Got my school issued MacBook Air

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 08/04/2014 at 22:10 • Filed to: None

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Can't use the internet on it though.

Something fucked up with the network settings, but they have an administrator block on it so I can't fix it.

So now I just have a pretty much useless (95% of what I do is online) computer until school starts.

But knowing my tech department at school, it'll take a week to fix something that should take 5 minutes.

GhostZ > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:15

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Get into the BIOS, USB-load Xubuntu and use an external USB hard drive for file storage. Download chrome and use google docs. They won't suspect a thing, administrator lock won't do anything, and you just have to yank the drives out when you're all done and it won't look like you even messed wit hit.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:18

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Those Nazis! I just bought one last week. I'm loving it so far although I pretty much hate every other apple product.

AM3R > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:18

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damn, you haven't seen an E46 M3 before but your high school issues out MacBooks??

I live in NoVa, one of the richest counties and they refuse to issue out laptops to students. They even made us go out and buy the books we'd read in class.

Sportwagen, Is Sad > GhostZ 08/04/2014 at 22:20

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The issue is that Macs don't have a BIOS, they are locked so as to be idiot proofed. They also (if I remember correctly) don't have a physical disk drive or SSD, but have flash storage.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 08/04/2014 at 22:21

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I like it, but it's soooo tiny. 13 inch screen compared to my Dell's 17 inch.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AM3R 08/04/2014 at 22:23

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Oh that reminds me, I need to make a post about the cars I saw today (hint: one was an E46 M3)

Yeeaah, our school is pretty spoiled because our test scores are so high and a bunch of other aspects. We got a new pool and football stadium my freshman year.

AM3R > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:26

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Nice! Hope you got to hear it too lol. I've been working on a post about Z4M coupes. Think lighter E46 M3.

Sounds like my school, except my school decided to dump all the money on a pro grade Turf football field and a practice field. Not a wise move lol but at least we won states and didn't lose a game all year.

exizeo - still loving fourza > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:28

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You're lucky. I attend a school that was once US top 10 for many years (hint: there aren't many of those in NY state) and I haven't gotten anything. Actually, I had to pay full price on my current MacBook Pro (2011)...and keep spending on all the software my school needed me to have. We have a football field, pool, library with iMacs, etc., but the school's just so reluctant to actually provide us with computers.

Thank Christ, at least, that my MacBook has barely depreciated at all...it's like the E90 M3 of laptops...

lonestranger > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:31

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Waaaaahhhh.

When I was in high school, we had one room with 30 Windows 3.1 desktops, on which 400 students would learn typing each year. When we had downtime, we each played SkiFree.

Laptops, beepers and cell phones were something that only doctors, lawyers, and stockbrokers owned. E-Mail and Internet were virtually myths. We had heard about them, but no-one had ever seen them.

We used pencils, pens, paper, and notebooks, and we had to supply our own.

ttyymmnn > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:35

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I graduated from HS in 1984, so we obviously didn't have computers to use in class. What exactly do you need a laptop in school for?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AM3R 08/04/2014 at 22:36

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Yeah, our football team sucks ass, but we got a brand new field.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > lonestranger 08/04/2014 at 22:37

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Hey, not my fault my school moved to everything being online based. I'd much rather write honestly.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > ttyymmnn 08/04/2014 at 22:38

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Our school decided we needed to move into the 21st century and make EVERYTHING on computers. Even though it's never works smoothly and our tech department is completely clueless.

Conan > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 22:48

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I've found I get better AP scores from the kids who write.

BJ > lonestranger 08/04/2014 at 22:56

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God, I remember those days.

And, As if Windows 3.1 wasn't injustice enough, the walk to from school was uphill both ways in knee deep snow and we had nothing but an old potato sack for a jacket.

BJ > BJ 08/04/2014 at 22:59

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Writing that I was reminded of this...

We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. I didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

- Abraham Simpson, Last Exit to Springfield

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 23:19

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Where the fuck do you go to school that they issue out Macbook Airs!?!?!?

Sorry, thats just crazy to me

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/04/2014 at 23:24

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Pattonville High School.

Our school is spoiled with tax dollars. Apparently.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 23:26

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Men. I came from an alienware M17x. I really like actually having a portable laptop now.

GhostZ > Sportwagen, Is Sad 08/04/2014 at 23:29

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I...

What?

Are you fucking kidding me?!

I just did some research (I'm a windows guy) and you're right, they have this console that you have to use a special command to get into. "Idiot proof" or not, it's way less useful for what the average user will want it for. It's literally the automobile equivalent of putting special unique bolts all over the car that only a 'certified technician' have access to. I also can't fathom the reasoning behind flash storage over HDDs, but there might be some space-saving advantage. Most BIOS systems are so easy to understand and have so little thing that can be done within them to damage the computer that removing the functionality (or replacing it with a deliberately obstructive interface) is just corporate bullshit.

