When the 1,270 boys of Christ Church Grammar School returned from their summer adventures, many did a double-take when they saw the new school information technology centre. An enticing $3 million facility called FutureSphere, it offers everything a Multimedia Generation boy could want: high-end video-editing tools, green-screen technology, a sound-proof multimedia studio and an isolated environment for experimenting with robotics and cutting-edge networking tools.

Future Sphere features 80 iMac computers for private study and group activities. A dedicated multimedia room adds a dozen more Power Mac G5 and iMac systems with 20-inch screens and dual-2GHz processors. These multimedia Macs come loaded with Apple’s Motion, Shake and Final Cut Pro video-editing tools plus Photoshop, InDesign, Flash and 3D animation software.

“It’s a haven for students who’ve grown up with unprecedented access to information technology,” says Peter Murray, Director of Information and Communication Services at Christ Church Grammar School.