A word from the editor
It’s that time of the year when thousands
of kids go back to school, and thousands
more go to school for the first time. Apple
has traditionally had a strong position in
education and continues to do so. And
that arguably applies even to our region
(see “A visit to AUS” in this issue of
shuffle). But pricing is critical in education,
and Macs are often too expensive to
be considered. But is that keeping the best
interest of studens in mind? Not always.
Sometimes it probably doesn’t matter
much if a task is done with Windows or
Mac OS X, but over time, I’d say students
as well as teachers would benefit from
using Macs. Macs are more user friendly,
more secure and stable, and don’t suffer
from many of the problems plaguing
the Windows world. In our region it’s
important that we educate the educators
and the decision makers about Apple and
Macs as much as possible to the benefit
of our children. Too often I have seen
schools with Windows PCs and thought
to myself “Macs could give these kids so
much more”. Personally I think clear and
advertised special offers and discounts to
teachers and students would make good
sense. I also think Apple IMC should
be more visible in the education market,
even outside the the subject areas where
they are traditionally strong, like media
and design. And the EmiratesMac Apple
User Group is always willing to play its
part. In this issue we’ve tried to collect
material that may help in preparing
and planning for going back to school,
whether you’re a parent or a student. You
will find advice for preparing for going
back to school, and some suggestions for
Apple equipment you can buy that will
help enhancing the school experience.