Windows Cheap Enough For $2B Aussie Laptop Deal 234
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."
What a surprise (Score:5, Interesting)
"We're thinking of using Linux" == "Hey Microsoft, we want a discount!"
Considering overhead... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:$500 a "netbook"? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Save money (Score:4, Interesting)
But negative prices are still possible! Microsoft should offer the netbooks with Windows away for free to schools. Otherwise the schools pay the lock-in costs and do product training and platform marketing for the monopolist for free. It is like paying for a galley seat and workout.
Re:What a surprise (Score:5, Interesting)
Many average computer users haven't even heard of Linux even though they use it every day whether they know it or not. That is slowly changing, but M$ 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.
Get off your high horse, kid (Score:3, Interesting)
You only have to mouse over to Walmart.com to see Windows becoming very competitive with Linux in the netbook sector.
It's a familiar story.
The OEM Linux box enters the retail market with bottom-feeder specs.
It is never upgraded - even as the entry-level Windows PC approaches the same price point with hardware that was mid-line or better six months or so back.
Re:Computer != Education (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah, I guess you're right.
But are there any studies showing that students having laptops improve their learning to justify such an expense?
Do the students keep the laptops post-graduation?
And, could some overcrowded schools benefit from more teachers to reduce class size? Not all schools, but some.
And, where precisely is this money coming from? The taxpayers, right? Is Australia in a recession like America? Maybe it's time to conserve rather than spend.
Re:What a surprise (Score:3, Interesting)
The parent was arguing that such companies are acting like drug dealers which is disingenuous...
Why? You have to make an argument. Everyone else can see that they are acting like drug dealers.. giving you your first "hit" for free. So what magical insight do you have that the rest of us are wrong?
My point was, as if anyone cares, that people see a "student edition" of a $500 product for $100 and go "wow, look how cheap that is!" when there are perfectly capable alternatives on the market for much less than even the student price. I actually hear people say with glee "wow, it's great that I can pay $100 now and $400 later when I've learned the product". You fucking what now? You're happy to pay the overpriced cost of the software because they gave you an installment plan? Oh, and BTW, "learning" how to use a piece of software is backasswards.. if you can't figure out how to use the software in the first 15 minutes of sitting in front of it then it is junk and you should raise your standards. But, to be fair, in some circles that's the best software available and the whole stinkin' industry needs to raise their standards at the same time, which will never happen organically.
Plus I felt like ranting.
I am Australian... (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone else skeptical at the "cloud computing" bit (Score:3, Interesting)
But he revealed for the first time that cloud-based applications may be used alongside traditionally licensed software to make Microsoft-based tender proposals more attractive and cost-effective.
âoeNot everything has to run [locally] on the device,â said Watson.
âoeWeâ(TM)ll have software that runs on the device but also leverage Live Services and other applications that run in the cloud.â
If it's a common educational application that could be run locally on the machine anyway. How is it cheaper to run it in the cloud? Remember the context here seems to be about the purchase price of the laptop. It's conceivable that MS is reducing support load but I doubt by very much.
The cloud hosted application is going to have an ongoing cost that the local application isn't.
To me this sounds like MS using a different delivery mechanism to justify a discount that would probably anger their other channel partners.
But really it seems much cheaper to simply send an OS image to the laptop maker.