CyberNerd

^ yeah, but that's ancient now :-)

The Razr i looks like it will be a good bet for a mid range phone. Tesco have it priced starting at £20.5 per month. Motorola Pay Monthly Contract Mobile Phones - Tesco Phone Shop It's getting pretty good reviews so far, esp for the price. Motorola RAZR i review: how does the Droid RAZR M fare with a 2GHz Intel processor inside? -- Engadget

I'd think about running a spellchecker over the 6yr plan if you intend on showing it to anyone You should add inflation costs to the hardware and software predictions (unless your planning on getting a job at Dept of Transport). I noticed you added 0.5% inflation to MS costs - really?!

Agree, it is a good thing, but I don't think you should put it on your school website. perhaps edugeek should do it.

if you want to scare the cr*p out of your kids when they assume they are missing from your school.

In Active Directory there is a "profile path" and a "Terminal server profile path". Set the "Terminal Server profile path" to look at "C:\xxxx" and manually put the profiles there. It will help speed up citrix logins but you will have to manually move any tweaks to the servers - you can of course still redirect other parts of the profiles. edit - you can still use a mandatory profile - just a different path

We've been playing around with Citrix profiles. We found that the logon speed is twice as quick if you use local profiles and just redirect the star menu, desktop etc. It worked for us and I think the downside of needing to manually fix the TS profile is worth the speed increase. esp as citrix deletes the profiles on logoff.

Network bonding is built into Linux. Very simple to do without additional downloads.

You need Google apps then. Google Apps vs Office 365 is like a Galaxy3 vs iPhone - You choose the Galaxy 3 if you want more features at a lower cost. You only choose the the iphone if your a sucker for marketing.

The main thing is the extra support cost with laptops. As long as they factor in your extra time, a shorter lifespan and 'spare' machines everything will be rosy.

Thats insane. Speak to these guys: Quru :: About

I've been using Thinkcentres as well. Our thin clients are self-build. Over the years we've used PC's from Acer, Toshiba,Apple, Dell, Samsung. Hand on heart: Lenovo build quality support and warranty is the best we've come across. The extended 3-yr onsite warranty usually costs around £30 but when we've needed it we've had an engineer onsite with the correct parts the next day.

The cost of MS licensing is too prohibitive for us . EES is a rip off if your not using office and even with the cost of MSOffice it was cheaper for us to license under a perpetual schools agreement. Our school strategy for the last 5 or 6 years has been to allow students to access resources from home on their own devices as they would in school. This is the way of our secondary school at least. This was ok in the old days of Office 2000 when a terminal server license was not required for each (home user) device that connected. Things have changed post Office 2000 and we would need to buy at least one office license for every student device. Giving staff access to MSOffice now undermines this whole strategy, and this in turn has a detrimental effect on teaching and learning. post Office 2000 we have now switched our emphasis on LibreOffice and Google Apps. (LibreOffice doesn't require registration btw). Google apps allows all our students to use and teaching resources created in school. We have told teachers that they are free to continue to use their legacy MSOfice files in a read only capacity and we install MSOffice viewers for this purpose. Any NEW resources must be created in Google apps, or libreoffice if there is a Funtion that they cannot fing in google apps. This strategy has saved the school thousands of pounds compared to EES licensing and it has enabled us to use a BYOD model. At our last BYOD count only 53% of student devices that were registered on our network are windows based. We have used this as evidence to SLT that a sole MSOffice strategy is unsustainable both economically and pedogogically.

GIMP or Paint.net are both pretty good and in use at our school. The new GIMP 2.8 UI (finally) has a single window mode and a lot of new features: GIMP - Release Notes for GIMP 2.8

If its been working for more than a month or so it will be fine. All our failures dies within a couple of weeks - that was well over a year ago and we've not had a single failure since

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38744

here's the O/S breakdown if anyone is interested: Windows 643,483 72.5 % Windows XP 158,849 17.9 % Windows Vista 194 0 % Windows (unknown version) 36,789 4.1 % Windows NT 5,292 0.5 % Windows ME 15 0 % Windows Vista (LongHorn) 50,504 5.6 % Windows Mobile 6,590 0.7 % Windows 7 221,716 25 % Windows 2003 163,530 18.4 % Windows 2000 4 0 % Linux 35,116 3.9 % Ubuntu 73 0 % Fedora 12 0 % Google Android 23,333 2.6 % GNU Linux (Unknown or unspecified distribution) 11,698 1.3 % Macintosh 193,870 21.8 % Mac OS X 193,870 21.8 % Others 13,938 1.5 % Unknown 8,931 1 % BlackBerry 4,043 0.4 % iOS (iPhone/iPod/iPad/...) 594 0 % Symbian OS 290 0 % Sony PlayStation 80 0 %

