Simple answers:
StarOffice6/OpenOffice641d are more than adequate replacements for MS Office in all but large enterprises with much MS macro stuff in place. They read/write MS formats almost frighteningly well, and if you choose to, it can be made the default format.
Sys admins? Quality ones are expensive, but cheaper than your systems not working. This is true whether or not you use MS, Mac, Unix or Linux. The price difference between the MS and Linux knowledgeable people will disappear pretty fast - in the meantime, look at remote admin capabilities, price savings on MS licences, system reliability. All adds up to saving money with Linux. As in bags full.
The background I speak from? Commercial IT support (MCP, MS Exchange specialist and networking), moved into the education sector, (laughed until I cried at what they were doing with ICT), started making waves everywhere to wake them up and *then* I started to experiment with open source and Linux, which is now being introduced in various schools I have connections with.
My advice: start with StarOffice 6, not strictly an open source product, but is absolutely the bees knees and backed by a big brand name. If you want to introduce Linux, one common application on that scale helps enormously. Then consider thin client...
Cheers
Chris
Editted message follows:
<snip>
The issue now is one of "what practical alternative is there to
Microsoft?" The answer may well be "nothing yet." It could even be,
wait to see what "pay as you go" brings to the table.
When this thread first started, I began wondering what is available as a
real alternative to M$ for the great unwashed masses. Of course, the
answer I would expect to hear is "Linux!", but...
I'm talking about a solution that is useable by those who are not rabid
members of a LUG, or Sys Admins in their day job, or past High-tech
professionals that have become educators. I'm talking about productivity
software that will read and write M$ file formats (Excel, Word, etc.)
without a user even realizing it. (I don't know, for example, if Star
Office is a real alternative because I don't know how well it
interoperates with those who use Word, for example, on a daily basis.)
<snip>
It seems to me, from what I have seen thus far in education, that the
majority of use is a web browser, email client, and M$ productivity
software (Word, Excel, etc.). The productivity software is the real
crunch, because there are outstanding web browsers and email packages
out there already. If all you needed was communication (email, WWW,
etc.), you don't need Microsoft! Of course, the schools don't have to
teach Word, et al., but what would they teach if not the software that
has 90% of the market? Of course, this is the real issue, isn't it!
You've got to hand it to M$, they are unsurpassed when it comes to
marketing and leveraging their position!
Forgetting about that for a minute, then the next real issue regarding
"going Linux" jumps out - support! Support and Sys Admin people who
know UNIX/Linux.
I have been able to go 90% Linux at home for the past 4 years or so.
The 10% is for M$ compatibility for my wife who needs to be able to use
M$ productivity software, especially Excel, so she can do some work at
home. Said another way, the reason my wife can use Linux is because she
has a 20-year veteran of High-tech to help her over the rough spots,
especially the system administration.
Imagine a school system that decides to go Linux and what they would
face! Even if they were completely self contained (i.e., Star Office
for everyone in the district and the municipality itself), they couldn't
afford the UNIX/Linux talent to keep the whole thing running. Forgive
me for saying it, but MCSE talent ain't even close to the level required
for UNIX/Linux, and this is reflected by their respective salaries in
the market today (and my past experience in managing techies and
realizing that MCSE certification has been degrading over the years).
So, that leaves us with two killer issues, or barriers to entry: The
market dominance of M$ productivity apps and the ability to attract and
retain Linux/UNIX Sys Admin talent.
It seems to me that if there is a way out of M$ dominance today, it will
be a combination of technologies that minimize M$'s footprint in the
organization by providing seamless interoperability with M$ productivity
applications and making Linux/UNIX system admin easier/more affordable.
Since I'm new to the education sector, and since I'm going to be
inextricably involved with this very issue at my new job this fall, I
was hoping to hear what success folks have had in trying to replace M$,
and if Linux is ready to work in heterogeneous High-Tech world.
Sorry for the long posting!
Steve