How Microsoft Beats GNU/Linux In Schools 476
twitter writes "Ever wonder why schools still use Windows? Boycott Novell has extracted the details from 2002 Microsoft email presented in the Comes vrs Microsoft case and other leaks. What emerges is Microsoft's desperate battle to 'never lose to Linux.' At stake for Microsoft is more than a billion dollars of annual revenue, vital user conditioning and governmental lock in that excludes competition, and software freedom for the rest of us. Education and Government Incentives [EDGI] and "Microsoft Unlimited Potential" are programs that allows vendors to sell Windows at zero cost. Microsoft's nightmare scenario has already been realized in Indiana and other places. Windows is not really competitive and schools that switch save tens of millions of dollars. Because software is about as expensive as the hardware in these deals, the world could save up to $500 million each year by dumping Microsoft. Now that the cat is out of the bag, it's hard to see what Microsoft can do other than what they did to Peter Quinn."
office suite (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Den of paranoia? (Score:4, Funny)
And kudos to ScuttleMonkey, who had to remove all the creative spelling and grammar errors from the submission.
Whoa, back up there. Are you saying a Slashdot Editor actually edited something ? That's crazy talk.
Treat Microsoft like the Cable company then. (Score:5, Funny)
When your contract with Microsoft is about to run out, just tell them you're switching to Linux. Then you can get more Microsoft products for free.
When Microsoft stops offering freebies, then switch to Linux.
Problem solved.
Re:Dumping. (Score:1, Funny)
Well, if Linuzzz can be installed for free at schools and Windows cost a little bit (MS Select and Campus contracts are really a good deal at schools and universities), how do you explain the fact that Windows and Macs still have the edge in education over GNU/Linuzzz?
Couldn't be that this is the tool (I repeat, the TOOL, not the religion) that is, for good or bad, the defacto standard out there in the real world? Couldn't be a good think that you are preparing your students to use the tools (I repeat, not the religion) that could help them to face the real world market?
Sure, it could be a cool think to get Basquian language to be obligatory for all schools in Sweden, but I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that students would be more happy having a good English language education, just for their future sake. Basquian? Sure, be my guest, get a book and learn.
They are not taught concepts that is for sure. I once installed Open Office for an accounting friend of mine. He had been using Excel for years. Upon showing him how to add columns in OO he cheered and said "Cool I don't have to use my calculator anymore!"
Re:Product dumping (Score:1, Funny)
Except in the non-first world countries, where they aren't.
OK, 3rd world gets Windows N-2.
Re:Product dumping (Score:2, Funny)
First Red Hat and Microsoft, and now you're bringing Apple into this?
Re:Product dumping (Score:2, Funny)
The teacher got upset when the students came to me [...] and asked for Linux, so I handed them Ubuntu's live cd's...
OMG! It's YOU! [slashdot.org]
Re:Product dumping (Score:4, Funny)
And if you are into making hand crafted woodcuts, it's entirely optional. If you narrow the specification enough, you can support just about any premise.
You have been warned, John. Unless you bring your MacBook Pro to the next Woodcutting meeting, your membership will be revoked. I think we've been very lenient until now, but enough is enough. Get a Mac or get out.
Re:Product dumping (Score:3, Funny)
On a bannser seen outside a Silicon Valley conference center:
"Objective objectives objectify objectivity".