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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.'"
Would that include the old Mac case that the network admin changed into a fish bowl too?
Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but copyright will always protect me.
"Look, just because you can't even install or use the software doesn't mean you don't have to pay for it! I paid $25,000 to your campaign, and I want my $95M in revenues, dammit!"
Microsoft license
Squeezing money from our schools
Linux saves the day
Don't give them ideas!
I mean, how far do you go? Slide rule? Abacus? They are all computing devices.
BSA Rep: "I'm afraid you're not in compliance with your license agreement, because each of those children has ten fingers, which they use to compute basic mathematics. For your class of 20 first grade students, you will need to purchase an additional 200 licenses."
I can say a few things about your rant.
It was consistent.
It should've been modded up a bit.
It was funny (Iron Chef??! Wow...)
It was something that would make nuns blush.
Cool. Any more profane, and you'll just turn into Andrew Dice Clay, who's neither consistent or funny.
I echo your point: in most situations in education, a computer is a simple tool, and should not be a means for pure profit. Microsoft is taking toll on the FUCKING FUTURE, the greedy motherfuckers.
Wow. Now I'm getting profane. I like it.
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
...that new-fangled Oracle License.
...is if my iBong is included.
Does that mean all the people that flip MS the finger will have to pay the MS-tax, possibily again?
Any sufficiently advanced influence is indistinguishable from control.
Stand in he middle and yell it at both sides. Save time and effort.
"
That's obvious. Fingers.
"
Well, they are 'digital'...
(feel free to groan en masse, slashdot)
M$FT is just being a good old-fashioned schoolyard bully. Only this time they're going after the teachers as well as the students.
:p
My $0.02
"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." -- Dark Helmet
yep a computer lab sure is a lot cheaper than elementary school quality science equipment.
a computer lab can cost as much as 10 new teachers.
i'm not saying computers can't help eductation, i just think there are better things that our schools could spend their (scarce) cash on.
In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
"Absolutely. I can see computers in a few classes in High School (Like say, programming :-) But in elementary school??? Pffft, why bother. You might as well have a TV and a nintendo too while you're at it."
Careful they might need additional windows licenses too.
A Skoda is for life, not for casual humour.