superior technology and hardware and their ability to run Windows means we still have access to any Windows programs,” said Scott Byers, vice president for finance and general counsel at Wilkes University. “We’re making working and learning more efficient. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“For 30 years Apple has been committed to education, and worked with faculty and students across the country to enhance teaching and learning,” said John Couch, Apple’s vice president of Education. “We’re thrilled that Wilkes is becoming an all-Mac campus, providing its students with access to the world’s most advanced technology and helping to ensure they graduate with 21st Century skills.”[…]“This is an aggressive technology refresh plan that will present students and staff with access to the latest technology,” said Byers. “We’re also creating a virtually virus-free IT network.”“Experience with the most advanced computers available today will provide our students with an edge when they enter today’s job market with increasingly demanding technological expertise,” said Wilkes president Tim Gilmour.
Met deze grootschalige switch is een bedrag van $ 1,4 miljoen gemoeid.