[AktiviX-discuss] Ufi-learndirect: what should I say?

[charlie]

On Fri, 10 Jun 2005, Alan Dawson wrote:

> Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:23:36 +0100
> From: Alan Dawson <aland at burngreave.net>
> To: aktivix-discuss at lists.aktivix.org
> Subject: Re: [AktiviX-discuss] Ufi-learndirect: what should I say?

> > This anomaly must, therefore, cast doubt on whether any of
> > the other figures are truly comparable.  For example, are
> > BECTA really suggesting that schools saved money on hardware
> > simply by using OSS?  Similarly, I would have expected to see
> > a significant cost saving on software between schools that
> > use OSS and those that don't, but on this evidence, only
> > relatively small cost savings are attainable!

I should point out that I haven't read the report.

On the hardware it's not totally unfeasible that you could run linux 
( with a minimal windowmanager ) on old hardware that XP wouldn't run on 
so it's not impossible that you could save cash on upgrades. That might
also account for less spent on consumables - i.e. cooling fans, PSUs,
and other parts could be ebayed or salvaged rather than bought. More
likely BECTA just fscked up ;-)

I was surprised that the s/w cost differential was small - at P&P we
have to run windows and access on desktops and the software costs
significantly more than the hardware! 




-- 
Charlie Harvey, 
IT Officer,
People & Planet 
----------------------------------------------
Email     : charlie at peopleandplanet.org
On-line   : http://peopleandplanet.org
Address   : 51 Union Street, Oxford OX4 1JP
Telephone : 01865 245678


!!! STOP PRESS !!!
Author, activist and P&P volunteer KEN FINN has a new
book out. MY JOURNEY WITH A REMARKABLE TREE describes
Kens journey in Cambodia to indulge his passion and
fascination with trees. The destruction he finds stirs
unexpected anger, which becomes the fuel for a
determination to discover what was really going on.

You can buy a signed, dedicated version of the book
from this site - P&P will get £2.50 for every copy sold!
http://www.eye-books.com/remarkabletree/Signed4P&P.htm