On Tue, 2006-03-14 at 12:49 -0500, =?utf-8?Q?Lars_D=2E_Nood=E9n?= wrote: > On Tue, 14 Mar 2006, Michael Devenish wrote: > > Could BECTA allow PC suppliers to be "BECTA approved", or something > > similar, > > with a requirement that to be an approved supplier they include an OOo CD > > with all new computers sold to schools. > [snip] > > Several steps better would be to get OOo pre-installed on the hard disk. > The vendors is almost certainly managing several disk images already all > that would be needed is one for schools.
The difficulty is that schools buy form a very wide range of suppliers in very different circumstances. How could the UK gov make eg DELL supply schools with OOo installed machines. Well they could pass a law but that's not very likely ;-) BECTA approval or some sort of endorsement might be worth considering. BECTA Office perhaps - but I don't think they would want to set a precedent by endorsing a particular app. I think perhaps the best angle would be for BECTA to advise Gov that they need to provide leadership in open standards by providing teaching materials in an Internationally recognised Open Format. If there were QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority approved materials in say OOo Impress format people would install OOo just to run them if they were good quality and officially approved. That would not cost a lot to produce considering the UK gove has already funded licensed software to the tune of £330 million over the last 3 years through Curriculum on Line. OEM suppliers could supply these learning materials pre-installed and it could become something that if they didn't they would be putting themselves at a disadvantage. -- Ian Lynch www.theINGOTs.org www.opendocumentfellowship.org www.schoolforge.org.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
