An organization I am involved in is going to be doing some community service, getting a number of community centers wired to the net via DSL, giving them computers, etc. The question has arisen as to whether to use an Open Source OS (in this case, probably Linux) or to use Microsoft Windows. The pros for Windows, as demonstrated from our discussions: o Designed for less computer-savvy users, which the target audience will be o Generally speaking most Windows maintenance can be summed up as rebooting the machine [the Windows cure-all for problems]. Also most community center administrators themselves use Windows, and so at least THEY are familiar with the environment to handle questions from users. o Complete applications packages (MS Office, etc.) which people can learn and have immediate practical application towards potential employment. (e.g., If I know very little but I learn MS Word, I can possibly get a job as a typist or something immediately, getting me in a better position to learn other things and get off the streets, etc. The learning curve before possessing "job-practical" skills from an Open Source OS is longer. The cons: o Non-Free, both in terms of beer and speech o Piracy issues - People stealing copies of software off the machines, etc. o Viruses o Security - (alleviated partly if NT is used, but not entirely) The pros and cons for the open source solution can best be described by negating the cons and pros for windows. :) I understand that we are in a unique position, where people come to the computer arena with no preconceived notions and we could just force-feed them Linux (or FreeBSD, or whatever) and they would "learn the proper way" and wouldn't be really all that reticent because they're not "stuck in Bill's world", but I'm not sure that for these people, in this situation, that is serving them best. I think perhaps they MIGHT be able to get more immediate practical use out of Windows machines. We could do both, but that just seems really pointless, just subjecting ourselves to the problems of both worlds unnecessarily. Anyone with some experience in this matter (regardless of which decision you made), please contact me, I'd like to get your thoughts on what you chose, how it has worked for you, etc. Thanks, D
