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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."

11 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. Too bad there won't be a useful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    internet connection for each of those school children.

    1. Re:Too bad there won't be a useful by unit8765 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No useful internet because of internet filtering in Australia.

    2. Re:Too bad there won't be a useful by XDirtypunkX · · Score: 5, Funny

      While Australia's wired access in rural areas is lacking, we have pretty much ubiquitous access to fast mobile (wireless) broadband. In fact, you can get 7.2mbit access pretty much everywhere in the country.

      That's soon going to be 21mbit, the first large scale roll-out in the world of that particular mobile technology.

  2. $500 a "netbook"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Must be some pretty damn good machines to pay $500 a unit on an order of 4 million units.

    1. Re:$500 a "netbook"? by strider44 · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is in Australian dollars (approx. $330 USD) and includes a maintenance contract.

  3. Educational applications in the cloud by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Educational applications on a web server are nothing new. It's funny, though, that Windows would need them. I have one of these small-cheap-light laptops that cost $350 and is intended for use with Windows "only for web browsing and email". I put Debian on it. There's only one thing I have found that it can't do: build the Linux kernel quickly. It's kind of slow at that, but it works. OpenOffice is no problem, etc.

    But with a cloud, you can tie all of those kids into a network that Microsoft will be able to monetize, propogandize, etc.

    Bruce

    --
    Bruce Perens.
    1. Re:Educational applications in the cloud by Rene+S.+Hollan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Duh.

      Besides, "code you have on the box beats code that might be available".

      What's sad here isn't that Mr. Perens comment is, well, common sense, but rather that so many don't see it as so obvious.

      --
      In Liberty, Rene
  4. What a surprise by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Interesting

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

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:What a surprise by grege1 · · Score: 5, Informative

      I agree absolutely, and Microsoft will have to cave in because the thought of every school kid in the country using Linux and OpenOffice would give them nightmares. I would like to see the Education departments really use Linux laptops, but they do not have the guts to carry it through.

  5. Save money by lordharsha · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't it be more efficient to ditch Windows and use the extra money to give laptops to more children?

    --
    I am, and that is sufficient.
  6. What a great alternative by meist3r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Owning a netbook that merely runs a basic version of an operating sytem that the company itself wants to get rid off and as the only reason to chose over a full-scale FOSS option I get an MS version of Google Apps? No thanks, take the Linux computers and spend whatever you're saving on some Tux-savvy teachers.