Macintosh at universities

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 29

Macintosh at universities

Seven New Zealand universities have formed a consortium to purchase Apple’s latest Macintosh and Lisa microcomputers. It is estimated that orders worth about $1.5 million could be placed over the next 18 months by the universities, involving hundreds of machines. Under the agreement university departments can purchase Macintoshes and Lisas at discounted prices. “In order to belong to the consortium, universities undertake a commitment to purchase the Macintosh and to develop software, courseware and instructional material,” says CED Distributors, Ltd, the Apple distributors. Six months ago Apple Computers established a consortium concept in the United States. There are now 27 members, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. The members have pur-

chased over 20,000 Macintosh and Lisa computers. In New Zealand, universities already have purchasing arrangements with a number of microcomputer suppliers, including IBM. Mr John Good, director of the computer centre at The University of Canterbury, says that Canterbury will take delivery within the next few weeks of a small initial stock of Macintoshes and Lisas. “We believe that they will prove to be very popular,” he says. Mr Good says that software developed for the computers by the University of Canterbury will be made available to the other universities, and Canterbury will look forward to receiving software from them. The universities will meet regularly both with and without Apple to exchange ideas about individual programs and to share courseware developments, says CED Distributors.