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Windows Cheap Enough For $2B Aussie Laptop Deal

Posted by kdawson on from the if-you-give-it-away dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Windows-based netbooks aren't too expensive to be ruled out of the Aussie government's billion dollar promise to give a laptop to every school-aged child, according to several education departments. The admission follows an earlier report that open source machines based on Ubuntu or Mandriva are the only option to deliver up to four million computers to students for under $2 billion. Microsoft itself claimed it will keep costs per unit down by hosting a lot of the educational software in the cloud rather than on the netbook devices."

4 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. What a surprise by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "We're thinking of using Linux" == "Hey Microsoft, we want a discount!"

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:What a surprise by Yfrwlf · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Certainly, and that's why education is such a huge target for these corporations, they want teachers teaching students to use the most expensive pieces of software in the industry, which IMO should piss the parents and students off to no end. "Mom, you need to buy me Adobe Creative Suite 3, I need it for class, it's only $500." and "I just got hired on, and you aren't using Windows Vista yet? Your company should upgrade, I was trained on Vista." :P

      Many average computer users haven't even heard of Linux even though they use it every day whether they know it or not. That is slowly changing, but M$ is sure doing everything they can to slow its spread. Thus, every little bit done to spread knowledge of it and improve it as a platform, helps.

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      Promote true freedom - support standards and interoperability.
  2. Re:$500 a "netbook"? by Facetious · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No joke. I just picked up three Acer Aspire One netbooks (Linux edition) for $250 apiece at Newegg.

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    Let us not become the evil that we deplore.
  3. Re:Save money by Elektroschock · · Score: 3, Interesting

    But negative prices are still possible! Microsoft should offer the netbooks with Windows away for free to schools. Otherwise the schools pay the lock-in costs and do product training and platform marketing for the monopolist for free. It is like paying for a galley seat and workout.