“The agency that governs educational technology in the UK has advised schools in the country to keep Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system and its Office 2007 software out of the classroom and administrative offices,” Paul McDougall reports for InformationWeek.
“‘Upgrading existing ICT systems to Microsoft Vista or Office 2007 is not recommended,’ said the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (also known as Becta), in a report issued this week,” McDougall reports.
“The agency said UK schools can consider using Vista or Office 2007 software only when they are buying new batches of PCs. Even then, however, they’re advised to take a long looked at alternatives based on Linux and other open source products, such as the OpenOffice.org desktop package,” McDougall reports.
“Becta’s advisory mirrors similar moves taken by public agencies in the U.S. Last year, the Department of Transportation placed a ban on the use of Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Internet Explorer 7 due to cost and compatibility concerns,” McDougall reports
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If they had any brains at all, they’d be using Macs already. Still, it’s a start.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Rockin’ Rod” for the heads up.]
We could learn so much from them…
(Not “we mac-users”, but more like “we countries”.)
The future of all government, schools, non-profit organization etc, is Linux coupled with suite such as Open Office.
Macs are the best choice because they are the best multi-OS platform. It’s not so much that OS X is their best choice as an OS, but Macs are their best choice for hardware to run OS’s on.
An open-minded perspective when evaluating options is needed, and we’re finally seeing this happen in the industry on a large scale.
We Brits are smarter than most people realize.
Brits have bad food but good taste.
I wanted to take a long looked at the website of Berkeley Breathed once, but Google said it was bad for my computer.
@ron
don’t you mean realise?
You should check this out were BECTA is warns schools about MS School licensing scheme:
“And if that wasn’t enough to make even the most wide-eyed head think twice, it then lays into Microsoft’s licensing strategy for schools, reiterating its advice not to sign up for the firm’s school licensing program.
The agency reported Microsoft to the OFT in October because of its concerns over the “all or nothing” nature of the contract, which can see schools having to pay Microsoft licence fees even for machines running non-Microsoft systems.”
Vista BECTA Ban
Crap I screwed up the link:
Read it here!
They don’t need no thought control.
@ MathiasLM: I agree. I just got back from the UK, and it was eye-opening.
@ iDont: you obviously haven’t had beef and ale pie and a pint at a pub when you’re starving after a long day of exploring the countryside. MMMMMmmmmm… makes me hungry just thinking about it.
When I was there, it was really funny is that every time I went to use my credit card, the cashiers invariably looked at it funny because it didn’t have a chip in it, and said, “Where’s the chip? Oh, you must be American. I have to swipe your card.” Seems like other than the iPhone and ubiquitous WiFi, we’re sliding in technology, too.
@nittany, @ron don’t you mean realise?
When in Rome, or San Diego.
I work in an educational setting and will make several comments. Firstly for my work in this setting, I use a mac -> keynote is magical! However, the profoundly sad lack of equation editor in Pages compels me to use NeoOffice as well for writing documentation requiring mathematical equations. This is a (minor) strength of MS office: it has equation editor. Secondly students are also highly conditioned to using Microsh*t software like office and windoze. We ran a trial for a year using Open Office in a room full of PCs. Students HATED it -> it was unfamiliar (but not too disimilar) and they did want to give up their security blankie as it were. This highlights the major problem: educational institutions want to reduce costs but linux leaves you out there on your own: no support. Microsh*t is well supported. So it makes a more sense for educational institutions, particularly small ones with limited budgets to head for what they see as tried and true: microsh*t. The cost of getting it wrong or failure (no just monetary) and fear of the unknown seems to drive decisions makers in these places to microsh*t. Seems its better the devil you know than the one you don’t. Talking that first step on the road to freedom and good software it beyond them. And thus microsh*t manages to perpetuate itself and create another generation of users.
Rule, Britannia!
Just NOT us!
iDont
agree with you. The Brits have some very good food. Roast sirloin and Yorkshire pudding are to die for. And then there are wonderful desserts such as trifle. How much time have you spent sampling British recipes?
Mr. ‘iDon’t’ has not been to the UK recently.
On our last trip we walked so much more than at home (GA), not from doing day trips to visit interesting sites but just being around my English family.
In the states we’re lardy butts just sitting on our fat rears and eating out 30-70% of the time.
In Miami or Shreveport, I understand why British food wouldn’t be appealing, but when you get off the bus after a long day and walk home through the drizzle, the Chippy (local fish and chips emporium) is just irresistible.
Hysterical.
What about what really counts? You know, the pubs!
I appear to have reiterated Woody’s postings!
Oh, and PT had a very good point. On the ‘M$’ name calling he *almost* got it! He meant to say Micros**t.
I thought of the term Micros**t 5 years ago and I’m just waiting with bated breath to see it somewhere else online.
It works because the reader decides what the ** letters are.
The holes in the dam are beginning to get people wet.
And they don’t like it.
@PT: Thanks for leaving me thorougly depressed…
My nick says all about British food.
French, Italian, Japanese
@ iDont & Beryllium
The Brits can make good food, like the Yanks can make good software. You just have to know where to look.
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Windows has to be the biggest US-caused scourge since Spam.
@PT
Have you tried Math Type?
http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype_mac/
The free trial is a full version for 30 days and then it becomes a perfectly useable Lite version. Or you can buy the full one. Even the Lite version is better than Equation Editor, in fact, I think that the Math Type company may have contributed to Equation Editor.
I don’t see why Open Office was such a stretch for those students, though. Most lay users would barely know the difference if you didn’t tell them that they weren’t using Office.