As a technology enthusiast, I've heard many teachers complain about the slowness of the laptops running Windows 7 (which is no longer supported, by the way)
Unfortunately, many schools still rely on Windows (servers, laptops, etc.), which could make the changeover difficult.
However, Linux has many advantages…
better performance on older and "RAM poor" computers
faster start time (on HDD and SSD) → possibly more class time
Internet browsers like Firefox or Chrome run better because more RAM is available for the browser.
no data collection from Microsoft
no more annual license costs through the use of open source software and operating system
What is your opinion on this topic?
Unfortunately, many "IT teachers" are simply not able to use computers (paradox, but unfortunately fact).
Therefore, I would not really trust them to deal with Linux.
Also, keep in mind that most students at home also use Windows and not Linux. Homework could therefore cause problems because students would have to find their way around on a different operating system (which is a rather weak argument, though).
Otherwise I would be completely with you. Why use Windows when Linux does too? And even better.
I also completely forgot that most programs, like all office programs, do not run natively on Linux.
Where did you get this information:
After a short search, it appears that both Open Office and Libre Office Linus versions seem to be offering.
Furthermore, both should be open source, which means that if in doubt, you could compile it yourself for your operating system.
I meant Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. Which only run on Windows.
I'm also aware that Libre or OpenOffice is included with most distributions, see Ubuntu and derivatives
Google times for "Open Office" or "Libre Office".
It's almost exactly the same, only free and not from Microsoft.
You can do it. You definitely learn something new.
However, Linux has very little spread on the desktop and there are reasons for that. The hurdle to deal with something new is deep in people's brains. Linux is made by nerds for nerds, which is why only the low distribution, too much fuss and lots of standard software runs and will never run on Linux.
I personally don't care about the operating system and only a means to an end. The applications I use are not for Linux, so I'll stick with Windows and Apple.
Amazingly, Windows 10 runs quite well on older boxes. At schools there's also the fact that Microsoft is giving away the operating system and a lot of software to the schools, definitely at universities. Has the effect that the user will also use Microsoft products in his professional life and, as I said, they are not available for Linux.
The cost is not so, maybe the "piece" of software, everything else still costs and it may be more expensive. Enterprise versions also cost a license because you have manufacturer support.
Aha, learned something again.
In my opinion, the only way to run a school sensibly. You are independent of the manufacturer, the software also runs at the students' homes, if necessary via a live USB stick. In addition, you can still operate old hardware sensibly and is compatible with… Everything. So in the end you save 3 times the money and still have a better system.
The only thing that is always put forward is that the world mainly relies on Windows and thus teaches the basics on a system that later does not play a (strong) role in professional life. But that can be solved didactically and on Linux there's a system with Softmaker office that looks similar to MS Office. And LibreOffice can do that too. And intrinsic things don't matter for most later anyway, so it doesn't matter. KDE, lxqt, xfce, Cinnamon and Mate all have a standard start menu. So no problem either.
Implementation is always difficult because 104% of those who care about this have no idea. I speak from experience, I work at a school.
I completely agree! The implementation is the only hurdle.
Not quite, the stubbornness of some decision-makers is usually the bigger hurdle 😛
I'm in the comfortable situation of occasionally being able to "supply" public service institutions and schools. It's easy to see why Microsoft is so dominant: we allowed it. In the old days you had to understand exactly what you were doing before you even started a PC. Thanks to the GUI and the resulting Klicki-Bunti and Microsoft's other (sometimes really very good) products and also the "Apple problem" many years ago, this company was able to assert itself on the market. A lack of alternatives on the one hand and a lack of interest on the other hand have made every child know Windows today. This also includes the people in the responsible authorities. Together with those who ultimately decide, this results in the mass of people who are responsible for the fact that today mostly Windows and sometimes an iPad is in use. The "Limux" project was the last attempt to break out and was canceled because one of those responsible simply "liked Windows"…
Microsoft itself also ensures that it presents itself as "attractively" as possible (funny if you nip any form of resistance in the bud by lobbying…) FWU and STF would be two terms that I would like to throw into the room.
Your arguments
better performance on older and "RAM poor" computers
faster start time (on HDD and SSD) → possibly more class time
Internet browsers like Firefox or Chrome run better because more RAM is available for the browser.
no data collection from Microsoft
no more annual license costs through the use of open source software and operating system
I can sign that way for now, but unfortunately people in responsible positions are often not interested in what could be of benefit to society if it is not explicitly theirs.
Linux requires knowledge. Knowledge requires that you acquire it. Acquisition of knowledge means independent familiarization, which in turn are terms with sometimes more than 13 letters and emoji-controlled brains simply do not understand this.
If we were to act collectively against society as a society and if we had a policy that would shape it instead of just trying to manage it, and finally people from the specialist would be active in the respective areas, i.e. IT really IT people, then we could We have a good education policy, could relieve teachers and maybe also use it to raise the resources that they can deal with Linux (which, by the way, is not a marginal phenomenon, but ubiquitous technology in routers, Android devices, smart home components and many other "intelligent" things is). If we then had teachers with Linux skills, one could perhaps introduce young people in the classroom to the variety within the available operating systems and explain why not everything always has to be one or the other, why Shell is not the same as Shell and why it is some are there, the GUI is just stupid and prefers to do everything in the terminal. What is which software suitable for, which desktop environment best suits which user type, what do you want to do with your device yourself? Where do you want to go
All questions that do not interest anyone in a world in which you only have to function bluntly and have to meet the standards of industry and economy. But as soon as you know how to insert a USB-C cable, you are an "expert"…
I grew up with Windows on my PC and then used both systems. Years later came the complete switch to Linux.
As much as I prefer the use of Linux as a desktop system, I don't think it's a good platform to learn, especially not as an introduction.
However, it would be good if Linux and opensource software could be a topic in the classroom. Otherwise there's the impression that there's only one solution for everything and the possible alternatives and their advantages are not shown.
You can see where that leads in everyday language use. People do research or don't googling them. And they do not use a word processing program but Word. Image processing is "photoshop" etc. This alone prevents the idea that alternative solutions exist.
In addition, the disadvantages of proprietary platforms such as the lack of control options by the user, data protection and security are obscured.