I'm sure if I just wait a few minutes, someone here (this IS a gawker-owned site) will chime in and defend their design, banging their double-espresso against their Apple-branded coasters and certify that Apple's designers were nothing but unrealized GENIUS.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/04/2014 at 23:36

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My school's been doing this for years. You can buy the laptop from them yourself, but it's been reformatted according to their specs. The most annoying thing is that yes, you can bring your own laptop, but eventually they'll force you to format said personal laptop to their specifications. That's what happened to my original MacBook and I lost a fat load of personal files that I accumulated previously. I now run a 15 inch Pro that's sort of half formatted, because I upgraded to OSX Lion while the format the school still ran was OSX Snow Leopard. XAXAXAXAXA ANARCHY

Sportwagen, Is Sad > GhostZ 08/04/2014 at 23:50

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Well, if I had a bios in my MacBook pro, it probably would be broken lol. The reason for flash is that it its so thin (like really thin).

deekster_caddy > Sportwagen, Is Sad 08/05/2014 at 16:20

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External hard drive (USB3 or Thunderbolt) with entire OS copied from another 'normal' mac. Power on and hold "Option" to choose startup disk (if they didn't lock that out too). Thunderbolt SSD gives good performance for an external drive!

Sportwagen, Is Sad > deekster_caddy 08/05/2014 at 16:21

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That's a good idea, but for that kind of money, I would just go to craigslist and buy a cheap core 2 duo laptop. Just my 2 cents

deekster_caddy > GhostZ 08/05/2014 at 16:22

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Well, I can understand locking down student-issued computers of any flavor (windows, mac, etc). You are running a school system and need to be as sure as reasonably possible that your students aren't using your computer to run their online gambling or porn sites. Not that kids don't get creative, but neither can you hand them the keys...

JGrabowMSt > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/05/2014 at 16:24

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You can set up a second partition, and hold the option key during startup to select what OS you want to boot into. Then you can use disk utility to delete the second partition if you think there's trouble ahead.

I mean, the other option is putting linux on a USB drive, and holding down option when you boot up to pick it. Then you're not breaking any rules, technically.

deekster_caddy > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/05/2014 at 16:25

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There is a cost element that's pretty impressive to comparing paper vs electronic. But that's if you are comparing issuing new textbooks every year (hundreds of dollars each). Supplying a computer suddenly becomes cost comparative, plus you can begin to prepare students for the world they will be entering where computers ARE used for everything.

Don't get me wrong, I like paper, but I can't stand writing.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > deekster_caddy 08/05/2014 at 16:26

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That's the thing, they still buy textbook as well.

deekster_caddy > Sportwagen, Is Sad 08/05/2014 at 16:27

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Sure, but if you want to use "their computer" you could. You just need an external volume to do so. The good thing about using an external is that you can go to just about any current Mac and plug in and boot up.

Sportwagen, Is Sad > deekster_caddy 08/05/2014 at 16:30

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Okay, I see what you are saying. If you want a free computer, use theirs the the way they want you to or find a way around it.

deekster_caddy > Sportwagen, Is Sad 08/05/2014 at 16:46

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Pretty much. I work in IT and have dealt with locking down several types of systems over the years. We have pretty much ended up at 'basic lockdown', as in IT approval needed to install new programs or modify important parts of the system, and allowing the user to do basic things like network changes or install a new printer. But we work at a business where our end goal is reliability and productivity, with some user empowerment. Running similar lockdowns for a school student body is a whole different animal! (and teachers different yet again)

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 08/06/2014 at 16:55

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My high school (I graduated 5 years ago) gave out iBook G4s during my junior year, and they were so fucking slow because of all the restrictions placed on them, and every once in a while because they were so tied into the network setup at the school, if it crashed off network it would come back totally unrestricted and you could do anything on them. I had that happen to me and I got around the blocking and was browsing car forums and things like that when the school IT guy came in, confiscated my lappy and told me to meet him downstairs. They asked how I did it and I told them it was a glitch and I was just using it to my advantage. They locked it back down and that was that. The year prior I bought my own iBook G4, had Leopard on it (school had Tiger) and used it in class. Way better than the other one and the IT staff seemed to not care (although I did name it the same as the school one to be fair). Despite the fact that I liked to tinker with it, I still treated my school one better than other kids who threw them in truck beds, or stepped on them or whatever. It's a great concept, just not so good in practice when kids don't respect property.

Alex B > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/31/2015 at 15:38

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Hey Logan, how do you like your air? It's time for me to get a new laptop. My parents are buying it for my birthday gift and right now it looks like I have the choice between a new (2015) Air 13 or a MacBook Pro 13 (2013) certified refurnished from Apple. I looked at both in the store today and the Air's screen seemed fuzzy when compared to my iPhone 6 and the retina pro. Do you get used to it? Is the difference that noticeable in day to day? Thanks!