iTeen: How to "Think Different" at school
11/18 - Jordan Streiff (14)

Nobody really likes to be different, that is, until they discover the advantages of it. This trait is especially expressed in teens. For many, these few years could shape much of our lives.

Macintosh users are very different. They are the ones who broke off from the masses and went for the gold, not the numbers. But being a Mac user doesn't mean you have to be secluded. iMacs aren't seen as being different, but rather as cool, or neat. When people think of an iMac they don't see a Mac, but rather, a revolutionary computer, and that's what macs really are and have been -- one hell of an innovative product.

So how does this thing fit into your school schedule? Well for starters, the internet is great for projects. The resources are almost infinite. It also comes with the latest version of Apple's great AppleWorks software, which can do about anything, from simple graphics to advanced layouts, and includes plenty of text features. If you're into gaming, it comes loaded with two great games, MDK and Nanosaur. MDK is the Mac version of a playstation game, which involves lots of action. In Nanosaur, you must seek and collect eggs to save your planet, and is slightly more strategic.

If you don't have an iMac, you're probably wondering how in the world your parents are going to spend $1,300 on a computer. For starters, Apple has just come out with a great new plan. All you have to tell your parents is that for a little more than your allowance every week you can buy something that would be useful to yourself and your family. This plan allows you to purchase an iMac at just a dollar a day. Maybe you could say that you would design the family web page with the Adobe Pagemill Software that comes with the revision B iMac. You could be "responsible". What the heck, you might even offer to give up your allowance. It sure is worth it.

As for evangelizing the iMac at school, don't hesitate to preach about this new, fully loaded computer. Sometimes you may even get a very positive response. For instance, let me share this experience with you. At my school, in science, we are required to bring and summarize a newspaper article every couple of weeks that deals with technology or science. I just happened to bring in a review of the iMac. This was before it was even released. Now everybody on my team knows about the iMac, and a couple of kids even bought one. If you don't want to go that far, just putting "Made
on an iMac" on anything that you made with the iMac should do.

So you see, being an iMac user doesn't make you seem weird, yet you still get to keep your individuality. So, go on -- If you don't have an iMac, talk your parents into getting one. I'm sure that in the future, this page will provide plenty of ammo for that! If you already have an iMac, don't be afraid to go to school with that iMac t-shirt on. Show your true Mac colors. Bring out the true MacAddict inside of you.

Signing off, until next time, this is Jordan -- MacTeen
--- Jordan Streiff (14)