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Computer hardware changes constantly and prices come and go. We cannot provide finite advice or consultancy via this web site but a few hot tips are offered, based on real world experience. Educational purchasing is often fraught with conflicting agendas which may not facilitate creative users. The best kind of advice is 'word of mouth', remembering that the newest technologies are not always the best ones and older equipment can still be great at what it does.

This wouldn't be a creative technology web site with out a brief trundle over the Great Mac versus PC debate. At the time of writing many schools are under collective purchasing schemes which tie them into specific equipment. It has to be said that this means of buying equipment may well be the cheapest but the long term effects of using inferior bulk PC purchasing on the work produced is evident. Teachers may end up with kit which is difficult to set up and in some cases wrong for the job. So here we go:

1 The business community runs almost exclusively on PCs operating Windows software. Therefore buy PCs for word processing, spreadsheets and basic project work. Software is generally more freely available and cheaper. The vocational output of knowing how to use a PC is fundamental to education.

2 The creative industries (design, music, print, video, interactive media, web design) still operate on the Macintosh platform. Programmes such as Photoshop, Quark Express and Final Cut Pro have grown up around the Mac platform. If you are training children vocationally in art and design, music or web production their are huge advantages to using the Mac as they will learn to use industry standard equipment.

3 Compatibility is often flagged up as a reason to purchase PCs, particularly where networks are concerned. Specific pieces of equipment, such as a computer used for music hard disc recording must not be connected to a network as this affects performance. Equipment configured for video editing should also be stand alone as it often requires specific peripherals to acquire and print back to video.

4 A mixed network of Macs and PCs can be set up on ethernet networking and file sharing is possible. Children benefit from using different equipment and peripherals associated with it. (Windows operating systems are very similar to the MacOS.)

5 Remember that computers don't all need to be located in labs, they can be dotted around the art and music rooms as well. Encouraging children to mix traditional skills and equipment with digital processing asserts the idea of these skills being associated - rather than digital replacing analogue.