[WinMac] RE: Macs & Windows in schools
Subject: [WinMac] RE: Macs & Windows in schools
From: Dan Schwartz (Expresso[at]snip.net)
Date: Sun Jan 06 2002 - 16:56:45 EST
Dear Rick,
Basically, with Citrix it means that it doesn't matter whether you're running
Macs, Windows, or unix, since the central server is actually running the
programs, then sending the "screen shots" to the individual computers. In
other words, since Citrix natively supports Macs, it's not a "proprietary"
platform.
For example, if you have 5 users running PageMaker, there are actually 5
copies of the program running on the central server, with each PM copy with
that particular users' PM files. In other words, think of the "server" as a
mini mainframe.
Citrix has an advantage in that all of the programs are kept - And run - And
administered - in one place.
The single biggest disadvantage is that the licensing cost is exhorbitant.
Another "issue" is that you need enough CPU horsepower - Let alone RAM & disk
space - on the central server to execute all of those programs. The lower the
horsepower, the slower the programs run.
-----
What has happened in the intervening years since your school's system was
installed is that it no longer costs $2500 for a PowerMac or $1800 for a PC.
Now, it pays (more or less) to run individual high powered, inexpensive
workstations **when starting with a new system from scratch**
Two major caveats in your case:
1) Your school already spent the money for the Citrix licenses;
2) If you switch to individual workstations, then you have to deploy a
desktop management solution, with concomitant costs.
Basically, when your consultant walked in the door, he saw a commercial
quality system in place; and s/he decided to upgrade it instead of replacing
every single piece of hardware. Since you already know how to run your
existing system, it's a pretty good call since none of the other PC's or Macs
needs to be replaced.
Hope this helps!
Dan
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Rick Kent [mailto:Maverick@maverickmedia.com]
>Subject: Macs & Windows in schools
>
>
>I need a little help with an issue of Macs & PCs in mixed network
>academic environments. I am looking for the following:
>
>1. Information links, unbiased research reports, mail lists, news
>groups, etc. regarding mixed environment networks in schools (junior
>high and high school, and possibly college). Your experience, if you
>administer or work with such a network in an education environment,
>would be particularly helpful. (If your school has gone all one way
>or another, I would also like to know your experience.)
>
>2. Market information with respect to Apple's school market: e.g.
>current prevalence, sales market share, etc.
>
>3. Demographic information with respect to Mac users vs PC users:
>Income, Education, etc.
>
>4. Anything else that might help support the position of maintaining
>a mixed network, rather than shifting to an all PC network.
>
>Please send any longer responses, or responses with attachments,
>directly to me (rick@kentgroup.org) rather than burdening this list
>server. Thank you.
>
>BACKGROUND, if you are interested:
>
>I am on the technology committee of my daughter's new high school.
>There is a move afoot at the school to eliminate Macs, and switch to
>an all PC network. Currently about two thirds of the roughly 170
>computers are Macs, but they are apparently quite old-- I am trying
>to get more specifics but apparently they are mostly vintage 7100
>type machines.
>
>The age of the Macs is not their biggest problem however. Apparently
>they do not even run native Mac apps on those Macs. Not even an
>email client. Everything is run through a pair of Citrix servers as
>PC apps. Yes, they run PageMaker and Word as PC apps through the
>Citrix servers to the Macs as clients. And yes, they are complaining
>about performance. Not surprising since they are also pushing all
>that Citrix stuff across a poorly configured, primarily 10 BaseT
>network.
>
>They have hired a consultant-- an MCSE of course who I don't think
>has ever consulted for an educational institution before-- and he is
>recommending eliminating the Macs-- what he refers to as a
>"proprietary" platform-- to reduce costs and increase performance in
>the long run. He is also recommending about $60K worth of new Dell
>servers, including two $15K each servers which he says will serve as
>"Citrix Load Balancing Servers". They already spent over $11K on a
>new server for just the business office. Note that this is a school
>of about 500 students and maybe less than 100 faculty and staff.
>
>(Yes, he has also recommended spending up to $40K to upgrade the
>network architecture, which between wiring closets is currently state
>of the art, including optical fiber as well as Cat 5, but is hampered
>by a patchwork of poorly integrated 10BaseT hubs in the closets and
>peripherally. He has not been specific about what that $40K would be
>spent on.)
>
>This all seems to me like money over spent for the wrong things.
>(They are buying the server equipment directly from Dell, so unless
>there is some kind of consultant kickback program in Dell's
>educational buying program, I don't think he is profiting directly
>from this possible server overkill.) I cannot imagine why a network
>of this size would need so much server power. On the surface it
>seems they should modestly upgrade their NT servers, clean up all the
>wiring closets with 100 BaseT switches & hubs (and optical switches
>in key locations, since they already have the optical fiber in
>place), and spend the rest of the money upgrading Macs & PCs for
>faculty, staff, and student use.
>
>But that is a gut feeling on my part, and I need more support,
>especially unbiased factual information regarding the Macs in such an
>educational environment.
>
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