Even though Apple's well past its darkest days and overall retail market share is on the rise, it seems that we still hear about the Mac's continuing decline in the educational arena, as if the schools are just a little behind on their Apple homework. Then again, schools were also among the last institutions to stick with Macs long after everybody else started jumping ship, so we assume there's sort of a "delayed reaction" thing going on here, probably tied to the length of time it takes for schools to receive funding for computer purchases. But whatever the reason, we still hear about schools ditching their Macs for Windows boxes and "encouraging" the student population to do the same.

That's why we're delighted to hear that Wintel-only rumors circulating at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign appear to have been false. Not so long ago we had heard that the university was planning on instituting a campus-wide requirement that all new computer purchases be Windows systems, but if the swarm of fruit-flavored iMacs invading the campus is any indication, the Mac platform isn't going anywhere. Faithful viewer (and AtAT dad) Joseph Miller kindly pointed out a Daily Illini article describing the 187 new iMacs that the university just installed in five campus labs over the course of the past week. The cuddly new computers are apparently replacing older Macs, so the move doesn't exactly constitute what MacCentral would call a "forward migration," but it's a good sign that the U of I isn't taking a step backwards and replacing those aging Macs with PCs.

Hearing that the U of I hasn't abandoned the Mac platform holds a particular joy for the AtAT staff, since Yours Truly used his first computers there-- the PLATO system-- at the ripe old age of five, beginning a lifelong interest in computers of all types that has since reached unparalleled heights with the Macintosh. The difference between those old PLATO terminals and today's iMac is astounding, and it's nice to see the university keeping up with the times. We find it strange, though, that they opted not to take advantage of one of the iMac's greatest innovations: color. After all, if they're going to buy 187 computers that are actually available in the school colors, wouldn't you expect them to leap at the chance? Imagine a translucent sea of blue and orange... Er, on second thought, that would probably look kind of frightening. Never mind.