From: jjmckay@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Jim McKay)
Subject: Re: Mac vs. IBM & quality of writing--Ref?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: comp.sys.mac.apps
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 11:46:22 GMT

The study which appeared in Academic Computing was horribly done and
lacked scientific methodology.  I was especially offended as I had done
a similar study of Interior Design and Architecture students. I went to
great pains to be as scientific as possible when I studied 96 students
at the University of Illinois.  Then this professor comes along and gets
all this publicity for a poorly done study.  

I can usually tell if someone is knowledgeable about the issue by how
seriously  they take that article from Delaware.  It is grossly misleading
--if not libelous.  I would be terribly embarassed if I were associated
with the University of Delaware and this topic came up. 

At Illinois, English students are free to use the computer of their choice.
A number of our top students and internationally known English faculty use 
Macs as their computer of choice while some use DOS machines.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
            JIM McKAY, jjmckay@uiuc.edu
A.M.:       Data Networks Administrator, NSF STCS, 217/244-4396 
P.M.:       Manager, The Hypermedia Lab, 217/333-0309 (via the CCSO Op.)
            University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

tigger@pecan.cns.udel.edu (david faust) writes:

>In article <mike_steiner-101192134830@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>>In article <SRO.92Nov9040421@media-lab.media.mit.edu>, sro@media.mit.edu
>>(Shawn O'Donnell) wrote:
>>> 
>>> I heard of a study a couple of years ago--at the University of Delaware,
>>> I think--according to which students who used (DOS) IBM PCs wrote better
>>> papers than students who used a Macintosh.  (The students using the Mac
>>> allegedly spent all their time fiddling with fonts and formatting instead
>>> of worrying about what they were saying.  Since it was so hard to do
>>> formatting on old DOS PCs, the students using the IBMs spent all their
>>> time thinking about the writing assignment.  Or so the story goes.)
>>> 
>>> Does anyone know of a reference for this study?  
>>> 
>>> And I know I read about it recently... I can't remember where, though.
>>> Maybe in a Boston Computer Society publication?  BCS Update?  In don't
>>> know.
>>> 
>>> Any pointers?
>>
>>It wasn't a study.  It was the report of one teacher.  Nothing ever came of
>>it.
>>
>>+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
>>|Now that I have a reader that can do .sigs, I can't think of a witty |
>>|one to put here, so I won't.  All normal disclaimers apply.          |
>>+---------------------------------------------------------------------+

>And boy what a problem it has turned into. Many professors here point to the
>report as evidence that all students should use ibms to write papers. I have
>had classes where the professors have claimed that this report was conclusive
>proof. What a bunch of bull. Luckily the university still supports macs and
>we still sell them (seems like we are selling more than ever right now!).
>Seeya,

>Dave