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286
 
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In these hard times of the credit crunch and cut-backs do you think it would be a good idea for the UK Government to seriously think about switching to open source software. I would imagine a typical school/local government/hospital computer has around £300-£400 of MS software loaded on it. If this was multiplied across the country it would be a fantastic amount of money that could be saved by using open source instead.........what do you think?
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Pentium
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Hi rickonnye
The Government completed a study in 2004 about the viability of Opensource here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3960025.stm
So you would have thought that there would have been more movement by now.
However the Government then went and Knighted Bill Gates in 2005 here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3428673.stm
So it looks like the lack of movement toward Opensource, may be down to vested interests within the Government.
Those vested interests also extend down to the Government allowing school children to be used as unpaid actors to advertise the launch of Vista, and for the BBC to devote many hours of coverage to the event.
If we were viewing such activities occurring in a 'Banana Republic', the words, bribery and corruption would probably feature in any media coverage. In hard times some people need all the money they can get..
Mad Malc
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286
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Hi Mad Malc,
Thanks for your reply and links, yes I understand everything you say. It just seems so incredible now that the Government is still so linked with Microsoft. I know the Government has done some trials, i.e. Bristol and Birmingham with mixed results. I just feel that the free open source software is so good now that it could easily be used in any office, school, health, gov department situation.
For example I am using PCLinuxOS operating system, Open Office, Firefox, and thunderbird as main programmes, total cost £0.00. Using the equivalent MS products (If I went for full versions) I wouldn't get much change out of £300-£400. Plus less hassle with virus programmes, bugs etc.
I just hope the start of seeing Linux operating systems on computers in large stores like PC world will take off or at least inform the main computer buying public.
I have written to my MP, MEP about this and await their replies with interest.
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Typical school using £400 worth of MS?
Each computer room at my school has about 30 PCs in it. There's about 6 PC rooms, a PC in every classroom (near enough), and one room of about 8 PCs. There's also about 5 in the tech office, a bunch of laptops and more.
I'd say a few £1000 worth of MS licenses.
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| I just wonder how much it would now cost to make these changes - each and every PC would need someone to install a new OS and software (at what cost? - would the re-installers also need training in open source software?) - is all software currently on school computers also available via open source and free and compatible? I would also assume that teaching staff might also need to be re-trained in the use of a new OS - possibly not much re-training would be needed in the software. How much of the current in-use software/hardware could be transposed to a new OS - how long would it take to do so and at what cost? Could little Johnny take home his project from school (on open source software) and still be able to use it on his Windows PC at home? If not could Mam/Dad/baby brother help him to convert back & forth? The other point is how much do educational bodies pay for their OSs and software - certainly not the retail prices we have to fork out - not even OEM prices I sure? If Bill Gates were to offer Vista Home Premium FOC to every UK school today - how much would it cost to upgrade current systems so that they could run it w/o problems? The arguement might have been viable if a new system was being introduced nationally today but unfortunately this is not the case and the system has been set years ago and will continue so for many years to come. My brother who works for a large UK based French owned seismic data processing company with world wide customer/research bases - they have now returned many of their machines back to Windows OS (used to use Linux) - as I understand it is much less of a problem interfacing with their customers machines who are running Windows! No, I am not anti Linux just a realist - at the end of the day the taxpayer would have to fork out £1Ms just to make the transition.
Dave H
What is the difference between genius and stupidity? Genius has limits. - Albert Einstein
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£400 per computer
but dont forget the school will have a site licence
but i have to say i disagree, especially in schools as windows is very much the standard in the work place so having windows in schools means the kids are used to it etc by the time they go into the work place which is important for the kids who are not to technically minded
however government systems that use bespoke systems should make use of Linux as it will reduce the costs of the software
that being said there might be an increase in the developing costs 
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