OpenSource tools for three years now. I had the opportunity to run a
laptop program with Windows for 4 years prior to launching this program.
My experience is that Kevin's concern with regard to usability and
comfort are somewhat justified. Adults, in general, accept change more
slowly. However, the switch from Mac to Windows was about the same as
Windows to Linux. Students, on the other hand, are quite different.
The adoption rate was quite swift.
Also, once the community has been trained on how to add repositories or
understand that an .rpm is the same as .msi (Windows) or .dmg, they
become quite impressed with the resources out there. The biggest issue
becomes games. We've got a few kids playing with the CrossOver product
designed to run Windows games on Linux.
All three platforms are solid and offer varying plusses and minuses.
Mac is my pick for usability, Linux is my pick for cost and tech
literacy, and Windows is my pick for software availability.
Take care,
Alex
Alex Inman
Director of Technology
Whitfield School
St. Louis, MO
314.434.5141
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Kevin McAllister
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:53 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Best Platform for a New School
Vern:
I clearly have no crystal ball, and reserve the right to be dead wrong.
The question was about "standardization", not about using OpenSource =20
tools. There are fantastic resources now in the OpenSource arena - =20
LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) offers a great alternative for many =20
server needs. Moodle is amazing. drupal and Joomla offer schools an =20
alternative to the standard website choices.
In all of these cases, OpenSource is being used and managed by a =20
skilled user who has chosen this tool. I think that schools should be =20
looking seriously at all of these.
Where I have reservations is where IT people "inflict" OpenSource =20
operating systems on the users at large. The needs, skill levels, =20
support possibilities and software availability varies tremendously =20
across a campus. Forcing a timid, barely computer-literate aging =20
faculty member to use OpenOffice and Linux seems a bit extreme. This =20
person will surely have support needs on a daily basis that are =20
outside the stability of his/her system. Basically they will not be =20
able to ask 98% of computer users for help. If they had a Mac or PC, =20
help is all around. Software choices are much more limited. Trying to =20
"inspire" a timid user is easier, in my opinion, with a Mac.
Could a world of geeks run entirely on OpenSource and never again send =20
money to MS or Apple? Sure. I have yet to see a faculty room full of =20
geeks...or a student body. OpenSource should be a choice, not a =20
mandate in terms of a school platform.
I see this as the same chicken/egg problem that was just discussed in =20
terms of assessment - schools could be more creative here if only the =20
colleges would accept different application criteria. The problem is =20
that most don't. (I don't have a solution here.)
My 2 cents
Kevin
On Jun 11, 2008, at 12:40 PM, Vern Ceder wrote:
> Kevin McAllister wrote:
>> There are OpenSource choices and others may have opinions on =20
>> standardizing here. My feeling is that going this route puts the =20
>> school at risk long term. The highest cost of ownership is not =20
>> purchase price.
>
> I'm curious as to the long term risks you see in open source =20
> solutions... lack of support? difficulty in finding trained sysadmins?
>
> Cheers,
> Vern
> --=20
> This time for sure!
> -Bullwinkle J. Moose
> -----------------------------
> Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
> Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
> vceder@canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, =20
> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
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Kevin J. McAllister | President, CEO
inRESONANCE ... Solutions that resonate
kevin@inresonance.com | 413.587.0236 | www.inresonance.com
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