Desktop platforms Toolkit

Story: Microsoft rubbishes school open source report

• 
• 

And so it starts. To paraphrase George Lucas, 'School Wars' has begun.......Microsoft knows it, I know it, and I am also sure everyone else will recognise this underlying truth: If you can control the learning concepts of school children so that they believe that the Microsoft Windows is the only computer operating system in existence, then you have 'locked in' your future customers. You do this by ensuring no other OSs reach the classroom, or in other words, you create a Windows monopoly on software education. It doesn't matter whether whether your product is good or bad, open or closed source...you have simply secured your future profits.

If a child is not allowed to explore the amazing diversity of software outside the Microsoft Empire, then they are disadvantaged in today's world; especially since the evidence suggests that all of Asia and South America is moving rapidly to Linux based software and our future engineers must be able to link with them. For a Microsoft 'brainwashed' adult even to look outside of the Windows world becomes difficult if not impossible and various governments have recognised that it must almost be forced. But the gains are then enormous.

Let us be in no doubt, Microsoft is going to throw everything in its armoury (legal, patents, OEM's, discounts, whispering campaigns, FUD, ...... we haven't seen anything yet) to prevent the takeup of Linux and FOSS in schools...it knows its future is ultimately going to be won or destroyed in those locations.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Full Talkback thread