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From: perelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.research,net.cse
Subject: Re: First Summary of PC's in Education Survey
Message-ID: <3466@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Mar-84 22:17:37 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.3466
Posted: Tue Mar  6 22:17:37 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Mar-84 23:24:06 EST
References: <3604@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 21

In defence of IBM-PC's (and their compatible buddies):
    - The 80186 is arguably as good as a 68000 and anyone with talent
      can create software to run on the 80186 and 8088 and all the other
      family members
    - 8088 based micros are the most popular.  It isn't fair to students
      to force them to buy another machine.  This may change with the
      Macintosh-madness.  (If the happens, the CSRG is capable of making
      the switch with little pain.)
    - Since Canada has no history of corporate support of universities,
      the choice of micro is typically dependant on who makes the best
      offer and what is available "north of the border."
    
Aside from this, th "7 M's" are true for Brown's "animated algorithms"
scheme, but they aren't essential for the simple task of introductory
computer programming courses.  An IBM PC (or Tandy 2000 or DEC Rainbow or ...)
is suitable, cheaper, available, and currently popular.
-- 
Stephen Perelgut   
	    Computer Systems Research Group    University of Toronto
	    Usenet:	{linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut
	    CSNET:	perelgut@Toronto