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Letters to the editor: response to Macintosh phase out
It is my understanding that the industry standard for graphics and prepress professionals is the
Macintosh. While PCs are common in other businesses, most of the graphics industry currently use the
Macintosh platform.
What concerned me most about the article was the possible removal of Macintosh computers.
A cut-back would be more accepted, but to completely remove the Macintosh computer lab in Delta
203 seems extreme.
As an institution of higher learning, I find it strange that UH-Clear Lake would limit students to
only one of the two computer platforms.
I may be wrong, but I don't see the Macintosh being written off in two years, especially in the
graphics industry.
I understand that cost is a large factor for the Macintosh; however, the ability for students to
learn both platforms is critical. The statement about the Macintosh operating system not being
updated since the company began is misleading. The new Macintosh OS X operating system was released
before Microsoft XP and has the ability to multi-task.
And without the Macintosh system, Microsoft Windows might not even exist.
As assistant design editor of Bayousphere 2001, I used the Macintosh to publish the magazine. The
president of Met Printing in Houston, who printed the magazine, insisted on using nothing but the
Macintosh because of printing issues. Many other companies in the graphics industry use the Macintosh
as well.
Houston Desktop Graphics in Clear Lake, Manlove Advertising in Pasadena and T3, a major advertising
agency in Austin, also use the Macintosh platform.
The Macintosh system is stable, and with regular maintenance by one or two individuals, major
hardware and software problems could be avoided. The choice of purchasing the G4 Cube might not have
been the best option. It has limited expandability and after only six months was discontinued. The
desktop models would have been more expensive, but might have outlasted the G4 Cube.
I am certain the committee making this decision has conducted research into this issue, but I
encourage the committee members to take a very close look before deciding to eliminate the Macintosh
at UH-Clear Lake.
Brian Catalina
Reader Responds
Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to the article titled, "Macintosh faces possible deletion,"that appeared
in the Nov. 5 issue of the UHCLIDIAN. I do not agree with Gary Kidney's given reasons to justify
getting rid of the Macs on campus.
Kidney should not be making decisions on which computers are best for design and graphic arts
students and for the
School of Human Science and Humanities
faculty who teach them. When it comes to working with graphics, digital prepress and digital video
editing, there is no question as to what kind of computer is best: the Macintosh wins hands down. That is the reason why most industry professionals use the Mac. I agree with Stuart
Larson that the Macintosh is more reliable in handling graphics. The reason is that the Mac was
designed for graphics from the very beginning.
The PC has had six operating systems since it first began, according to Kidney. In the last three
or four years, Microsoft has released Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows NT,
Windows 2000 and now Windows XP. Was this designed to generate extra profit for Microsoft?
This means owners have to update their systems frequently, which means added cost and
inconvenience. Does Kidney really consider this a positive aspect?
Kidney's alleged superiority of the PC over the Mac concerning memory management, multi-tasking
and network support is baseless. All those areas have been addressed with the Macintosh OS X
operating system.
Finally, when Kidney cites the discontinuation of the G4 cube as a reason for eliminating the
Macintosh, could he be attempting to justify the
poor choice he made?
The G4 cube was discontinued because it had limited expand-
ability, so few people, other than Kidney, bought them.
I will be graduating in May. But, if I were to decide to pursue a master's degree in graphic
design at UH-Clear Lake, I would like to be trained on the graphics industry standard: the Macintosh.
Linda Lapointe
University official responds to debate
Dear Editor,
The Nov. 5 issue of the UHCLIDIAN carried a front-page story in which a member of the Computer
Services Advisory Council suggested that Macintosh computers will soon be discontinued at UH-Clear
Lake.
As the chief academic officer of this university, I want our students to know that as long as our
programs require Macintosh computers, we will have Macintosh computers.
If Macintosh is the platform of choice in the marketplace in areas in which our students are
studying, we will have Macintosh labs where they can prepare themselves for their internships and
employment.
This university supports quality programs, and the academic integrity of our programs comes first
at UH-Clear Lake. If that means Macs in certain fields, be assured, we will have Macs.
Edward J. Hayes
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Dear Editor,