Are M$ worried schools are not going to like Win8?

[tmcd35]

Just saw this on El Reg:

 

Microsoft offers cut-price Win 8 PCs and fondletops to UK schools

 

30% off Acer, Asus and RM PC's and tablets for students and teachers. Sounds like a bit or bribery to generate interest in an unloved OS to me. Are MS worried that schools, in the majority, would stick with Win 7? Or worse still actually consider Android/iOS devices?

 

Still, might be a good deal for some (shame about the brands).

[zag]

Yep its gonna fail, time to discount before anyone notices!!

[Gibbo]

Considering we all ignored Vista, and we're all counting on Windows 9 being our next replacement, they either don't care or don't see history repeating.

 

I get the impression that they've got so worked up on grabbing the touch market with tablets that they've not seen the bigger picture.

 

The thing is that we and business have been shouting this for some time.

[british_government]

(shame about the brands).

 

Have you seen the Acer iconia tablets? I know it doesn't stop them being acer, but very nice pieces of hardware!

[jinnantonnixx]

It's not a new strategy, get 'em hooked young and they'll keep using Microsoft products. However, Windows is becoming less relevant with the plethora of non-Windows devices the kids are seeing these days. This in turn is feeding the trend towards platform-agnostic applications/cloud apps.

 

Then again, I may be wrong.

[british_government]

It's not a new strategy, get 'em hooked young and they'll keep using Microsoft products. However, Windows is becoming less relevant with the plethora of non-Windows devices the kids are seeing these days. This in turn is feeding the trend towards platform-agnostic applications/cloud apps.

 

Then again, I may be wrong.

Its very true, just looking at dreamspark and office 365 education proves it

[localzuk]

The next year's worth of updates for Windows 8 will be very important for Microsoft. As it stands, Windows 8 is not suitable for schools in my view. If they can fix piles of the issues by next summer, then they *may* have a chance of selling some to schools. If not, then schools are simply going to ignore it and wait for Windows 9.

 

Things to fix:

 

1. Management of RT

2. Proxies in 'Metro' UI

[Arthur]

Sounds like a bit or bribery

Just like the promotions other manufacturers do then? e.g. HP, Samsung. Toshiba etc.

 

Clearly any form of discount is bad when it involves a Windows laptop or Microsoft OS? We should all be forced to pay full price!

[gshaw]

Sounds more like 3 desperate \ unloved manufacturers doing a deal with MS to try and shift some of their hardware which is being overshadowed by much better products from the likes of Samsung and now MS themselves.

 

I'm very interested in Win8 tablets but not at £1000 a piece for Surface Pros and not for hardware that doesn't have the quality or design to last in an educational environment. Have to admit thus far the hardware offering from a value for money perspective has been quite disappointing, hopefully within a month or two some decent kit will start to be released.

Edited November 8, 2012 by gshaw

[elsiegee40]

Discounting is all very well, but schools have to conserve their pennies. They can make a product as cheap a they like, but if it doesn't do what what we need it to do then we won't buy it!

 

We're very good at extending the life of what we have until we find something that actually works and that we can afford!

[GrumbleDook]

From what I can gather, this is part of a long planned strategy with equivalent programmes in other countries too.

 

Shape The Future is part of a well establish project to close the gap between rich and poor when it comes to accessing kit. Similar schemes have been things like "Get Online".

 

They could have done this at any point in the next year but it makes sense to tie it into the existing marketing strategy used to raise the profile of Windows 8.

[GrumbleDook]

Discounting is all very well, but schools have to conserve their pennies. They can make a product as cheap a they like, but if it doesn't do what what we need it to do then we won't buy it!

 

We're very good at extending the life of what we have until we find something that actually works and that we can afford!

 

The aim is for these to be personal devices which can be used within schools as part of 1:1 schemes.

[caffrey]

would be nice if we could get off xp....... ;p

[Dos_Box]

Government-funded schools have become eligible to receive Windows 8 Intel-based laptops and tablets from Asus, Acer and RM Education that are loaded with software and that have had 30 per cent shaved off the RRP. Machines are for the personal use of students and teachers.

 

So these are the Intel based tablets. Nice, I hope that it will be the Pro version of W8 they ship with.

