On Tuesday, January 29, 2002, at 04:57 PM, Tom Badran wrote:
> >> There's no reason to get all bent out of shape because Microsoft >> software is being used in schools. There's a good argument for it to be >> used, its what the children will also see in the workplace. I don't see >> how using Linux will benefit anyone if they learn systems they most >> likely aren't going to use in an office environment. If they wish to >> pursue a technical career then get them their own comp that they can >> install Linux themselves on, but for most schools Windows is just fine. > > Its not about windows being just fine, its about the fact that schools > are publicly funded, i.e yours and my taxes go to pay for this. They > could have a better, more manageable system, for far less by going with > a linux system. This means we dont waste an extra grand or so for each > pc so that we can pay for ms office, ms windows etc etc, and in fact > nearly double the amount of computers that can be purchased for the same > price. Or use the money to provide an extra teacher. Think about it, a > school with 600 kids, at 30 kids to a class is 20 teachers. Lets say we > are buying 50pcs. Assume the MS software will be about �500 a pc (i dont > know there current pricing but this is based on around 6 or 7 years > ago). That is �25,000 in software alone. Replace that with an open > source solution, at say, on mandrake pro suite boxed set (around �60 i > believe). That is a saving of �24,940. Much more than the average yearly > salary of a teacher, or, in the case of most school principles, the cost > of a reasonable mercedes. > > If every school in the country did this (i guess around 10 million > school kids, at 600 a school, is about 15,000 schools). If the average > upgrade cycle is 5 years, that is a total national saving of �75,000,000 > every year. Which if i remeber correctly, is about the same cost as > running a large hospital. > > So the moral of this statistical estimatation exercise: > > Next time your child is put on a 2 year waiting list to get there > tonsils out, which is a ten minute op, but a lot of pain when it isnt > done, just think back to when you said 'windows is ok for schools'. > > Hope you've enjoyed this, im here all week. > > Tom Yes of course. Using Linux will solve all administration problems, reduce waiting times at all government facilities and generally make life better for all sentient beings in the universe. I forgot that. Setting aside that educational purchases get discounts on software and hardware, lets say you really DO save $25,000 (or pounds wherever you are) per 50pc's. Who's going to pay for the Linux network administrators? Or do you expect the school staff to become Linux competent enough to handle it on their own? Wouldn't that just eat up the savings right there? Most bulk purchases of computers are conducted where the cost of the OS, even a MS OS is negligible. They buy contracts with companies like Dell, IBM, Compaq...etc. They don't actually go out and buy the OS separately...if they're smart. So by simply putting Linux on the boxes they aren't really saving that much money. IF your child was put on a 2 year waiting list to have their tonsils out, MS software was not to blame. Massively incompetent administration was to blame. They could have been using Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD or BeOS and the result would have been the same. Whats funny is I *DO* believe that eventually Linux will be a big player in the educational market. But it won't be any cheaper than Windows. Schools aren't just going to download ISO's or buy a retail distro and go crazy installing Linux on everything they see. They'll sign support and services contracts with companies to manage their systems. To manage their Linux systems. I.E. Red Hat's services or Apple's PowerSchool initiative. You can't just dump technology in people's laps and expect them to make any good use of it. Linux simply being FREE (or cheaper) is by no means good enough on its own. There has to be more to it. So you add in the support/services contracts with the salaries of a few onsite admins and a Linux based educational solution will cost at least the same if not more than a similar Windows one. Of course all of this is moot until the majority of educational software itself runs on Linux. --------------------------------------------------------------- My name is Neo Montoya. You killed my computer. Prepare to die. ---------------------------------------------------------------
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