[ubuntu-za] Microsoft Schools agreement for South African Schools

[Phillip Pare]

Ivo Vegter wrote:
> I also wonder if Microsoft will cut me a deal on Office 2007 for Unix.
>
> But seriously. I fail to see why you'd want to sign this. The licence is:
>
> - very restrictive (note all the things you can't do),
> - for an extremely restricted set of software,
> - for a static and inflexible hardware setup,
> - for software that has very high hardware requirements,
> - for software that cannot be used by the kids off school grounds,
> - rather vague and as quoted above fairly misleading,
> - trying to force you do disclose information Microsoft neither
>   needs nor has any right to.
>
> By contrast, if you use Ubuntu, you can run it anywhere, even on fairly
> low-end machines and even off the school property. You can run
> Schooltool and free accounting software for administration. You can run
> a whole host of free science, CAD, programming, educational and other
> software at no extra cost, and you don't have to tell anyone anything
> about what competing products you own.
>
> The support costs will probably be similar.
>
> I'm not a Linux zealot, but I cannot see a single reason why a school or
> university would want to go any other route. Not one.
>   
Hi
Thank you very much to Simon, Will, Raoul, Vijay, Wayne, and Ivo for 
your advice.
I have forwarded your posts on to the staff and other interested parties 
at St Mark's College.
Regards
Phillip Pare