Re: [seul-edu] donated computers announcement, take 2

[dprentice@uno.edu]

He didn't actually "overturn" MS threats; it would probably be more accurate to
say that he repudiated them. Other than that. GO!!!!!
Dave Prentice

> Take 2:
> 
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> 
> LINUX ENABLES SAFE COMPUTER DONATIONS TO SCHOOLS
> 
> The Internet, Thursday, 02 May 2002: In an official announcement from the SEUL 
> group today, spokesman Leon Brooks overturned Microsoft's draconian threats 
> against the acceptance of donated computers by schools and other needy 
> organisations.
> 
> "Microsoft claims that it is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating 
> systems remain with the computer for the life of the computer," he said. 
> "Like viruses and security issues, that problem is almost exclusive to 
> Microsoft. Using Linux, OpenOffice.org and other Open Source software, you 
> can accept practically any donated computer regardless of operating system, 
> erase the existing software, install Open Source software and operate the 
> computer legally and safely as a powerful workstation or a server, all at 
> little or no cost."
> 
> Mr Brooks also noted that Linux rolled away the burdens, costs and legal 
> risks of licence management and software asset auditing for all businesses, 
> organisations and individuals. Linux is also easy to operate as a diskless 
> workstation or "thin client", and many schools were rolling out networks of 
> student terminals using this technology with both donated and new equipment, 
> he explained.
> 
> SEUL has dozens of case studies from real schools on line 
> (http://casestudy.seul.org/) showing the immediate financial advantages of 
> this strategy, and the K-12 Linux Terminal Server Project group 
> (http://www.k12ltsp.org/casestudy.html) are also recording the extensive 
> benefits of the thin-client approach with scores of real examples submitted 
> from real schools by the people using it at the front lines.
> 
> Some charitable organisations, such as Western Australia's Computer Angels 
> (http://www.ca.asn.au/) already use Linux rather than risk being destroyed at 
> the whim of Microsoft or their allies (http://www.bsaa.com.au/) as the 
> Australian organisation `PCs for Kids' (http://www.pcsforkids.org/) 
> effectively was late last year, 
> (http://www.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/asia/08/09/aus.microsoftkids/index.html) 
> and a similar organisation in New Zealand was in 1997
>
(http://www.idg.net.nz/webhome.nsf/UNID/1B2EA829EEBB476CCC256A8F000AD1BE?opendocument).
> On the other hand, Linux suppliers and users have a long tradition of 
> supporting truly charitable organisations 
>
(http://www.idgnet.co.nz/webhome.nsf/UNID/DC8B080246F1F98CCC256A940001A54C!opendocument). 

> Larger or American organisations are not immune, here's 
> (http://www.softwaremetering.com/fines.html) a long list victims, with only 
> one fine under USD$50,000 and some exceeding USD$500,000.
> 
> SEUL is an organisation working towards a simpler, easier Linux experience for 
> all, and may be contacted through their website at http://www.seul.org/. In 
> combination with your local Linux user group - which you can locate at 
> http://www.linux.org/ - SEUL can field volunteers to help schools and 
> charitable organisations get started in the stable, secure, safe world of 
> Linux.
> 
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> 
> Cheers; Leon
> 
> 
>