Is Apple's Mac U Pic Worth a Thousand Words?

You'd think that all schools were all going to Macs, based on the photo, which was about as good as marketing gets. Look below for yourself and tell me, isn't that photo a Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer coronary in the making?

GOT A TIP OR RUMOR?

Tim Cook offered up some compelling U.S. statistics to go with the startling picture. "We've surpassed Dell to become the top supplier of notebooks for all of education, with a stunning 39 percent unit share." Apple's chief operating officer then put up figures for an unnamed university—one "that you would recognize"—showing Apple moving from 15 percent in 2002 to 47 percent in 2008. But he didn't say of what the numbers meant. Is that percentage of students using Mac notebooks?

The question to ask: Where was that stunning picture taken? I did some quick research. Looks like the photo was taken in October 2007 at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. There are several, unattributed crops floating around the Web, including Flickr. If you shot this photo, please tell me. I did a screen grab from the video stream Apple post of the event.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, that each should tell a story. But what is the story here? Tim certainly told one story about the photo, talking about how Apple had worked with universities to make Mac laptops a "choice." But what if there isn't much choice at all?

The Missouri University School of Journalism requires freshman to have a Wi-Fi capable laptop that also can run Microsoft Office. Well, heck, Office should automatically mean Windows. Right? Wrong. Here's some context for that photo, from the school's laptop FAQ:

Q. What brand or model should I buy? A. The faculty has designated Apple Computer as its preferred provider for two primary reasons: (1) Apple's OS X operating system is based on Unix, which makes these computers far less susceptible to viruses than other computers. Viruses are a serious problem on university campuses. (2) Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro computers come bundled with iLife, a suite of applications ideal for learning the basics of photo editing, and audio and video editing. We'll use those programs in several classes. Incoming students will receive information on recommended models and pricing in February of each year.

Q. What if I prefer a Windows-based machine? A. That's an option, but it's one we do not recommend unless you plan to make a career of computer-assisted reporting. By the time you purchase photo, audio and video software for a PC, you probably will have spent more than you would if buying a comparable Apple Computer. Buy a PC if you prefer to do so, but make sure it is wireless and has Microsoft Office. Almost 100 percent of last year's freshmen chose Apple computers.

Go back and read that last sentence again. Because that "almost 100 percent" pretty much sums up the lecture hall photo. It's Mac U.

What's more amazing than the number of Mac portables is the J school's reasons for recommending them—aside from malware concerns: iLife. Creative professionals, such as graphic designers and photographers, have long favored Macs. But journalists? Yeah, journalists. The field has changed in part because of blogging, interactive media and increased emphasis on digital content creation. The differences between print (or Web) and broadcast journalism are disappearing, particularly as more content is produced for the Web. Roles are combining, too, as new tech tools let one journalist or blogger do the job of two, three or four people, just a few years ago.

The bloggers attending this week's Mac laptop event are good examples. Most of them brought computers and still cameras—and many others had video cameras as well. Journalists or bloggers generally produced mixed media coverage that a decade ago only would have written stories. Heck, I did a quick on-site video, too. My Nikon D90 digital camera shoots HD video. An Apple employee held the camera while I introduced the MacBook.

What's the policy at other schools? Is Missouri an aberration or trend? Columbia University is the only Ivy League institution with a journalism school. At first glance, the Journalism School seems to equally support Mac and Windows laptops. But this excerpt from the 2008 Fall Technology Guide favors one over the other:

For students involved in multimedia applications, we recommend using a Mac. Macs come with a variety of basic video, audio and photo editing tools. Intel Macs are also capable of running Windows through either Boot Camp or virtualization software like Parallels or VMware's Fusion. If you plan to purchase a new Mac, the Apple MacBook will be sufficient for most students. The Apple MacBook Pro is recommended for students interested in editing professional video on their laptops.

Now, I know journalists are supposed to strive for impartiality. But what it's going to mean for Windows and Microsoft if the majority of reporters and bloggers come to use Macs? If I were working for Microsoft, I would consider the Missouri J school policy on Macs to be a crisis. Columbia isn't far behind.

How about another one? San Jose School of Journalism and Mass Communications:

Students interested in multimedia may want to choose a MacBook or MacBook Pro, which comes preloaded with the multimedia iLife Suite (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and Garageband). Comparable PC applications are available, but are not as well integrated and may require additional purchases.

I could go on, but the point hopefully is obvious. Several prominent J schools are recommending MacBooks or MacBook Pros over Windows laptops, and software is the reason. Who could imagine that $79 iLife—free on new Macs—would be a preferred, even recommended, tool for new media journalism? Apple shows the true value of software done right.

Something else: The half dozen schools I looked at also required Microsoft Office. So where would those Mac recommendations be if there was no Macintosh Office? Please offer your answer in e-mail or the comments.

[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com.]

Related Posts:

• Apple's Mystery Product Revealed, Apple Watch, Oct. 15, 2008
• Apple Stays the Course in Rough Economic Seas, Apple Watch, Oct. 15, 2008
• How Apple Raised MacBook Prices, Apple Watch, Oct. 14, 2008
• Live from Apple's Notebook Launch, Apple Watch, Oct. 14, 2008
• What Apple's Notebooks Must Be, Apple Watch, Oct. 13, 2008
• It's Official: New Notebooks on Oct. 14, Apple Watch, Oct. 9, 2008
• Is Brick the Next Cube?, Apple Watch, Oct. 5, 2008
• Mac Laptop Retail Share: 35% Measured in Dollars, Apple Watch, Sept. 26, 2008
• Apple Demands a High Price to Be Cool, Apple Watch, Sept. 26, 2008
• Putting Mac Selling Prices in Context, Apple Watch, Aug. 8, 2008
• Vista PCs: These Prices Are Insane!, Microsoft Watch, Aug. 5, 2008
• Should You Pay Twice as Much for a Mac?, Apple Watch, Aug. 5, 2008
• Can Price Cuts Get Apple 10% Share, Apple Watch, July 23, 2008

Posted by Joe Wilcox on October 19, 2008 1:45 AM