Using Windows 7 to 'Elevate Miami'
When new software comes out, usually the more well-to-do get access first, and then eventually it trickles down. However, some of the first to use Windows 7 will be among those traditionally left behind--including those in some of Miami's poorest areas, many of whom don't even have a home computer.
That's because the city is moving to Windows 7 in several of the computer centers that are part of the Elevate Miami project, which aims to equip all of the city's residents with digital know-how, including its vast Spanish-speaking population and the city's most economically challenged areas.
Miami seniors get computer training at one of the city's many centers, this one in a Catholic church and senior center. Miami is moving several of its centers to Windows 7 just as the technology launches.
(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)The city is putting Windows 7 machines in five locations, including four of the city's parks and also at the Little Haiti Cultural Center. Two of the centers already have Windows 7 installed, according to city staff.
"By making the latest tools of technology available to the citizens of Miami, the Elevate Miami program hopes to better prepare the Greater Miami community to participate and compete in the new digital society and economy," said James Osteen, the city's assistant director of information technology.
CNET News toured one of the Miami projects last year as part of our Borders of Computing series, seeing firsthand as seniors--many of whom had never had access to technology--learned the basics of computing and used the PCs to connect to local friends and family overseas.
Miami wired the first of its city's parks in 2004, planning to slowly roll out the technology. But amid huge demand, the city connected more than 20 parks in that first year and, as of early last year, had more than 40 parks connected with about 300 computers.
"When we've looked in some of our particularly disadvantaged neighborhoods, we see computers in less than a third of houses," City of Miami CIO Peter Korinis said in an interview last year. "We see Internet connections in less than a quarter. Clearly these families and these households are going to have an uphill fight to take advantage of all that a computer has to offer, whether its education or health care or jobs."
Osteen said the city has had a very positive experience with the latest Windows.
"After using Windows 7 for very short period of time we suggested that Microsoft rename the OS to Windows Elevate... because as we used the OS it quickly became apparent that it would elevate security, elevate productivity and elevate performance and in the end elevate the bottom line for our IT Department, our organization and our community," Osteen said.
For those who don't happen to live close to one of the city's computing centers, Windows 7 goes on sale to the masses on Oct. 22.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
(note: this isn't against Windows 7 per se, but against the fact that local access = easier hacking, so the fanboy crowd can kindly shut the hell up).
Hell, surprisingly a Surface unit would work out well here as it has no external ports and the screen itself is just a projection onto a piece of 2" thick acrylic.
http://portal.elevatemiami.com/Pages/Home.aspx
@Dan... sorry, having loads of trouble with my 2 PCs today. It seems they want to freeze when I open the one and only program on them... Publisher. So MS is in my s**t box today.
You're kidding, right? Publisher is for... well, neophytes. Surely you are using PageMaker, Quark, or similar?
Yes, Pagemaker is still the default standard in the industry. CS4 is largely mocked as causing more confusion and problems for professional publishers by well meaning, but ignorant new users.
I am not a designer. You stated previously you were a systems admin. Are you now a designer and changed job roles?
It's possible that I run in different circles for getting print for hire work done. The shops I deal with want PDF's the preference towards Pagemaker/Quark as the data creator.
Photoshop is an image editor, not a publication application. It would be very difficult to use Photoshop for printing up 300 page books. I *suppose* you could make them all images, but that seems unwieldy and awkward.
Illustrator: See above for Photoshop.
InDesign: I haven't had any experience with this application, but have heard positive comments about it.
Quark: Pretty much the defacto standard of the day, still has a large following on Macintosh platforms.
I suppose this is a case where your mileage may vary.
Random_Walk could probably give us more information. He used to work for a children's book printer in Oregon and likely has some real world suggestions there.
If your statements are true, then why are 95% of the native publication files I receive done in InDesign?
Perhaps the "print for hire" circles you do run in are not serious design houses, but rather print shop art departments that don't really know any better.
It would not be wise to beat this horse anymore. Your knowledge of my industry is seriously deficient.
And again... I never said I was an SA. I said I do my own system maintenance because I don't need someone else to do it. My business is high-end graphic design. I even included a link for my websites in one of my previous replies to you, but apparently you missed that too.
