[Technical] Interesting computers-in-education piece. Education &the ACCC

[Con Zymaris]

On Fri, Aug 05, 2005 at 02:04:21PM +1000, Clark, Ian C wrote:
> Hi Con,
> 
> What's your opinion of individuals who try Linux, specify their next
> computer purchase to be a Windows PC anyway, and then hunt the best
> price for one?

That's excellent. That's free choice. That's how markets work.

> 
> And IT Departments of both corporations/government organizations, many
> of whom were raised on Unix, who specify their next purchase to be
> Windows computers, and then hunt the best prices for them?

Here's the difference. When you decide that Linux is not the platform for 
you, then that's your choice.

When you're the Department of Education, you are making a decision for
187,000+ PCs and over half a million users. There will be many instances 
when your choice for one platform doesn't apply across that whole user 
space. It may be sub-optimal. Therefore, pushing a one-size-fits-all 
approach is a problem. 

It goes further. You have a duty as a government entity to make sure that
you take that business to the competitive open market. Individuals and
private business are not bound by such requirements.

I take it that everyone here knows that a government department *must*
take any procurement which costs over $100,000, to open tender?  The
Microsoft deals are worth many millions and are not being taken out to a
_real_ open tender. This too is the problem.

Let me know if you want me to drill down further on this. 

-- 
___________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne, Australia 
Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company 
Web: http://www.cyber.com.au/  Phone: 03 9621 2377   Fax: 03 9621 2477