Comment Think about your mission (Score 1) 199
Surely you are trying to give these kids a step up in the world, and a way to learn the things theyll need to know to succeed. I hate to say it, especially as an open source fan, but it's gonna have to be Windows. The standard is the standard, as much as it may be a bad one.
When they are in the workplace, they will be using Windows, almost guaranteed. When they get a computer for themselves, or use someone elses, they will use Windows. It may be buggy, and a pain, but thats the way youre gonna have to go.
As for other software... well thats another matter. Take open source and run with it. Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, GAIM, GIMP, etc. It'll save you a fortune on liscencing, but it will also give them a look at the program's they'll want. People that are using donated computers wont be able to afford a couple hundred dollar liscence on MS Office or Photoshop... so why bother having them learn it when there are great open source alternatives that run on the OS they'll be using anyways?
When they are in the workplace, they will be using Windows, almost guaranteed. When they get a computer for themselves, or use someone elses, they will use Windows. It may be buggy, and a pain, but thats the way youre gonna have to go.
As for other software... well thats another matter. Take open source and run with it. Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, GAIM, GIMP, etc. It'll save you a fortune on liscencing, but it will also give them a look at the program's they'll want. People that are using donated computers wont be able to afford a couple hundred dollar liscence on MS Office or Photoshop... so why bother having them learn it when there are great open source alternatives that run on the OS they'll be using anyways?
