At 01:02 PM 25/08/2006, Harry McGregor wrote:
Anthony Q. Martin wrote:
Greg Sevart wrote:
If the University isn't using Open Office already, then it's
time they start (or look at another, more forward thinking, university.)
Most of the universities around here are standardizing on Open
Office (and I'm in Canada, which is about five years behind the US.)
Are you seriously advocating that a university's document
processing software is valid decision criteria for selection of a
school to obtain a degree? There are about 14,000 other criteria
sets that are far more important than something so minor as that.
I had this same thought.....
It's not the choice of document processing software, it's the
concepts behind it. If the University is so closed minded that they
will only deal with MS formats, you are going to find that they are
close minded in other areas both technical and administrative, such
as newer programming languages (ie Java only at U of A here), etc.
The Architecture program at U of A just mandated at all incoming
students have a laptop that is so overkill it's not even
funny. They tried to say that it was to protect the investment and
make it last the 4-5 year program. The average student in the
program would be better off with two laptop purchases over the
course of the degree.
They speced an Intel Core Duo 2500, 2GB memory, 80GB 7200 RPM drive,
ATI x1400 or better, 15" screen or better (though they did not say
to go for the high resolution screen, which will suck for the
students that cheaped out on that), etc.
I wound up specing a MacBook Pro for a client that needed this, as
it was available in town quickly. Then I installed XP Pro on it as
a dual boot. The students were worried that if they did not have
the laptop when they walked in for orientation, that they would get
kicked out of the program.
Bingo. Glad to see what I was saying wasn't as stupid as it appeared. :)
T
