[K12OSN] OT: Apple Imac lab

[Ryan Collins]

Almquist Burke wrote:
>     What you CAN do is buy lab of iMacs, just enough for AV editing (or 
> any other really intensive applications), and hook them up as 
> workstations that authenticate using LDAP and allow users access to 
> their home file system using NFS, CIFS, or AFP etc. What I usually 
> recommend in a school setting, is putting LDAP and NFS and/or CIFS home 
> directories on a central server, probably CENTOS5, or something else 
> really stable. It doesn't need a ton of horse power, mostly just RAM and 
> and really good storage system (like raid 5 on some fast disks.

I'm going to second this. I hate to say this, and will probably be 
kicked off this list :-), but 20" iMacs running OS X Leopard will blow 
away anything you could provide by running them as thin clients.

Plus if you share their home directory, their Desktop and Documents 
folder will stay the same whether they are on a thin-client in your 
building or under OS X. In my HS, the students log into Windows, LTSP, 
or OS X, and are greeted with the same Desktop and Documents. Remember, 
use the best tool for the job.

Just install any software that you use on your thin clients under OS X 
(OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Scribus, Gimp, Audacity, etc.). You may want 
to look at getting a copy of Apple Remote Desktop too (it costs $300 
though). You can remotely install software and keep the lab up to date 
from one machine.

Bonus points if you dual boot them into Linux and OS X. :-D

-- 
Ryan Collins - Technology Coordinator - Kenton City Schools

Blog: http://ryancollins.org/wp/
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