Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (45 mails)

["James Tremblay" <JT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gentleman, the thread was started to discuss LTSP and what it means to
school technology people.
Please don't HIJACK.

>>> Phil Thane <phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 7/19/2007 2:47:09 PM
>>>
On Thursday 19 July 2007 17:44:26 Rodney Donovan wrote:
> Come on Phil! There is so much more than CAD out there. Truly, I know
how
> you feel because some one left the idiots in charge. They can't see
the
> forest for the trees. What we have here is one software package
dictating
> what operating system you have to use. Really now, what we need is
to
> experiment with other packages on linux. OK VariCAD works on Linux.
Is it
> cheaper than AutoCad? Well then, problem solved. Maybe?

No, not really. Yes VariCAD is cheaper than AutoCAD, but then very few
schools 
use AutoCAD over here anyway. About 8 years ago PTC did a deal with our
govt 
to distribute ProDesktop free of charge to all UK secondary schools.
It's not 
especially good but it was a good deal, PTC got the publicity in return
for 
some CDs, the government paid for support and training by leaving it in
the 
hands of the Design & Technology Association (DATA, trade body for D&T

teachers in England and Wales). DATA charged for training and the money
came 
from the schools' training budgets. If you did the training your school

got 'free' software.

Now ProD is obsolete (see reply to Ian) DATA is trialling ProE in some
of our 
more adventurous schools, chances are it won't be free but probably
highly 
subsidised. DATA have already told me they aren't even considering
supporting 
the Linux version in schools.

I agree about other software, and as far as I can see in UK secondary
schools 
most of the other sujects use Office and IE for almost everything, so
moving 
to Linux, OO and another browser is no problem, but D&T departments are

generally the most demanding computer users in our schools. They've
struggled 
to master ProD, are sort of used to it now and if Linux cannot offer a
simple 
(preferably free) alternative it stands no chance.

It's not stopping me pushing, and in the absence of any official
encouragement 
I'm starting an unofficial YouthLUG in my school in September using kit

dragged out of the school skip (dumpster to US readers). I'll probably
use 
Edubuntu though, I gave up on SuSE with 10.1 since then my desktop and
laptos 
have all been Kubuntu.

-- 
Regards
Phil Thane

Bryn Villa
Penycoed Road
Llangollen
LL20 8LR

01978 861677
07971 087623

phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
www.brynvilla.llangollen.co.uk 
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