Australian Digital Education Revolutionbeing a BIG blow for Linux.

[Troy Scott]

The netbooks issued to students in NSW are the same. Installation of
additional software is prohibited. Access to the BIOS is locked
preventing loading of bootable devices, and the NSW police have the
ability to track and disable the unit. 



On Wed, 2010-05-26 at 02:31 +1000, David Fawcett wrote:
> Have you got anything to back that up B?
> 
> On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 10:25 PM, bwright <bwright.au at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>         I believe that you are not allowed to change the operating
>         system in
>         the contract with the DET until you leave school. I go to a
>         public
>         school ( I am a senior student ) and I don't think you are
>         allowed to
>         actually install another system. The system is also loaded
>         with
>         goodies like programs that act like trojans allowing the DET
>         to
>         remotely disable your computer ( pretty much a root kit ) and
>         all
>         manner of other things constantly pinging to random proxies.
>         So the
>         kids get a bag full of DRM in a box and if they try disable it
>         they
>         get punished by the school system. So it is a huge blow not
>         having
>         linux on it.
>         
>         On May 25, 11:56 am, "Senectus ." <senec... at gmail.com> wrote:
>         
>         > On 25 May 2010 07:35, ha... at ipunix.com <ha... at ipunix.com>
>         wrote:
>         >
>         >
>         >
>         > > Ubuntu-AU'ers I see a lot of time being spent on the
>         Australian Ubuntu LoCo
>         > > structure and now the wiki.
>         >
>         > > But what is happening around us and in particular in my
>         area (Strathpine
>         > > Queensland). I now see year nine through 12 student
>         running around with mini
>         > > notebooks (also called netbook) supplied through their
>         school under the
>         > > Australian Federal Government's Digital Education
>         Revolution (DER) program.
>         > > From my early findings it looks like that notebooks will
>         be distributed to
>         > > eventually every year nine through 12 student. They are
>         all to receive a
>         > > mini notebook with windows 7 installed by the completion
>         of the rollout in
>         > > 2012.
>         >
>         > > This is a big blow to the Linux community as for example
>         267,000 Windows 7
>         > > based netbooks that the NSW Government alone has started
>         rolling out to high
>         > > schools will come pre-installed with open source software.
>         From information
>         > > gathered they were certainly looking seriously at Linux
>         platforms, but
>         > > vendors didn't provide the answers or comfort they were
>         looking for.
>         >
>         > > I think part of the problem with the Linux tenders would
>         have been that
>         > > they were represented by hardware vendors pushing Linux to
>         increase their
>         > > profit on the units, rather than pushing Linux because
>         they believed in it
>         > > or had the right answers. If they had gone with a Linux
>         based system they
>         > > could have saved the country (tax payers) close to a $1
>         billion in licensing
>         > > fees.
>         >
>         > > All this points out that we the Linux (Ubuntu) users must
>         be active not
>         > > only within our own group(s) but engage direct with the
>         community in
>         > > general, visit schools, educate hardware vendors and lobby
>         with the
>         > > Australian Federal and State Governments.
>         >
>         > > Cheers,
>         >
>         > > Harry Degenaar
>         
>         > > ha... at ipunix.com
>         >
>         > It's also a huge opportunity..
>         > All those new machines going out to students that are
>         naturally rebellious
>         > and inquisitive.
>         >
>         > Time to really amp up a "Linux install Day" again...
>         >
>         > --
>         > It's just a 2000 year old book of desert tribal myths.
>         >
>         
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