We install Chrome, Firefox, IE and let the users decide. our webserver stats including BYOD are as follows. I edited this - i sent the wrong data. MSIE 197,294 22.2 % Msie 9.0 No 89,974 10.1 % Msie 8.0 No 55,190 6.2 % Msie 7.0 No 50,919 5.7 % Msie 6.0 No 1,209 0.1 % Msie 5.0 No 2 0 % FIREFOX 119,762 13.5 % Firefox 16.0 No 388 0 % Firefox 15.0.1 No 12,615 1.4 % Firefox 15.0 No 8,581 0.9 % Firefox 14.0.1 No 12,248 1.3 % Firefox 14.0 No 3 0 % Firefox 13.0.1 No 3,185 0.3 % Firefox 13.0 No 268 0 % Firefox 12.0 No 1,832 0.2 % Firefox 11.0 No 466 0 % Firefox 10.0.7 No 393 0 % Firefox 10.0.6 No 2,442 0.2 % Firefox 10.0.5 No 126 0 % Firefox 10.0.3 No 113 0 % Firefox 10.0.2 No 67,714 7.6 % Firefox 10.0 No 73 0 % Firefox 9.0.1 No 956 0.1 % Firefox 9.0 No 13 0 % Firefox 8.0.1 No 215 0 % Firefox 8.0 No 31 0 % Firefox 7.0.1 No 536 0 % Firefox 6.0.2 No 1,294 0.1 % Firefox 6.0 No 16 0 % Firefox 5.02 No 4 0 % Firefox 5.0.1 No 312 0 % Firefox 5.0 No 206 0 % Firefox 4.0.1 No 315 0 % Firefox 4.0 No 7 0 % Firefox 4. No 1 0 % Firefox 3.8 No 1 0 % Firefox 3.6.28 No 2,308 0.2 % Firefox 3.6.27 No 4 0 % Firefox 3.6.25 No 590 0 % Firefox 3.6.24 No 114 0 % Firefox 3.6.23 No 44 0 % Firefox 3.6.15 No 2 0 % Firefox 3.6.13 No 1,715 0.1 % Firefox 3.6.11 No 1 0 % Firefox 3.6.10 No 61 0 % Firefox 3.6.7 No 1 0 % Firefox 3.6.4 No 4 0 % Firefox 3.6.3 No 8 0 % Firefox 3.6 No 7 0 % Firefox 3.5.5 No 208 0 % Firefox 3.5.3 No 77 0 % Firefox 3.0.15 No 17 0 % Firefox 3.0.10 No 60 0 % Firefox 3.0.8 No 1 0 % Firefox 3.0.7 No 1 0 % Firefox 3.0.5 No 25 0 % Firefox 3.0.4 No 63 0 % Firefox 3.0.3 No 12 0 % Firefox 2.0.0.20 No 69 0 % Firefox 2.0.0.6 No 10 0 % Firefox ? No 6 0 % NETSCAPE 1,202 0.1 % Netscape 6.0 No 2 0 % Netscape 5.0 No 64 0 % Netscape 4.76 No 1 0 % Netscape 4.0 No 1,132 0.1 % Netscape ? No 3 0 % OPERA 1,750 0.1 % Opera 9.80 No 1,743 0.1 % Opera 9.52 No 7 0 % SAFARI 169,255 19 % Safari 7.2.0.1 No 332 0 % Safari 7.1.0.398 No 275 0 % Safari 7.1.0.342 No 249 0 % Safari 7.0.0.590 No 59 0 % Safari 7.0.0.530 No 80 0 % Safari 7.0.0.528 No 63 0 % Safari 7.0.0.513 No 202 0 % Safari 7.0.0.400 No 538 0 % Safari 7.0.0.353 No 64 0 % Safari 7.0.0.296 No 63 0 % Safari 6.0.0.668 No 280 0 % Safari 6.0.0.600 No 606 0 % Safari 6.0.0.570 No 249 0 % Safari 6.0.0.546 No 63 0 % Safari 6.0.0.534 No 190 0 % Safari 6.0.0.448 No 189 0 % Safari 6.0.0.246 No 309 0 % Safari 6.0 No 53,154 5.9 % Safari 5.1.7 No 15,861 1.7 % Safari 5.1.6 No 4,456 0.5 % Safari 5.1.5 No 2,424 0.2 % Safari 5.1.4 No 125 0 % Safari 5.1.3 No 372 0 % Safari 5.1.2 No 4,443 0.5 % Safari 5.1.1 No 3,506 0.3 % Safari 5.1 No 60,183 6.7 % Safari 5.0.6 No 2,543 0.2 % Safari 5.0.5 No 3,483 0.3 % Safari 5.0.4 No 320 0 % Safari 5.0.2 No 6,700 0.7 % Safari 5.0 No 63 0 % Safari 4.1.3 