CC4 or Vanilla?

[Hightower]

With M$ announcing recently they will stop shipping XP on new computers, what is everyones (who has a CC3 network) plans?

 

The way I see it is we have two options. We can upgrade to CC4 or move to a Vanilla network. Obviously it's no good being stuck as CC3 when all they ship is Win7 machines. What's your plan?

[webman]

CC4 + Win 7 of course

[jsnetman]

Save yourself a heap of money and go vanilla.

 

This old chessnut again

[Hightower]

I'm not asking what I should do. My mind is already made up. I'm asking what other CC3 users are planning

 

@webman: Never doubted your answer for a second

[sparkeh]

CC4 for sure

[5tu]

We're going Vanilla here.

[Hightower]

Surly u can just use your VLK to install XP on any new hardware with an OEM sticker on ?

 

I guess you could. But the main flaw there is you won't be able to get the drivers no more either.

 

The second major flaw there for us is we don't have an M$ agreement or anything, so require the OEM licence on the machine to be correctly covered for licencing.

[Diello]

Vanilla is the finest of the flavours - anything else dilutes the experience!

[bossman]

@Diello:

 

Yes we run a vanilla system here with windows 7 clients and all is great, we also have a great management tool called RMMC which saves us so much time we can do lots of other projects for fun hehe!!

[Hightower]

Let's not let this get into another CC4 is better than Vanilla debate. I simply want to know what the plan is for people who have CC3. A quick and easy "we're going to CC4" or "we're going to look into Vanilla" will suffice. I purely want to know how each school is planning to cope with the end of XP.

 

There's plenty of other threads to boast about how great your CC4 is.

 

Thanks,

[jsnetman]

we also have a great management tool called RMMC which saves us so much time we can do lots of other projects for fun

 

Very expensive snapin to run a vanilla system.

[Hightower]

*sigh*, I give up

[daz191]

We're going CC4, should keep us going for a good few years.

 

It also coincides with our servers getting a bit old and creeky, so nice new servers too!

[Hawkeyez]

We are weighing the 2 options. We (Tech Team), are looking towards going vanilla. Management are thinking of moving away from RM, partly due to ££ but, recently due to the "support" we have had.

We have just transferred our Sims Learning Gateway to a LEA hosted solution, so has given us 2 nice servers to be our test beds (2xQuad Zeons)

From managements point of view, if the Vanilla system can offer the same or better setup (printer management, RMTutor type apps etc) they are happy.

As we dont have any CC4 or CC3 including CC4 licenses, upgrading to CC4 with 800+ clients, just on the client license cost was huge.

 

We have said though, it wont happen overnight, and we will need time to get a working solution, before we impliment onto the live network.

[jamesreedersmith]

Is this not slightly OTT as its only support for XP SP2 that stops if you have SP3 it carries on for a while yet!

[techie08]

Defo for vanila here and save a ton of cash. Only down side is getting IT staff with the skills already without spending loads of time training them myself!

[smalls001]

We are weighing the 2 options. We (Tech Team), are looking towards going vanilla. Management are thinking of moving away from RM, partly due to ££ but, recently due to the "support" we have had.

We have just transferred our Sims Learning Gateway to a LEA hosted solution, so has given us 2 nice servers to be our test beds (2xQuad Zeons)

From managements point of view, if the Vanilla system can offer the same or better setup (printer management, RMTutor type apps etc) they are happy.

As we dont have any CC4 or CC3 including CC4 licenses, upgrading to CC4 with 800+ clients, just on the client license cost was huge.

 

We have said though, it wont happen overnight, and we will need time to get a working solution, before we impliment onto the live network.

 

Rm Tutor is Net Ops Netop: Secure remote control, classroom management & communication, but i use netsupport PC Remote Control Software with Remote Desktop, Linux and Pocket PC support.

 

There is a free basic monitoring called italc.

[ajs]

With M$ announcing recently they will stop shipping XP on new computers, what is everyones (who has a CC3 network) plans?

 

The way I see it is we have two options. We can upgrade to CC4 or move to a Vanilla network. Obviously it's no good being stuck as CC3 when all they ship is Win7 machines. What's your plan?

 

RM will still ship machines CC3-ready as they supply a custom XP image and are (according to RM) therefore exempt.

 

RM article NWS1674842 has more info.

[Hightower]

RM will still ship machines CC3-ready as they supply a custom XP image and are (according to RM) therefore exempt.

 

RM article NWS1674842 has more info.

 

That's great if you get all your hardware from RM and want to stay with an outdated OS for years to come.

 

Is this not slightly OTT as its only support for XP SP2 that stops if you have SP3 it carries on for a while yet!

 

Support for SP3 may carry on for decades as far as we know, however, licences are not available for XP as from next year. So what happens when we come to buy machines next summer and all we can get is Windows 7?! That's right - our network won't support that OS.

 

Not OTT at all - lets face it, XP is outdated, and so is CC3. This is possibly the shove a lot of people need to get their networks updated to a 'modern' OS - myself included

[ajs]

That's great if you get all your hardware from RM and want to stay with an outdated OS for years to come.

 

Lots of people buy machines from other OEMs (such as Stone, Dell) and have no trouble smartbuilding them onto the network. Having said that, it can be a PITA to get all the necessary drivers and this will undoubtedly become more and more difficult over time.

 

If it weren't for the cost (of upgrading and, particularly for the smaller primary schools, the cost of IT support) then I'd certainly try and push a few of my schools into moving away from CC3 (whether it be to CC4 or Vanilla).

[bossman]

@hightower:

 

Were going CC4, there I've said it now are you happy?

 

BTW ta for the tat pics very good and yes if you get better at it then I may take you up on it.

Give Mags me best won't you, was looking forward to seeing you at the big meeting yesterday but you never went

[Hightower]

Lots of people buy machines from other OEMs (such as Stone, Dell) and have no trouble smartbuilding them onto the network. Having said that, it can be a PITA to get all the necessary drivers and this will undoubtedly become more and more difficult over time..

 

We buy our machines from other suppliers, like Dell, and that's exactly my point. You won't be able to get these OEM licences from suppliers as from next year! You will only be able to get Windows 7, and as is the topic of discussion Windows 7 does not work on CC3.

 

@hightower:

 

Were going CC4, there I've said it now are you happy?

 

BTW ta for the tat pics very good and yes if you get better at it then I may take you up on it.

Give Mags me best won't you, was looking forward to seeing you at the big meeting yesterday but you never went

 

There's some good stuff in there. Gonna hunt something tribal out for Dad for next week.

 

Next meeting I'll be at is the NM's that is arranged by the LA.

[ajs]

We buy our machines from other suppliers, like Dell, and that's exactly my point. You won't be able to get these OEM licences from suppliers as from next year! You will only be able to get Windows 7, and as is the topic of discussion Windows 7 does not work on CC3.

 

Must be the aircon I'm working next to which made me forget the distinction between images and licenses. ;-)

 

You could always use the money that you would've spent on CC4/Vanilla and use it to buy Windows 7 licenses under a Select Plus or School Agreement (or something) and then use the downgrade rights? But then that still leaves you using XP I guess, which is also part of the point of moving away from CC3.

[bossman]

@ajs:

 

We don't buy servers or workstations from them just the management and licenses for CC4 which at upgrade is good value for money given the tools with which to manage the vanilla system.

 

[ajs]

@ajs:

 

We don't buy servers or workstations from them just the management and licenses for CC4 which at upgrade is good value for money given the tools with which to manage the vanilla system.

 

 

Sounds like a pretty good situation. I imagine that saves you a fair amount of money when it comes to server replacements/commissioning