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View Full Version : Limited compatibility with math course software - BS?



Pandemic187
January 16th, 2008, 10:59 PM
Hi all,

I'm attending college and currently enrolled in a math class. The class requires students to complete online homework, which uses software that runs from the user's browser called MyMathLab (it uses ActiveX). When running the install wizard, the site says Windows is required to run the software, as is Internet Explorer.

I have Windows installed on my laptop so that's not a problem, but is it seriously necessary to require that? If you ask me, they're getting some kind of cut from Microsoft out of the deal, because this is NOT a free service (an access code costs $55 online). I mean really, it's not even compatible with Macs. In my mind there's no way they were simply too lazy to not at least compatible with the Mac OS - if that is the case, they launched this service too early. But that just doesn't seem likely in my mind.

Xzallion
January 16th, 2008, 11:43 PM
Colleges are pretty much allowed to do what they want. I got lucky and had a programming teacher that tried to find a linux client to do my homework in for my QBasic class (They still use it as an introduction to programming), but he couldn't. All my other programming instructors didn't even know what linux was or if they did they just told me to bother getting a real OS and then told me I could get a copy of XP pro through the MSDAA for $10 plus shipping. Never bought it, dual booted my comp while in college.

Most (all?) colleges have computer labs, so you could just do your homework on them.

Pandemic187
January 16th, 2008, 11:53 PM
Well like I said...

For one, I'm not blaming my college. This is a service run by a third-party company not associated with the university. And as I said, the thing won't even run on a Mac. Yes, Mac users are in the minority, but last I checked about 6% of computer users use Macs. Although that's a small percentage, it translates to millions of users - perhaps millions in the US alone. And like I said, this service costs $55 per user. That being said, it just seems to me they might be losing considerable revenue by not even making it compatible with Macs, unless there was some other factor, like Microsoft giving them money to limit compatibility. It might seem far fetched for me to think this, but I just can't understand the lack of compatibility with Macs. Linux makes sense - Macs...nope.

And like I said, I still have XP installed on my laptop, so it's not that this is a problem for me personally - it just doesn't really make sense to me.

yatt
January 16th, 2008, 11:53 PM
Hi all,

I'm attending college and currently enrolled in a math class. The class requires students to complete online homework, which uses software that runs from the user's browser called MyMathLab (it uses ActiveX). When running the install wizard, the site says Windows is required to run the software, as is Internet Explorer.

I have Windows installed on my laptop so that's not a problem, but is it seriously necessary to require that? If you ask me, they're getting some kind of cut from Microsoft out of the deal, because this is NOT a free service (an access code costs $55 online). I mean really, it's not even compatible with Macs. In my mind there's no way they were simply too lazy to not at least compatible with the Mac OS - if that is the case, they launched this service too early. But that just doesn't seem likely in my mind.No, you could run IE in wine. It passes WGA which uses ActiveX for its test, it will probably trick MyMathLab too.

However, if you want your university to change, write a good, long letter to the department head. If your school makes public who its responsible for the choice of technology, he would be a good candidate too.

Pandemic187
January 17th, 2008, 12:01 AM
No, you could run IE in wine. It passes WGA which uses ActiveX for its test, it will probably trick MyMathLab too.

However, if you want your university to change, write a good, long letter to the department head. If your school makes public who its responsible for the choice of technology, he would be a good candidate too.
You people seem to be missing the point...

Yes I could use wine. I know that, although I'll admit I've never used it. That's not the point though! Am I the only one who thinks it's strange for a company to totally ignore Mac users, when this is a paid service? I mean really...

And again, I'm not blaming my college, especially because I believe this service was picked out by my instructor, and is not a department standard. After all, she had an IT guy come in and install the software on the computer in our classroom; she asked if anyone else at the university was using the program, and he said no. I'm really just disheartened with the organization that seems to be assuming that everyone will just use Windows, when they obviously know Macs exist...

p_quarles
January 17th, 2008, 12:07 AM
Am I the only one who thinks it's strange for a company to totally ignore Mac users, when this is a paid service? I mean really...
Irritating? Yes. Strange? No. It's the same situation as with games: commercial software publishers aren't going to spend the time and money required to port something to another platform unless it will actually net them something.

