Having heard the panic-striken calls of "Help!" from a defenseless monopoly, I slip on my cape and mask, thus becoming "THE LONE MS-DEFENDER"....
This episode finds the fair damsel of Microsoft tied to the railroad tracks once again, this time being accused of charging school children for copies of Office that couldn't possibly exist - like on Macs and Linux computers... Ok, enough theatrics... 1) This thread has nothing to do with OOo (again) and shouldn't take place on this list. It's pointless MS-bashing, and there are plenty of places for that - just not here. 2) Someone has expressed outrage that MS even gets to charge the schools for Macs and Linux computers. 2a) MS Office can run on a Mac - it's called Microsoft Office 2004 or v.X or 2001 or 98 - all Microsoft software for the Macintosh computer. There's also VirtualPC which lets people run a copy of Windows on their Mac - then, of course, all the Windows versions of MSO come into play as well. 2b) MS Office can run on a Linux-based PC - it's called CrossoverOffice. It, again, is done through emulation, and also users to run Windows versions of MSO on their Linux box. 3) These type of agreements can, and usually do, in fact, save the schools money. 3a) Without a per-seat volume pricing, the cheapest way schools could get MSO is through the "Student-Teacher Edition" which retails in the US for about $150. So that means for every computer that the school had that they wanted to put MSO on - they'd have to pay $150 - or pirate it. 3b) Through volume pricing, they don't pay that much - I have no idea how much they pay, but it's not $150. 3c) While in theory this means that they could end up paying for computers that don't run MSO - it usually is so few computers (like less than 1 in 100) that it still ends up saving the school a ton of money. Of course, they have the legal right to install MSO on *ALL* their computers, because that's what they are paying for. So if the school does end up paying for computers that don't have MSO - it's really their own fault for not installing MSO on all their computers (even Linux and Mac ones - see above). I could go online, buy (and pay for) a copy of a piece of software, never download the installer and/or never run the installer. Therefore, I'd be charged for a piece of software I never installed - but it's not the company's fault - they provided the means for me to install it - it's my fault because I didn't use it. But what if my computer doesn't mean the system requirements - and I *can't* install it - then it's the company's fault right? No, because I knew that when I bought it - or at least I had the means to learn that before I bought it. So again, it's my fault. Now, some will, of course, say "The schools don't have to buy MSO *AT ALL* - OOo is here, and it runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris, and more!" - You are right, of course, but it's not MS's job o inform schools of its own competition. It's *our* job to inform schools that there's a much cheaper alternative to even volume discounts - it's called Free. If this thread has anything to do with OpenOffice.org at all, it demonstrates an area where we need to focus our marketing. That's it. That's all that needs to be said. And then we can discuss how to go about doing that. But to sit down and type one email after another about how evil MS is, how their stealing from 6 year olds, how they should be in court for breaking a law in a country that doesn't have that law.... It's fruitless, and doesn't help the cause of OpenOffice.org in the slightest. Can we *please* end this thread? -- - Chad Smith http://www.gimpshop.net/ Because everyone loves free software!
