Hi Bob,
     Sorry for the tardy reply , the computer ate my homework.
(It occurs to me that I'll be hearing a lot of that soon)
BB-->If you are using older systems without the new features:
BB-->You might need a way to save space. Use a batch file to
Yes, some antiquated dos machines as well as old appleIIe's, but there
is a new movement afoot (initiated by a parent) to build some pentiums,
That will take the 286's out of the lab and place them into the
classrooms so it looks like the lab will have:
         4 pentiums running windows95 or windows/NT for networking
         1 486 with dos 6.22 and windows 3.11
         1 powermac ( I'm hoping to get it to run both dos and windows)
         10 Apple IIe's  5.25 floppy drive only
         1 Apple IIc   3.5 and 5.25 floppy drive only
It's quite an assortment , quite a challenge.
       My classroom set up is:
       1 8088 running DOS5
       3 286's running Dos 6.22
It's alucky thing that the 2 6th grade classrooms are close to the
library (where the lab is) so that I can use th machines from both rooms
 (the lab and one of the 6th grade classrooms) to put each student at
 a computer, or very nearly so. I also will have the resources of the
 library itself during that time.
BB-->zip and unzip. My kids quickly learned to use my "open" batch.
BB-->You can also add comments so they know what is happening
BB-->at each step.
   Could you post an example ? How old are your kids?
BB-->If you want them to learn what programming
BB-->is all about, let them edit and personalize a batch file.
This sounds like an easily workable idea. Especially for those who
allways want to go above and beyond what's demanded.
BB-->BTW, No need for them to know how to 'format'. (Unless you want
BB-->to teach them what commands to avoid.)
I'm thinking that they'll need to know how to format floppies and how to
write protect them for their own data storage.
Peace
Bob
---
 * SLMR 2.1a * All hope abandon, ye who enter messages here.
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
---------------