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[seul-edu] Fw: Linux in public school?
On Sat, 4 Aug 2001, owner-seul-edu@seul.org wrote:
> From: "R W Russell" <rwrussell@mindspring.com>
> To: <seul-edu@seul.org>
> Subject: Linux in public school?
>
> I have never used Linux, and do not yet know how practical
> this idea may
> be. Can you offer any advice?
>
> I live in Montgomery, AL. If it would enhance my local school
> system, I
> could probably persuade businesses to donate the machines
> (which are
> just collecting dust anyway), and local Linux fans to donate
> their
> weekends and free time to help set up the systems and train
> the
> teachers.
>
> Our public school system is under funded, and there are
> frequent
> complaints that more computers are needed for classrooms.
>
> In an unrelated conversation with a friend, I was complaining
> about my
> computer, which uses Windows 98, frequently locking up, and
> asked him
> about the relative benefits of a UNIX based (in particular
> "Linux") OS
> designed for PC's. He is a Unix user, and likes Linux. He
> encouraged
> me to look into Linux as a real alternative. I researched
> Linux a
> little, and have read that it runs fine on older, slower 386
> and 486
> units. I also read that it runs more efficiently on them
> (resource
> wise, i.e. occupies less hard drive space and uses less RAM)
> has no Y2K
> problems, and there is the added benefit of no license fees.
>
>
> When I read all of that, I remembered that many of the
> businesses I work
> with replaced their older systems to avoid Y2K problems, and
> had no idea
> what to do with the "obsolete" computers. Some of them are
> sitting in
> storage rooms. The small business men who upgraded were
> advised that
> their old systems would be most useful as door stops or boat
> anchors.
>
> I am not an educator. I am a lawyer. I don't know what
> applications
> school systems use in their educational pursuits. When I was
> in college
> at Auburn University, PC's were just being developed, and the
> most
> advanced home computer around was a Commodore 64. Have any
> schools
> systems that you are aware of benefited from taking gifts of
> obsolete
> PC's and running Linux on them as web devices and basic
> educational
> devices for children, or do the applications that are being
> used work
> only o Windows and/or apple platforms?
>
>
>
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>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>I have never used Linux, and do not yet
> know how =
> practical
> this idea may be.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>Can you =
> offer any
> advice?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>I live in
> </span></font><st1:place><st1:City><font =
> size=3D2
> face=3DArial><span =
>
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Montgomery</span></font></st=
> 1:City><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, =
> </span></font><st1:State><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
>
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>AL</span></font></st1:State>=
> </st1:place><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>.<span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>If it would enhance
> my local =
> school
> system, I could probably persuade businesses to donate the
> machines =
> (which are just
> collecting dust anyway), and local Linux fans to donate their
> weekends =
> and free
> time to help set up the systems and train the =
> teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>Our public school system is under funded,
> and there =
> are
> frequent complaints that more computers are needed for =
> classrooms.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>In an unrelated conversation with a friend,
> I was
> complaining about my computer, which uses Windows 98,
> frequently locking =
> up,
> and asked him about the relative benefits of a UNIX based (in
> particular
> “Linux”) OS designed for PC’s.<span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>He is a <span =
> class=3DGramE>Unix</span> user,
> and likes Linux.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>He =
> encouraged me
> to look into Linux as a real alternative.<span =
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>I researched Linux a little, and have read that it runs
> fine on =
> older,
> slower 386 and 486 units.<span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
> </span>I
> also read that it runs more efficiently on them (resource
> wise, i.e. =
> occupies
> less hard drive space and uses less RAM) has no Y2K problems,
> and there =
> is the
> added benefit of no license fees.<span =
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>When I read all of that, I remembered that
> many of =
> the
> businesses I work with replaced their older systems to avoid
> Y2K =
> problems, and
> had no idea what to do with the “obsolete”
> computers.<span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Some of them are
> sitting in =
> storage
> rooms.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The small
> business =
> men who
> upgraded were advised that their old systems would be most
> useful as =
> door stops
> or boat anchors.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'>I am not an educator.<span =
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>I am a lawyer.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>I =
> don’t
> know what applications school systems use in their educational
> =
> pursuits.<span
> style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>When I was in college
> at =
> </span></font><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
>
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Auburn</span></font></st1:Pl=
> aceName><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> =
> </span></font><st1:PlaceType><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
>
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>University</span></font></st=
> 1:PlaceType></st1:place><font
> size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, PC’s
> were just being developed, and the most advanced home computer
> around =
> was a
> Commodore 64.<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
> </span>Have any =
> schools
> systems that you are aware of benefited from taking gifts of
> obsolete
> PC’s and running Linux on them as web devices and basic
> =
> educational
> devices for children, or do the applications that are being
> used work =
> only o
> Windows and/or apple platforms?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
> font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
>
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>
>
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