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.'"

Comments

*cough* *sputter*

[realgone]

The Microsoft agreements provide other software than the OS. Most Mac users use Office and therefore can benefit from an agreement.

Erm... run that by me again?

Here's a list of the software regulated by this agreement. I'll drop the ones that are currently available for Mac (as listed on the MSFT site) into boldface:

• Desktop Package* (Includes Office, Core CAL & Windows Upgrades)
• Office Standard, Pro and Macintosh Editions
• Windows Desktop Operating System Upgrades
• Core Client Access Licenses (CALs)
• SQL ServerTM CALs
• Visio Professional Edition
• FrontPage
• Visual Studio
• Project
• Publisher
• Encarta Class Server
• Encarta Reference Library and Online Deluxe
• Magic School Bus
• Windows 2000 Professional Step by Step Interactive by Microsoft Press
• Web Publishing Step by Step Interactive by Microsoft Press

Now can you repeat that bit again about Mac users benefiting from this?

Re:Exactly what they used to do with OEM licenses

[Da Schmiz]

Yup...

I couldn't find a reference to that suit, but here's a story at CNet which discusses this. Note this paragraph:

The U.S. government in 1990 accused Microsoft of coercing computer resellers into paying a fee for each PC they shipped, whether or not a Microsoft operating system was actually installed. This action long preceded the separate antitrust case filed in 1998 by the Dept. of Justice and 19 states.

The article is actually discussing a stunt Microsoft pulled to get resellers to tattle on anyone who bought a PC without Windows.

Bill & co. never cease to amaze me -- but what amazes me more is that so few people have caught on to what they're doing.

Re:When will they figure this out?

[phyxeld]

iMacs are perfectly good replacements for windows, and they can do anything a Windows station can (that a school would need, anyways)

Nope. What it won't do is run office.

Macs run office, dude.
They have done for years.
I can't believe that got modded up. (!)