Also I notice that the article says that these devices will come pre-loaded with software, it'll be interesting to see just what packages these are.

[CyberNerd]

The next year's worth of updates for Windows 8 will be very important for Microsoft. As it stands, Windows 8 is not suitable for schools in my view. If they can fix piles of the issues by next summer, then they *may* have a chance of selling some to schools. If not, then schools are simply going to ignore it and wait for Windows 9.

 

 

Most schools will do just that, and MS know it.

Other schools will just move on to something else.

MS isn't the only solution like it was ten years ago..

[tmcd35]

The aim is for these to be personal devices which can be used within schools as part of 1:1 schemes.

 

Am I reading the story right? Eligible teachers and students can buy the kit at discount for home use - not schools mass purchase the kit for staff/pupil use? A bit like the old £100 student edition of MS Office. Then the idea being they'll want to bring their new kit onsite to use?

 

If students took that up then it'd mean a massive rethink of some of our network and BYOD policies (ours is currently, "go away"). From the teachers point of view, we are ready giving them laptops (by more reputable brands, with a usable OS) so I doubt many here would be interested...

[sted]

The next year's worth of updates for Windows 8 will be very important for Microsoft. As it stands, Windows 8 is not suitable for schools in my view. If they can fix piles of the issues by next summer, then they *may* have a chance of selling some to schools. If not, then schools are simply going to ignore it and wait for Windows 9.

 

Things to fix:

 

1. Management of RT

2. Proxies in 'Metro' UI

 

thats the thing its aimed 100% at single users (or at least non managed) having to sysprep a pc to get items on the start screen which idiot thought that was a good plan (so i install say textease to be 100% sure its not hidden alway under all apps i have to set up 1 pc as i like it sysprep it and then distribute im not even 100% sure that dosent mean reimaging every pc for what is a minor change)

 

yes on my home laptop i quite like windows 8 the start screen is actually quite nice (wish it would "bong" though when i get mail rather than relying on me seeing it) but no management tools i cant support it in schools im even loth to install it on the 4 touch screens i have in 1 school where it could be great. Surely it couldnt be that hard for ms to create an mmc/gpo to add /remove icons from it its only editing a file isnt it?

[mthomas08]

We are simply waiting.

 

At the moment one of the choices we have would be iPADs but we know what stilll will want from them - a lot of hard work and cost will be involved. If we miss Windows 8 like we did Vista then windows 9 will be the perfect thing to upgrade to.

 

We rarely update quickly but we dont sit behind the times either, although there are other options - frankly we dont like those other options including the free ones.

[Sylv3r]

My gut feeling is that the surface isn't here to stay - it's Microsoft's way of a proof of concept to show other manufacturers that Windows 8 works on a tablet. I don't think we will see as many versions as devices such as iPADs certainly.

[sted]

My gut feeling is that the surface isn't here to stay - it's Microsoft's way of a proof of concept to show other manufacturers that Windows 8 works on a tablet. I don't think we will see as many versions as devices such as iPADs certainly.

 

im not so sure i think its a test product to try the market with a view to having a "premium" apple esque product

[CyberNerd]

We are simply waiting.

 

At the moment one of the choices we have would be iPADs but we know what stilll will want from them - a lot of hard work and cost will be involved. If we miss Windows 8 like we did Vista then windows 9 will be the perfect thing to upgrade to.

 

We rarely update quickly but we dont sit behind the times either, although there are other options - frankly we dont like those other options including the free ones.

 

I don't really understand your post. It sounds like you don't want to support any non microsoft products, and although you don't like the direction they have taken with windows you'll just wait around incase they fix it. I may be wrong, but it does seem a bit naive to me - given that many schools design their network specifically so that are not boxed into a corner by MS. There's a big bright world out there full of stunning, innovative and cost effective technology. It only takes fairly minor adjustments, some out of the box thinking and you will be able to accommodate these devices.

[CyberNerd]

If students took that up then it'd mean a massive rethink of some of our network and BYOD policies (ours is currently, "go away"). From the teachers point of view, we are ready giving them laptops (by more reputable brands, with a usable OS) so I doubt many here would be interested...

 

I somehow doubt that after Christmas you'll see too many of these on your network. It'll be nexus 7's and ipad mini's.