[LINK] Lenovo, Microsoft, Adobe win NSW schools contract

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 07:16 AM 2/04/2009, Stilgherrian wrote:
>> If they start boasting about achievements, results or "outcomes", then
>> it may be harder to prove. Or harder to achieve. Or take so long to
>> achieve that the next government gets credit for it.
>>
>> No, much better to boast about money being spent.
> 
> Or better yet, how they managed to stretch a budget to get more bang 
> for the limited buck.
> 
> We need a new public metric that people can understand. I don't think 
> results/outcomes/achievements/quality are enough, sadly. That seems 
> to set up competition. But if government said we were able AVOID 
> spending money on expensive software and provide 1/3 more computers 
> as a result, I think the public would think they were pretty smart. 
> That is the sort of microeconomics that a regular person understands.
> 
<snip>
The Premier did use a measure the public can understand.

Other than the eeePC 701, which runs xandros linux - other  eeepcs and
netbooks on display at  retail outlets are running  MSWindows. Though I
don't recall seeing any lenovas and I have been informed, by the salesman
at JBHiFi, who had at least heard of linux, that you can order eeePCs
running linux. Which probably means this is what people elsewhere are using.

There is also a perception that linux is what "poor" people use and we
wouldn't want to be stingy when it comes to our kids - ofcourse price and
quality are not the same. Note also the apparent creation of "Hi Tech Jobs".

> Premier Nathan Rees said his government would contribute $25.5 million for the software, which he said would cost each student more than $5,500 if they were to purchase it in a store.
...
> More than 400 full-time technical support staff will be employed to help solve any problems with the laptops.
<http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/lenovo-wins-150m-nsw-schools-deal/2009/04/01/1238261623058.html>

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202