To run major productivity tools you have GNU/Linux with OO.o, GIMP, Mozilla etc all of which can be run thin client so you don't need to upgrade your stations unless they physically break down.
Now where do I find out how to set up a thin / intermediate client Linux / Samba based network. I'm a quick learner, but I'm hopeless at memorizing the names of configuration setting and syntax of configuration files.
Its not trivial though to set it all up so its seamless to the user,
...I was afraid you'd say that...
but by charging for such services we have a commercial model that really is necessary if FLOSS is to go beyond its current niche.
...I agree, but now that my school has blown it's budget on an unusable RM based system...
It would not be too hard to use VNC to implement a system for teacher to take control of any workstation from anywhere on the network and to "look in" on any student without them knowing.
This is not a priority as far as I am concerned. Teachers are busy people and the last thing they have time for in a busy classroom is patrolling their student's desktops by remote control. Furthermore, as I've stated elsewhere most teachers don't even have access to a machine for their exclusive use in most ICT suites. Even if they did it's unlikely this would be used very often. For attending to your own 'teacher PC' is a huge distraction in a busy classroom where almost all of your attention needs to be focused on your students.
Unfortunately to develop this in an easy to use format which will work with both OSs will cost about £15k and this is the problem. We can't develop things from no resources when there is no guarantee that it will pay for itself.
But is someone has already done this in some school somewhere and is willing to share... David Bowles