Windows XP takes Linux away from our children
By Matt Jansen
Microsoft has just announced it will contribute millions of dollars to train students and teachers worldwide how to use its software. That means less exposure to Linux for our children and a continuing dependence on Windows XP and Vista.
From Microsoft’s perspective, the beauty in this move is the heroic perception it will create in academia. Specifically, “Microsoft will spend US$235.5 million in schools worldwide over the next five years, part of a plan to triple the number of students and teachers trained in its software programs to up to 270 million by 2013,” according to The New York Times.
Of course, before receiving any of this funding, the school must be using Windows XP or Vista. Microsoft has used this tactic in the past to crush competition, including its decision to give away Internet Explorer to starve Netscape out of the industry.
The major challenger to Microsoft’s supremacy in operating systems has become open source initiatives like Linux. Even competing mobile operating systems like Google Android utilize open source resources and business practices.
But, even a competing initiative like Linux can be beaten if it can’t get enough exposure. Microsoft knows that and is attempting to close off a market containing prime candidates for learning new technologies: kids.
If Microsoft can continue to expose children to Windows XP and Vista at an early age, they’ll feel more comfortable keeping the same operating system through their education years and will expect to use Windows when they enter the workforce.
Microsoft’s traditional approach is fundamentally different than open source initiatives like Linux. Microsoft charges a price upfront for its software and looks for additional dollars to support the software while using some of that cash input for additional marketing ploys like its $235.5 million giveaway.
Linux gives its software and code away which creates a market for support and implementation firms. The end result is a smorgasbord of Linux flavors all with smaller marketing budgets and less cohesion.
That said, organizations like OLPC are competing in the same space and Microsoft acknowledges that, “Microsoft faces heated competition from companies supporting the open-source OS Linux and associated software in developing countries. ‘I think as a company we welcome choice,’ Ayala [of Microsoft's education division] said. ‘Frankly, we welcome the competition.’”
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January 23rd, 2008
I think that some people actually think that Bill Gates is great man and that Microsoft is full of benevolence, smiling warmly down on the world that they rule like a giant Santa Claus.
January 23rd, 2008
The problem with schemes such as this is that by going with Microsoft’s software we’re not teaching kids how to program, just how to function within Microsoft’s applications.
If we want truly computer literate graduates of our high schools, we have to expose them to the code. As that is something that Microsoft cannot countenance, that means that we should NOT be using Microsoft anywhere near our children’s classrooms.
January 23rd, 2008
Why is it this way? People who yup “open source” have such a closed mind.
What are you afraid of? That kids might play with Windoze PC and like it? Then again, what’s not to like. Within 30 minutes a kid can set up voice commands to connect and play music from his/her friend’s blue-tooth phone. While the other kid connects a video camera to watch field trip videos. With Linux, they’d still be Goooooogling, downloading and recompiling yet another driver that does not work.
“truly computer literate graduates of our high schools”
when my wife was in labor, there were bunch of Win PCs that controlled all kinds of medical equipment attached to my wife. I am sure doctors and nurses studied C++ during their 1st year in Med School. That’s a truly must have class.
“expose them to the code … Microsoft cannot countenance”
Than I guess, all code samples on MSDN site are not really “code”. And Visual Studio is not a development environment available free of charge.
You, Linux fanboiz, need to take your lips of the Penguin’s c*ck and face the reality. As a general purpose desktop OS, Linux has a lot of catching up to do. And as such it not a replcement or alternative. If you want kids to explore all the computer possibilities you better teach them everything you can: Linux, Windows, Mac… At least my kid(s) will know both Linux and Windoze. And if MS, Red Hat (or whatever) would give me $$$ to educate my kid(s) I’ll say “Thank you”. It is not like I am selling my soul to the devil.
January 23rd, 2008
Come on. The situation you describe isn’t that much different from the past. At school I was “trained” be MS products. At university I was “trained” be MS products but also about alternative systems.
Suppose the community is as strong as every OSS supporter is claiming they can even compete (I say compete not fight or destroy) any competition. It’s no long MS against hobbyists. GNU/Linux and OSS has very strong supporters like SUN, IBM, Google, Nokia, …, to name a few. Moreover GNU/Linux is gaining a momentum in academia too. No need to worry, let MS wast its money.
In my opinion there is no more way for MS to stop GNU/Linux. They can slow down the process but not stop. Hey after all GNU/Linux and OSS is free in every meaning and technical at least of same quality.
January 23rd, 2008
Maurece,
If you actually ever bothered to use something other than what is packaged with your shiny new computer you would realize that the comment; “With Linux, they’d still be Goooooogling, downloading and recompiling yet another driver that does not work.” It is this kind of “close minded” (your words) attitude that has us using (Microsoft) software that is 10 years behind where software should be.
