with office apps like Star Office or even my current favourite ThinkFree
Hopefully when Star Office goes open source in October the first thing which can be done is to get rid of the integrated desktop :)
then it is only the CD-ROM support that would be a problem. A conversation with VMware about copying all CD-ROM images to a Linux servers Win98 vm has yet to take place but would be potentially a solution.
there is only limited usage of non-Windows desktops in schools (Felsted the exception), but it has potential when you really analyse what functionality is required.
The major issue here appears to be the lack of a publisher type program (preferably one which stands some chance of reading publisher files...) This is the only application I've been unable to say, "this does the same as the Microsoft stuff, but costs us less." As well as there being a lack GUI web/email software which can easily operate like mail, pine, elm, etc. i.e. rather than expecting the end user to configure evrything the program is able to work out things like email address (from the userid); where to store book marks (e.g. ~/.bookmarks; where to look for email (e.g. ~/Maildir); etc. In some ways too good a job has been done of copying Windows, including the very things which make running Windows on a school LAN a headache. For most things the easiest option is the "old fashioned" approach of a global configuration file and *optional* per user configurations (n.b. the global configuation file able to specify things such as unless the user is in a specific group ignore certain options in any per user config file which might exist.) An extension of this would be to have bookmarks, program menus and desktops made up of a global part, parts specific to members of each group and per user addons. Thus the only parts a student can alter are their own additions.
let me know if you want some direct advocacy or support. i am off the leash occasionally
-- Mark Evans St. Peter's CofE High School Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109 Fax: +44 1392 204763