Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] BECTa's spec on laptops for teachers
The cost of the Citrix licences is offset by many other advantages: Central administration of TC and PC desktops and software. We can keep using old computers long after anyone else has disposed of them and they run at near server speed even on a 233 pentium box.(The DfES still haven't cottoned on to this one and Becta are still assessing our system based upon a standard PC model. We also have another piece of software from Precedence technologies in Cambridge called ThinIT which is a cut down Unix which can be put onto any PC and run the Citrix client over the top. Every machine in the school has exactly the same desktop. No extra costs for lock down of desktops No WinXP licences except on specialist PCs, eg. music, video Web based administration from anywhere in the school of all servers. If we pay subscription advantage we get a free upgrade of the Citrix operating system every time it is changed which is worth considerably more than the tiny fee we pay. TCO is considerably lower than with a PC system over a 5 year period and over the 8 years we have now been on the Citrix system we have saved massive amounts of money both in initial and maintenance costs and have been blessed with a network which is available most years for over 99% of the time. We even run the free Pro Desktop 3D CAD software over the system with no limitations. Our technician has worked on other systems but she would not go back to a PC only system now.
On Mon, 2004-01-05 at 07:07, G.Harris wrote:
The rest of our system is a mix of Windows PCs, Linux terminals, Unix PCs and even some Mac and old Acorn machines all running Citrix Metaframe centrally to deliver a mixture of software from the Microsoft and Open Source communities.
As a matter of interest, what did your Citrix licenses cost per seat? The thing that has always put me off with Citrix is the cost of the license which was about £130 a seat last time I looked but reducing with volume.
-- If this e-mail contains anything that the recipient takes exception to, please contact: The Headteacher, Maidenhill School GL10 2HA UK (+44) (0) 1453 822469
----- Original Message -----
From: "G.Harris"
The cost of the Citrix licences is offset by many other advantages: Central administration of TC and PC desktops and software. We can keep using old computers long after anyone else has disposed of them and they run at near server speed even on a 233 pentium box.(The DfES still haven't cottoned on to this one and Becta are still assessing our system based upon a standard PC model.
I am not knocking citrix - indeed we use it. But I think - to be fair - it is hard to justify the cost, especially when you consider the cost of licences - not only for citrix, but also for terminal server (or terminal serices in Win2000) and the cost of NT workstation for each workstation (even though you're not running NT, or even an Intel platform). I must say, I think the cost of these licences are unreasonably high, as I don't think the practical funcionality is nearly as good as they would be running on a real PC. Although Word is fine, IE is a bit irritating especially with animated GIFs, and flash type content. Excel can be a pain when scrolling - and users need some guidance as to what NOT to do - which usually prompts them to give it a try. Publisher is REALLY sticky - as will be most CAD type packages as they tend to refresh the screen in a rather unintelligent way as far as terminal services are concerned. However, I agree they can make old stations function acceptably for some tasks, including old Acorn stations and remote running of applications from home is certainly possible - although again the situation on licences is often rather grey here. Of course you don't need Citrix as there is a perfectly good terminal service client (or remote desktop client as it know seems to be called) which is 'free' for PC clients. The Acorn RDC client is not yet up to the job in my opinion, although the linux version seems fine on linux. You don't get such easy mapping of printers and local/remote hard drives with RDC but thats fairly trivial and certainly not worth the price differential. I tend to use it for running odd applications that I can't be bothered to install on all machines where use is very ocassional rather than for use in a mainstream classroom. -- Alan Davies Head of Computing Birkenhead School
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Alan Davies -
G.Harris