So much for attention to detail... but if you're interested, go to www.brightideasmediagroup.com. And yes... I designed the Penthouse calendar you will see there.
many print shops and designers in asia use illustrator for brochures and what not, just not for 20+ books/magazines
most of them use a variety of tools that i can't even call the names out if they try to remain legal (since adobe is rather expensive)
indeign is pretty good, hearing this from a friend that's been in design for at least 8~9 years, but he said quark is more flexible... now how that is i can't tell since i don't use it myself, i just assist my girl friend who just started in design 2 years ago learning the tools...
me no design guy, just IT so all this are stuff that I have "heard"
thanks for the info, i know that function of the adobe suite, but the software were so expansive I ended up getting using something else for my own use, my girlfriend had discount so it wasn't much of a problem for her..
I on the other hand was just toying around with the software lol
end tell
The problem is, Futurama predicted that the would be a Windows 7. We can't change what is destined to be.
If this city really cared for their citizens, it wouldn't stick them with Windows 7, since most modern jobs need XP literacy. Leave Vista and 7 for the gamers. Give them the REAL STUFF.
- by EvanSei October 14, 2009 5:20 PM PDT
- how about they forget giving new equipment to the centers where lets face it people are going to damage the computers, and lets get the computers at schools around the country updated. I have some teachers running vista yea it's that bad. I'll tell you it's bad when the elementary school (at least one of them does) has macs running OSX for the kids and the high schools get vista and XP basic. (I bring my own computer running windows 7)
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- by Yelonde October 15, 2009 4:49 AM PDT
- What is bad about vista? What is bad about OSX? What is bad about XP, even XP basic? As far as I am concerned, I used those operating systems at my school for art design, CAD, animation, and web design. They are perfectly good operating systems.
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- by EvanSei October 15, 2009 7:27 AM PDT
- @Yelonde
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- by Weudel October 15, 2009 7:59 AM PDT
- So, they should go with Edubuntu? This way they would get free upgrades every six months and a software package designed for educational settings. I know, you're going to tell me that second graders need to get used to using some specific Windows app, because that's what they'll be working with in the real world in 15 years.... Really?
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- by EvanSei October 15, 2009 11:12 AM PDT
- @weudel
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- by Yelonde October 15, 2009 5:05 PM PDT
- @EvanSei
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- by Weudel October 16, 2009 5:30 AM PDT
- @Yelonde...
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(34 Comments)Just because windows 7 is one of microsoft's so called "better" operating systems doesn't mean that every other operating system is bad. Have you used vista SP2? It is as good as 7 in terms of performance. Have you used OSX? Great for art and multitasking.
First off OSX is really good, XP is also darn vista is terrible I own a vista machine and it just plain sucks, What I am getting at is the fact that the schools with a more wealthy student base gets all updated systems while the lesser fortunate get an oudated system, XP is good but the fact is it is out dated. Vista is so bad I understand that they did not update to vista but I am assuming they will keep XP at least until windows 9, so really what I am whinning about is the fact that schools get such bad funding they must rely on parent and community donations for up to date equipment, and in this world students need to be exposed to the most up to date software so they don't fall behind, heck at my school they don't even offer a computer class, sad I know.
for kids in elementry school this would not be a bad thing to have, of course you would need the programs used in the real world for the high school and possibly middle school students. By having the elementry school students use Edubuntu money could be spent on giving high scool and middle school students up to date programs. I mean really why do elementry school students get macbooks runniong OSX and high school and middle school students get Dell's running XP basic with celeron procesors?
Oh, aight, I didn't completely understand what you were getting at.
As for edubuntu, the problem with edubuntu is that it is not usable for school students, and most school admins. The linux operating system is great, BUT it lacks high-end programs that the world actually uses. Art institutions use Adobe and Corel. Programers use Visual and C. Designers use autocad and solidworks. Writers and presentation programs are primarily mac/windows based.
Linux is too confusing, and has no support, something that schools and businesses with computers need. In the short run, Ubuntu is cheap, but in the long run, it is time consuming, and unproductive.
Okay, if by support you mean some guy who speaks little-to-no English at some call center waiting for your call, then, okay Ubuntu does lack that. But there is a large community of users that are more than happy to help with any little issue that comes up.
As far as the x proprietary software is the industry standard and kids need to be learning that argument goes. One of the keys to computer literacy is the ability to adapt to new software and technologies as they come along. So, no, Ubuntu doesn't run Corel or Adobe or whatever, but there is undoubtedly an open source equivalent to anything that needs to be taught in the schools. I really don't think it matters whether they are learning photo manipulation on PhotoShop or GIMP, because some product that has not even been conceived of yet will likely be the industry standard by the time these kids finish college and enter the job market.
If you think Linux is too confusing then you haven't tried it recently, and, the fact is, if kids learn to work through any issues that may come up when they're young, they'll be better equipped to deal with the inevitable Windows 12 problems prior to SP1.
Just sayin'...