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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.

Jan 11, 08 - 03:42 pm Comment from: coolfactor

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.

Jan 11, 08 - 03:47 pm Comment from: ron

We Brits are smarter than most people realize.

Jan 11, 08 - 04:00 pm Comment from: iDon't

Brits have bad food but good taste.

Jan 11, 08 - 04:07 pm Comment from: Sixvodkas

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?

Jan 11, 08 - 04:19 pm Comment from: Demon

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

Jan 11, 08 - 04:22 pm Comment from: Demon

Crap I screwed up the link:
Read it here!

Jan 11, 08 - 04:37 pm Comment from: Ampar

They don't need no thought control.

Jan 11, 08 - 04:37 pm Comment from: Woody

@ 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.

Jan 11, 08 - 05:00 pm Comment from: ron

@nittany, @ron don't you mean realise?

When in Rome, or San Diego.

Jan 11, 08 - 05:36 pm Comment from: PT

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.

Jan 11, 08 - 05:36 pm Comment from: LorD1776

Rule, Britannia!

Jan 11, 08 - 05:37 pm Comment from: LorD1776

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.

Jan 11, 08 - 05:59 pm Comment from: Grigori

Hysterical.

Jan 11, 08 - 06:04 pm Comment from: LorD1776

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.

Jan 11, 08 - 06:20 pm Comment from: Grigori

@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.

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.

Jan 11, 08 - 09:57 pm Comment from: Scot Murphy

@LorD1776:

"Rule Britannia!
Britannia rules not much
Less than the Spanish, Belgians,
Or the Dutch!"

see - change is in the air.

More and more backlash these days where MacroSloth is involved.

OSX is the wave of change.

Jan 11, 08 - 11:10 pm Comment from: LorD1776

Scot Murphy,

Harrumph! Balderdash! The hell you say!

Jan 11, 08 - 11:55 pm Comment from: LorD1776

yummy,

OK, I've tried, but I just can't stop myself.

"Windows has to be the biggest US-caused scourge since Spam."

You do mean right after George W. Bush, don't you?

Microsoft support.. Yea you need support since their garbage is not much better than beta.

Jan 12, 08 - 11:43 am Comment from: Mr. Peabody

<h1>Finally, somebody with some balls!</h1>

Jan 12, 08 - 01:17 pm Comment from: smyhre

I think the problem of crossing between platforms and programs for most people is the fact that most have lost the ability to think for themselves. They don't see the similarities between programs and OS's all they say is "oh I've never used it so it is all different, with no similarities, so I'll be completely lost; I'll just stick with what I know." And what they know is basically nothing cause they haven't learned to explore and learn on their own. Things don't change drastically on word processing programs they all call a paragraph, a paragraph, not something completely different like calling it a torch. When will people stop losing 80% of their brain-cells voluntarily and start using them. Thats just my 2¢.

Jan 12, 08 - 01:50 pm Comment from: LorD1776

smyhre,

"Thats just my 2¢."

You know, that is a very old saying. It seems like after all these years, what with inflation and all, that 2¢ should be a heck of a lot higher by now. Just a thought.

Jan 13, 08 - 03:30 pm Comment from: PT

@Idont

as for microsh*t -> you honestly believe that you are the first to think of that? I'm sure twenty minutes after they opened for business back in the late seventies somebody thought of it. So, no, don't try to latch on to ownership of that...I've never met you, heard you say, so you know...

@PT

"but linux leaves you out there on your own"

I was with you til you said that. That's the only way Linux companies make money, selling support.

@ Dougless

"see - change is in the air.

More and more backlash these days where MacroSloth is involved.

OSX is the wave of change."

There was nothing in the article about OSX. Show me a story about the British (or any other) government recommending switching to OSX and I'll be more inclined to agree with you.

@smyhre

While I agree with what you're saying about people being irrationally afraid to change OSs the other side of the argument is that you don't want to waste time learning a new OS unless you're really sure you have to.