Pandemic187
January 17th, 2008, 12:16 AM
Irritating? Yes. Strange? No. It's the same situation as with games: commercial software publishers aren't going to spend the time and money required to port something to another platform unless it will actually net them something.
Okay, that's all I wanted to know. And I didn't think about games. It just seems to me like they would make money from doing so, but if that if that is not the case, it's understandable.

noremac
January 17th, 2008, 12:22 AM
I took Accounting last semester, we used the same system. In fact, we even had a tech guy representing MyMathLab(MyAccountingLab for me, but same thing) come in and talk to us. A couple of us in the class were unhappy it wouldn't work in FireFox and expressed our concerns to the tech. He didn't seem to care of course.

But anyhow, yeah. Its ridiculous its locked to Windows in such a manner. A lot of people are going with Mac nowadays. I see countless Mac laptops around campus, most of which are their primary computer too. So they are stuck to doing these Math Labs in the computer labs on campus. And the computers in our lab are so locked down you can't even install all the software needed for the dang MyMathLab website!

I have one more Accounting class to get done. Don't go till tomorrow, so I do not yet know if I will have to put up with this crap for another semester. I suspect so, so I will be stuck to dual booting into Windows if I don't want to fool with Wine. Great...

-Cameron

Pandemic187
January 17th, 2008, 12:28 AM
I took Accounting last semester, we used the same system. In fact, we even had a tech guy representing MyMathLab(MyAccountingLab for me, but same thing) come in and talk to us. A couple of us in the class were unhappy it wouldn't work in FireFox and expressed our concerns to the tech. He didn't seem to care of course.

But anyhow, yeah. Its ridiculous its locked to Windows in such a manner. A lot of people are going with Mac nowadays. I see countless Mac laptops around campus, most of which are their primary computer too. So they are stuck to doing these Math Labs in the computer labs on campus. And the computers in our lab are so locked down you can't even install all the software needed for the dang MyMathLab website!

I have one more Accounting class to get done. Don't go till tomorrow, so I do not yet know if I will have to put up with this crap for another semester. I suspect so, so I will be stuck to dual booting into Windows if I don't want to fool with Wine. Great...

-Cameron
You brought up a couple more points that I forgot, and one that really makes me wonder about this service. I understand that it only runs on Windows, sort of...but it can't run on Firefox? Not even in Windows? I mean really, is the programming really that different, considering Firefox is the most popular IE alternative? Seems a bit odd.

Also, Cameron mentioned a lot of people have Macbooks on his campus. Such is the case with mine, and I'd say it's probably more than 6% of the students on campus. I'm not sure if this is primarily used for college courses, but if it is, it still seems a bit strange.

p_quarles
January 17th, 2008, 12:34 AM
You brought up a couple more points that I forgot, and one that really makes me wonder about this service. I understand that it only runs on Windows, sort of...but it can't run on Firefox? Not even in Windows? I mean really, is the programming really that different, considering Firefox is the most popular IE alternative? Seems a bit odd.

Also, Cameron mentioned a lot of people have Macbooks on his campus. Such is the case with mine, and I'd say it's probably more than 6% of the students on campus. I'm not sure if this is primarily used for college courses, but if it is, it still seems a bit strange.
One of the factors that influences all educational publishing (books as well) is the fact of the captive audience. If students are required to use a particular item, the publisher really has very little incentive to make it fit the needs of those students. So, for something like this, the fact that some students will be using computers that don't run on Windows makes little difference: until the college decides to change what it uses, it's the student's responsibility to find the workaround, either in a Windows lab, a friend's computer, or Wine in Linux.

It's infuriating, sure, but it's been going on for decades.

noremac
January 17th, 2008, 12:37 AM
Yeah, I didn't try messing around with it much, but it by default DOES NOT work with FireFox. I had my homepage in IE set to it as it was the ONLY thing I used IE for. I imagine they have some High School courses, which would be most all Windows users. But primarily college users I expect as it costs money.

noremac
January 17th, 2008, 09:14 PM
Well, one more semester of it for me. As soon as I saw what book we were going to use, I knew I was gonna have to put up with MyAccountingLab again. I suppose I will put forth some effort to see if it works in Wine. On the plus side, if you bought the book brand new it came with a 12 month subscription to the service, so I get to use the same book and same subscriptiom from last semester. Dont have to buy one thing for this class...makes me happy.

-Cameron