Comments such as “You, Linux fanboiz, need to take your lips of the Penguin’s c*ck and face the reality” really do show that are absolutely clueless and are simply reacting to something you cannot (or will not) understand.
Oh, and by the way, it’s likely your kid is using Linux on there blue-tooth phone…which must be frustrating because of all the Gooooooogling they must have to be doing to get the thing to work.
January 23rd, 2008
MS is again forcing itself onto unsuspecting users. MS knows if people have never used a computer, then there is no advantage to using Windows and its applications.
I’m afraid of MS tactics for so many reasons. They have been dishonest from the beginning, from ripping off Xerox, Apple, and IBM to bogus error messages on Windows 3.x running on (the then superior) Dr. DOS. Crushing Netscape by including IE in the OS. Threatening Toshiba about the BeOS installs. Recently the stacking of ISO votes by MS has jeopardized the ISO process because all of the new voters aren’t participating in anything but Microsoft’s OOXML voting. MS does not care about anything but the almighty dollar.
Unfortunately, giving away something to hook children into becoming lifetime users is a tactic that works. Ask any low-life drug pusher.
January 23rd, 2008
Lord knows I am not a big MS supporter, but come on. I remember when Apple basically gave away computer and software to schools. This was during the mid ’80’s when
January 23rd, 2008
Lord knows I am not a big MS supporter, but come on. I remember when Apple basically gave away computers and software to schools. This was during the mid ’80’s . A whole generation of kids used Apples in school, didn’t seem to transfer to the work place but I remember quite a few parents agonizing over which computer to get, the one they used in school, or the one they were most likely to use at work. This isn’t crack, schools should accept any help offered for the kids. I doubt Microsoft’s business ethics are going to leap through the keyboard.
January 23rd, 2008
@Spaulding Smails
“If you actually ever bothered to use something other than what is packaged with your shiny new computer”
Thanks for you typical Linux community reply. Every single PC in my house is a dual boot with some Linux distro (and one with SXDE). I am sure Dell and Sony ship those configurations left and right (specially Sony). It does not make me an expert. But I know one thing: I will not be a pathetic Linux fanboi. And when some thing does not work in Linux, all you could do is to grow some balls and say “Sorry, Mate, this does not work in Linux yet”.
“it’s likely your kid is using Linux on there blue-tooth phone”
Oh, and by the way, it is also likely that the phone is not a Linux phone (because it is not how a rational thinking person bases a phone purchase). But I do demand that a PC connects to it regardless. And it would make it even more pathetic case that Linux PC could not connect to Linux phone.
And if you’re trying to use Linux phone as example of some progress. So what. It is a limited functionality device. For the very same reason Linux could be used as a desktop PC at work, because it is a controlled environment where user runs a small set of well tested applications. Automatic upgrades would be tested by IT before being released to end users, because we all know that pooh-buntu has broke Xorg again…
So how about some common ground? Vista sucks, but at the same, time that fact does not make Linux any better. I am sticking to dual-booting with XP and benefiting form both OS’es.
Spread you Linux love, not the BS though :)
January 23rd, 2008
“MS knows if people have never used a computer, then there is no advantage to using Windows and its applications.”
Here is a reality check for you. I went to Yahoo Jobs and searched for Administrative/Clerical jobs in my area. I searched for Open Office, KOffice, Gnome Office, and by separate applications that make up those Open Source Office suites. Would you like to make a guess how many jobs I found??? Would you like to compare that with number of jobs that require MS Office???
The “technical” advantage (if there is any) does not translate into real-life financial one.
January 23rd, 2008
“MS knows if people have never used a computer, then there is no advantage to using Windows and its applications.”
Here is a reality check for you. I went to Yahoo Jobs and searched for Administrative/Clerical jobs in my area. I searched for Open Office, K Office, Gnome Office, and by separate applications that make up Open Source Office suites. Would you like to make a guess how many jobs I found??? Would you like to compare that with number of jobs that require MS Office???
The “technical” advantage (if there is any) does not always translate into real-life advantage for real people.
January 28th, 2008
Hmmm… I fail to understand the statement GNU/Linux is gaining momentum… Its coming up for past 5 years… every year is ‘desktop linux’ year. Its like
while(1)
we_think_this_year_is_linux_desktop_year();
I have been making a living with Linux and MS products. Quite frankly, working (development) in dot Net is much more fun than working in similar environments in linux, which have so many bugs. Also, I am yet to find a good C/C++ IDE for linux which is as good at.net/Visual Studio.
Get a life, GNU/LINUX will always remain 2% or below in Market share.
MS move is cool and they will again come out winners unless the GNU guys get a life and start to develop products which are at least 80% that of MS products.