theshirt

Bromcom electronic registration, we did try to use it for 1/2 a term and did manage to sell it to someone else though ! he he he SIMS ? on its way out, more updates than Windows XP

DON'T buy the insurance package that they push at you after a few months, Exteded warranty is never worth the paper it is written on. If your unit breaks down after the 12 month guarantee, tell them you don't want it any more and want to cancel the engineer will be knocking on the door before you put the phone down. If you have Sky and live in a cable area tell then you're thinking of swapping over, 3 months free Sky I'm told is the offer. Sky+ is great and even teachers can handle the record facility!! Martin

Browse control 2 from codework free useable download 30 day trial £400 for 175 users. We use it to give classroom teachers control of their own group of PCs, you can black list, white list, control applicatioins, shut of one machine or the whole class group, I use it alongside Dameware to keep an eye on pupils and their 'activities' but can also use it for teaching, (OOps let that one slip a traitor in the camp) Yes these are classroom management issues but technical help is a tool for management as well as teaching.

A nice man from Microsoft heard of our use of Linux following our involvement in the BECTA Total Cost of Ownership survey. We had already decided to move to Server 2003 but hey ho he wanted to come allong and persuade us to move to MS anyway. He was quite generous and with a minimum application of pressure he aggreed to let us have a limmited number of licences for a variety of MS products as 'sponsorship' for our Specialist Schools Maths and Computing bid which had just been announced. This was back in June, there was some form filling to be done which required some careful negotiating to avoid the Schools Agreement trap. We have lots of PII and PIII machines still giving reliable service that run Office 2000 on win 98 but would curl up and die with XP or Office 2003. So schools agreement is not for us. The nice man did say that 'legacy' PCs running win98 and office 97 could be loaned to pupils with licence intact so we are doing that for kids on Free schoolmeals etc. Perhaps when getting prices for Licences and MSagreement people should mention that they are considdering OSS alternatives, that may bring the price down; I am told that OO 2.0 has a very servisable Relational database and that was one of the major factors for us leaving OO, when the relational DB was still in the planning stage. I'm still waiting for the licences from the nice man, he said something about bureaucrats in MS as well as DFES, but we have started using the licences anyway Ho Hum

We were invited to use a Linux server solution and did so with mixed sucess for 3 years before jumping back to Windows platform. We had a very hybrid system with a Linux server some linux thin and medium client and windows 98 and XP. Pupils used OO and MSO and moved almost seamlessly between the two,Staff were another matter with resistance to all computers let alone something that was 'different'. The lack of a relational database led us away from OO and the proponderance of teaching material based on MSO 2000 mkes using it for teaching a much simpler option. As a small school relying on remote support for maintaining our Linux server that found coping with increasing numbers of XP workstations we felt that a Windows platform was the best choice for us. Particularly as we wanted to run educational software across the network, Maths Alive, Metro Electro etc That said 3 years ago Windows licences were £100+ and offices licences a simmilar ammount, both of these are now below £35 each following increasing interest in non MS products. I have no regrets about becomming involved in Linux and OSS and there are many interesting developments out there but some of the 'anoraks' involved in OSS must remember that ICT is a tool for learning in schools and ICT Technicians and co-ordinators have a responsibility for their systems to be reliable nd useable; for us Windows platform was the way to move. Without some real enthusiasts and support from colleagues in school OSS will struggle to work for the pupils and school in general, If it can be embraced by the whole school then all well and good but in the majority of establishments it is for the hidden processes, proxy servers, cacheing and servers provided that you have local expertise, or not at all. I have yet to read the PC pro article, I don't have the time, it is on the side in the kitchen but will do so, having read the threads above OSS and Microsoft have their supporters, I have a lot of time for the OSS movement and the pressure they put on Microsoft but for the moment I am with Microsoft but that will be reviewed next time we are in need of a major overhaul, for the moment I broadly agree with PC Pro, Linux isnt for front end users in schools.

PS avoid 'The IT Index' particulrly for projector installations, a deputy head in the school had a thing against RM, and I can't blame him for that, but also doesn't like Stone. So I was encouraged to try elsewhere, what a disaster. Both RM and Stone have done good installation work with Projectors and Smartboards

We have used Misco quite a bit and they generally come up with the goods, besides the monthly catalogues are good to get people off your back when they want advice on choosing kit for departmental purchaces or private use, and there is always a good supply of the catalogues.

I often quote the problem as a ID ten T, user error: (write it down alpha numeric)

We have been banging our heads on this one for a while. Until July everything was kushti. We hadn't bothered about channels used WEP encription and were having no problems, Oh happy days. Since September oh and moving from a linux server to Win server 2003 things just havn't been right. The Access points keep dropping out and trying to get more than 10 laptops logged on in a class is impossible. We had hoped to have over 100 Laptops in use across the school most of them are gathering dust. Be careful with HP procurve 420 ours needed 4 firmware upgrades before it did what the book in the box said it would do By the way this teacher does know how to plug in a USB mouse but knows when he is beat and when to ask friends for their help theshirt