Workstation Productivity

[Default Server]

Hello Simon,

Simon Ives wrote:
% Hi All.
%
% I'm currently writing a document for my university outlining the
% productivity benefits of using Linux for workstations.  Before you get
% too excited this isn't for the Uni's own workstations but as a guide for
% those students who wish to use Linux (the uni would like to
% 'unofficially' support Linux and would like to have a default list of
% applications that they can refer to).  I'll be using Ubuntu as the Linux
% example.

Great.

% I'm wondering if anyone on this list has any suggestions for me?  The
% document will be geared towards increasing productivity from a
% university student's perspective and be pretty basic.  Things like what
% features of Open Office are useful, how to us%e Tomboy Notes, how to use 
% Bibus etc. 

1) I think not making students submit assignment in one format (.doc for example) will be beneficial. Openoffice formats  (.sxw) are rejected simply because the markers do not think it's part of their job to install openoffice on their box. why? 

2) When students do coding using different JDK (for example IBM/Open-jdk) and do not wish to use Sun Microsystem's Java, he/she should be allowed to do so and do so without having to to worry whether it may run on marker's box/laptop. Why should student have to chose to do their homework using some particular JDK by some particular software company? If it was a task of essence such as real product, then I can understand but for assignments? come on, gimme a break. Students are there to learn and so should be able to experiment and play around with different compilers of their choice. Same goes for C++ ("MSVC++ on Windows platform"). Why not Gcc or even if proprietary path Icc(x86 is common amongst student's laptop & uni labs and they'll learn thing or two about optimisations)? Gcc-portable builds for windows are already available platform (MingW) and if the markers do not wish to use Linux, then it's their freakin problem. The university pays them to mark it for us. Not the other way around! The onus is on them, not us!

3) Free software that University should recognise should thus be -
a) Openoffice.org and PDF(open standard now I think?)
b) Gimp
c) Makefile (and not some windows msvc++ crap project files!)
d) Gcc
e) Open-jdk
f) Mozilla firefox ("The code should work on Internet Explorer! what a crap!)
g) Zim (personal wiki)

% the rest of the Ubuntu community to enjoy too.

Will be looking forward to it! 8-)

Just my 2 cents :)

Cheers,
Elmo :)