Office 2000 or Office XP?

[Ric_]

Office 2006 isn't even going to use the traditional toolbar interface that every other program in the history of Windows does. Instead it will use the Microsoft Ribbon which will adapt, depending upon what you are doing, so that there are less icons dotted around the screen.

 

Since Office 2006 is suposedly going to be so different, it may be worth considering using OpenOffice or StarOffice between now and its release - you won't lose out financially and you wont be tied into an upgrade path.

 

Of course, all this is only really relevant if you don't have limitless pots of cash and you don't have enough 2003 licenses.

[MkII]

I like that point Ric_

[tarquel]

i'm gonna play devils advocate now and say...

 

But are we teaching them to be able to use and work with MS Office products because thats what you'll run into outside of school? Every buisness around here uses MS Office or Works that I've seen [whether they are legal or not isnt for me to say - I know *I* didnt put it on there hehe] and thats what they are being taught for?

 

Ideally myself, I would like to see a computer suite here with A Open-Source based office like you guys are refering to Open Office for one would be one of the candicates.

 

You could schedule teaching of IT in the one room with MS Office and then they just have open office provided for them to do work on other subjects etc....

 

I guess that would at least cater for both - but until open source is much more widestream - its not really practical up here at the moment.

 

Regards

Nath

[Ric_]

@tarquel: Your point is understood but just think about it for a second (this point was raised at the conference)...

 

A year 7 kid who leaves school at 16 has 5 years before hitting an office, a year 7 kid that leaves school at 18 has 7 years and a year 7 kid who graduates uni has AT LEAST 10 YEARS before entering the world of work!!!

 

Who's to say that MS Office will be the predominate software in 5 years time, never mind 10?

 

The skills being taught should be transferable skills - typing in Writer and typing in Word is fundamentally the same after all.

 

As for widespread usage - give each child in your school a copy of OpenOffice and (assuming half of them use it) you will have increased the usage of OpenOffice by somewhere in the region of 500 users!

[MkII]

Open Office is being deployed in Powys by the County Council Tarq - and they are the largest employer in our area. For any employer surely it makes good economical sense to move to Open Office, or Star Office if they need support, as well as the ability to write in a universally recognised format.

 

We've been deploying Open Office and Star Office to all our machines for 2 years - it's free, and it gives an alternative. The two [OO+MSO] work seamlessly together. Why not just do it? We also give it out to kids free on a CD. Our area is not economically affluent - this way we're not forcing people into piracy or supporting a company with immorral business practices.

 

It's up to schools to be at the forefront of technology, and OO at the moment seems to be that.