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 ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]