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Windows on an iMac (says the invoice); Red Hat's Alternative

A user writes "According to a story at The Register, schools who want to take advantage of educational bulk licensing agreements with Microsoft have to count all PCs (and Macs!), even those not running Windows." One package of software applies to all installed PCs and Macs, including those running Linux or BSD, so schools end up paying for stations that Windows (and other programs) cannot or do not run on. Microsoft's justification is that the agreement requires an "institution-wide commitment." Coincidentally, bc90021 points out that "RedHat announced its Linux Pilot Program for schools today. Designed to improve the overall learning experience for children, seven North Carolina school districts have already joined. One county director is quoted as saying: 'With the money we saved from not buying proprietary licenses, the school district purchased additional resources that directly [a]ffected the learning experience of our students and brought us into the 21st century.'"

4 of 580 comments (clear)

  1. I get so fucking pissed by Profane+Motherfucker · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    Why is it that when schools save money, they go and spend it on more fucking technology? Like the dude: we are bringing our students into the 21st century. What the fuck? You saved money, so you spent it? How the fuck is that saving money. That money was spent either fucking way.

    God dammit, this fucking makes me so mad that there's spittle on my fucking monitor, and that's pretty damn savage. Why can't money be spent on important shit? I don't see computers being more important than quality chairs, desks, supplies, instructors. A computer doesn't teach people shit. Does giving a chef some new T-Fal shit suddenly make them fucking Iron Chef? Fuck no. It was grunt work that did.

    Fucking people and their ideas that computers can replace good instruction. It doesn't matter what the fucking OS is. The OS is just some shit that is the vehicle for edufuckingcation. It's not an end. It's a means.

  2. Re:Are we teaching the kids... by flynt · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    How does running a BASH shell help anyone learn how computers actually work? It doesn't. If you are saying the students are suddenly going to be interested in the source code because its available, you're also wrong. Any student who would be that interested is probably already looking at it at home.

  3. Better Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    You are a jackoff
    Quit posting your shit here please
    Before I beat you

  4. Re:I have experience with this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    $400AU is like $1.25US right?