I'd like to try to give a summary of some of the points raised in this
thread:
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003, Ely Levy wrote:
> Hey,
> I wanted to raise a discussion about the intergation of linux on schools
> and kindergardens around israel.
> there are few questions that come to mind.
There are a number of approches:
Some people consider the option of totally replacing windows.
Others considered partial replacement, where possible.
>
> 1)What programs does schools/kindergarden uses?
> 2)How many of them already use linux?
No name was given specifically. Just a vague claim that "some use linux
for a number of years". On the server side or on the client side?
> 3)What can linux offer that windows can't?
- lower software cost
- lower hardware cost (?)
- development environment
- Compared to win9x: a real OS, with solid networking support, with proper
users system, remote control and such facilities
- Compared to w2k and XP: Hardware requirements, and others
Anybody tried to take a look at existing linux programs (e.g: TuxTyping?):
- linux comes with a wealth of programs out-of-the-{cd|network} .
Well-integrated (a least in debian). Quite easy to build a customized
system from a major distro.
> 4)What kind of problems might they get into while trying to move to linux?
* Existing windows-only knowledge:
- managers making decisions
- existing support contracts
- Matach software
* Hebrew supprot is not yet solid
* running specialized applications: Matach programs, and other existing
programs.
> 5)Where are the places that linux might be most needed?
My opinion:
See what linux can do, and where there are schools that need it. There are
many 486-s and pentuims in schools, that ned to be better-used. Whereever
a school considerd using XP, the "junk" PCs should be utilized by linux
for:
- web browsing
- development classes (C, C++, logo, perl, php, python, whatever)
There are many computers today still running Borland C 3.1 on DOS. Some of
them are even used for C++, even though that compiler is a horrible C++
compiler (as it was written at around 1990)
Such computers should be replaced with linux, because linux simply has
more to offer (legal note: the TC IDE is not freely-distributable, IIRC.
There are some nice linux clones, however).
> 6)Does matach does programs which can't be replaced by opensourced
> programs?
Aparanetly: No
My opinion: first get some computers inside schools, and then there will
be pressure on Matach. In the mean-while: run it on wine, if it is very
important.
BTW: I've read this thread with pine 4.50 . unicode support is not yet
there, but threading-view support is finally here (a-la-mutt)
--
Tzafrir Cohen
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.technion.ac.il/~tzafrir
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