Apart from Heracles, does anyone know who marketed Linux & FOSS to the NSW Department of Education prior to this decision? This is obviously relevant to statements about "Linux not compete". I think we can be sure that the competition to Linux were backed by substantial if not huge marketing expenditure.
On Thu, 2009-04-02 at 22:41 +1030, Glen Turner wrote: > Daniel Pittman wrote: > > IIRC, this is usually by billing for a copy of Windows to run on > > everything, regardless of what actually runs on it, so the cost of Linux > > is now hardware + Windows + Linux, no savings available. > > So what alternative do you propose? That every machine be inspected to > see what operating system it is running on some census date? We've been > there with Sun machines running the various BSDs and it really, really > hurt just for a few hundred machines. Only an insane love of bureaucracy > would try that on a few hundred thousand machines. > > Better to negotiate a discount for the estimated proportion of machines > running another OS and pay on the number of machines in the assets register. > > You'll note that NSW was delighted that it didn't even need to count > machines, but could base its payment on student enrolments (ie, a figure > it has easily to hand). > > The state gov't schemes are also different in one other aspect: the > software is paid by the gov't, not by the school. As far as the > school is concerned the software cost is $0. > > Now, if I could have a moment to soapbox, why are Linux advocates bitching? > Apple sell into exactly the same situation, and do quite well out of > education, thank you. Can Linux not compete against a $0 alternative, > is its only competitive edge the saving of license fees? > > I don't believe so. I believe that Linux is a more useful operating > system -- easier to use, more secure, more stable, more applications > and a view of computing wider than that of mere business. I especially > believe that the ability to open the hood, to observe the blinkenlights, > to treat the computer as a deterministic tool rather than a black box > governed by moods and whims, brings large advantages to the act of teaching. > > I don't believe this based on some mystical faith. I've used both > Windows Xp and Ubuntu Linux on my Eee, and Ubuntu outshines Windows > in every way. > > I feel sad that Linux wasn't selected as the operating system my > daughter will use at school. But the reasons for that sadness are > not at all financial. > > If Linux succeeds, then the financial will take care of itself. I > doubt the education department really enjoys $m of funding being > top-sliced to pay for software when there are so many other uses > for $m within the education system. > > -- > Glen Turner -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
