ABSTRACT
For music educators, the purchase of music technology equipment is usually a love or hate affair. Some relish the task and enjoy delving into the details of the latest shiny thing. Others see the process as a chore or are overwhelmed by the jargon and just want something that works. Either way, choice of computing equipment is an important consideration for music education programs whose equipment budgets never seem adequate and for whom decisions must be lived with for a number of years to come. Along with the planning for purchases, come questions about physical location of equipment, how many systems, what additional infrastructure is required to install them, and so on. In this chapter we will discuss some guidelines to assist in the purchase and implementation of computer music equipment, including synthesizers, computer hardware and software, digital recording equipment, and the like. These guidelines, it is hoped, will provide a checklist and process of appropriate questions and considerations, which should instill some confidence in those who dislike choosing computer equipment and stimulation for further enquiry to those who enjoy it.
