Why do schools and college allaround the world use windows OS when there's an free alternative like linux?

Question

Why do people have to use an OS that's completely closed and cannot be customised as the user needs it?

The reason I like Linux better the other Operating Systems is because it never crashes and even if it does you atleast have a command line interface to fix it, it's been 2 years since I switched from windows. and for those people who commented that Linux is hard to use, my only answer is Linux is like a jigsaw you have to put the right blocks in the right place and as for the interface with every new release of Linux the X server and Gnome or KDE versions are getting easier and easier if you want an idea try searching the web for XGL.

Answer 1

Me and my Linux Users Group used to support an elementary school before I moved to the East Coast. The sad truth is that there are not enough Linux knowledgeable people volunteering. Kids loved the ability to design web pages and "publish" them to the school's intranet's Apache server. They loved using Gimp and Tux Racer. The teachers loved using Webmin to control the whole network and using VNC to see what the kids were doing or take over their sessions.
As far as college, most colleges that are worth anything embrace Linux. My telecommunications classes were all strictly Linux.

Answer 2

I think there is a common misconception regarding Linux that it's for geeks only, this might have been the case a few years ago but versions of Linux such as SuSE and Ubuntu are now both easier to setup and use on a daily basis than Windows is.

Also in regards to your question, customising Linux costs money as you need to pay someone to write code - which would probably cost more money than it would be to just buy a licence for Windows + Office and be done with subject.

Anyway, it seems actually that state institutions such as schools are taking note of Open Source software both both because of it's cost effectiveness (free to use aside from donations) and runs well on old hardware saving you money, you can run something like SuSE on AMD K6-350Mhz PC and it'll run nicely, try asking Windows XP to do that for you and because it's usually a lot more reliable than Windows.

It's not all roses, while everything is free give or take on Linux it doesn't always gel too well with the rest of the world, the Windows world, Open Office for example doesn't always read Microsoft Word documents properly and vice versa. Also in terms of accessing online media Linux can be quite limited, sites like Yahoo! Music for example support only Windows, if for example schools were to make the switch they would have to be prepared for the eventual incompatibility issue here and there.

Answer 3

Large organizations and business purchase Client and Server licenses, whether it is Linux or Windows they are using. Because of the licensing cost, switching operating systems might not be fiscally responsible depending on when the OS switch is made. IT Organizations tend to maintain the path they are currently on, especially if the computing infrastructure is already in place. This is one of the reasons change is slow. Microsoft is more reliable than ever and many choose to do what they have been doing in the past. I suppose over time there will be slow changes and we will see more Linux boxes as client workstations, but remember, in an organizational setting like a university, the computing environment tends to change slowly. Change costs.

Answer 4

Allowing customisation is exactly the opposite of what a school or college should do. Their main worry is keeping the service running against all the people desperately trying to break it. And yes Linux does break.

In office environments, Linux is simply too challenging for most people to deal with, and OpenOffice does fail to click smoothly with MS. It's not relevant to those companies whose fault that is, they have other fish to fry. Communication and compatibility are the keys to business. Anything that gets in the way of that must be dumped, sacred cows or none.

We use linux in computers that we want to run reliably in a remote environment with very little love and attention. It's great for that. There are a tonne of good things you can do with it, and I'm a huge fan of the whole open source concept; we use latex, openvpn and other stuff along with linux. But it has to be accepted that open source is NOT beginner-friendly. Most computer users are, and will always be, beginners. That's the market that MS targetted, and they got it.

Answer 5

Who says Windows is closed??? If Win is closed then Linux is totally closed.
U won't get any OS more open than Win. Windows has been there for many years and so many Win programmers r available comparing Linux programmers so more softwares r available for Win than Linux.
What else Win can be customized as per the users need. Starting from Win start up screen to Shutdown, anything can be customized.
Must Learn Registry to customize windows.

Note:- Accidental deletions or modifications inside Registry can Paralyse ur Sys. Don't try without Knowledge.

Answer 6

Have you ever used Linux? I did my first degree mainly on Linux and sure it has more admin features than MS OSs, but to use it properly you really need to spend a huge amount of time using it - just getting into a text editor is a challenge, especially if you're not using a GUI like gnome or KDE - even then they call the programs stupid names like VI.

Answer 7

The main points...
Pro
1. Its Free software.
2. Works very well with older computers.
3. Becoming very similar to Windows XP
http://www.pclinuxos.com/
therefore easy to use.
4. Comes in complete suites now - Word processor, email, games
5. Chance to try the OS without installing by using a LiveCD

Con
1. Requires Staff training (for support, experience)
2. No software support (in most versions)
3. Different GUI
4. Hardware/software are compatible issues for new systems

Answer 8

Training. You have to go back to basics with Linux and learn coding.

And, because not all hardware/software are compatible with Linux.

Answer 9

Because schools try to prepare you for what is out there in the world. The (perhaps sad) truth is that most places you will deal with a PC you will be dealing with Windows. This may not always be so, but it is for now.

Answer 10

Because people don't know how wonderful Linux is!