No 1,228 0.1 % Safari 4.0.5 No 643 0 % Safari 4.0.4 No 1,643 0.1 % Safari 4.0.3 No 1 0 % Safari 4.0.2 No 162 0 % Safari 4.0 No 515 0 % Safari 3.03 No 1 0 % Safari 3.2.2 No 376 0 % Safari 3.2.1 No 20 0 % Safari 3.1.2 No 26 0 % Safari 3.1.1 No 13 0 % Safari 3.0 No 59 0 % Safari 2.0.4 No 2 0 % Safari 2.0.1 No 1 0 % Safari 1.0 No 61 0 % Safari ? No 3,060 0.3 % CHROME 320,522 36.1 % Chrome 22.0.1229.56 No 70 0 % Chrome 22.0.1229.52 No 20 0 % Chrome 22.0.1229.39 No 98 0 % Chrome 22.0.1229.36 No 12 0 % Chrome 22.0.1229.26 No 276 0 % Chrome 21.0.1180.89 No 270,644 30.5 % Chrome 21.0.1180.83 No 27,067 3 % Chrome 21.0.1180.82 No 2,810 0.3 % Chrome 21.0.1180.81 No 343 0 % Chrome 21.0.1180.79 No 1,948 0.2 % Chrome 21.0.1180.77 No 395 0 % Chrome 21.0.1180.75 No 8,489 0.9 % Chrome 21.0.1180.60 No 187 0 % Chrome 21.0.1180.57 No 171 0 % Chrome 20.0.1150.1 No 4 0 % Chrome 20.0.1132.57 No 651 0 % Chrome 20.0.1132.47 No 154 0 % Chrome 20.0.1132.27 No 4 0 % Chrome 20.0.1096.1 No 7 0 % Chrome 19.0.1100.0 No 416 0 % Chrome 19.0.1084.56 No 257 0 % Chrome 19.0.1084.52 No 77 0 % Chrome 19.0.1084.46 No 10 0 % Chrome 19.0.1084.36 No 155 0 % Chrome 18.6.861.0 No 9 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.1634 No 19 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.168 No 135 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.166 No 1,095 0.1 % Chrome 18.0.1025.165 No 28 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.164 No 15 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.162 No 1,059 0.1 % Chrome 18.0.1025.152 No 241 0 % Chrome 18.0.1025.142 No 3 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.83 No 62 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.79 No 1 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.66 No 122 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.56 No 121 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.46 No 10 0 % Chrome 17.0.963.6 No 61 0 % Chrome 16.0.912.77 No 9 0 % Chrome 16.0.912.75 No 3 0 % Chrome 16.0.912.63 No 374 0 % Chrome 15.0.874.121 No 4 0 % Chrome 15.0.874.106 No 1,364 0.1 % Chrome 15.0.872.0 No 3 0 % Chrome 14.0.850.0 No 3 0 % Chrome 14.0.835.187 No 2 0 % Chrome 14.0.835.186 No 64 0 % Chrome 14.0.792.0 No 3 0 % Chrome 13.0.782.112 No 2 0 % Chrome 12.0.742.122 No 270 0 % Chrome 12.0.742.112 No 19 0 % Chrome 12.0.742.100 No 62 0 % Chrome 12.0.742.91 No 74 0 % Chrome 12.0.725.0 No 133 0 % Chrome 11.0.696.77 No 40 0 % Chrome 11.0.696.60 No 61 0 % Chrome 10.0.648.204 No 66 0 % Chrome 10.0.648.133 No 1 0 % Chrome 9.0.597 No 451 0 % Chrome 8.0.552.23 No 4 0 % Chrome 7.0.517.44 No 129 0 % Chrome 7.0.517.8 No 1 0 % Chrome 6.0.472.63 No 64 0 % Chrome 5.0.375.99 No 64 0 % Chrome 1.0.154.36 No 2 0 % Chrome 0.4.154.29 No 4 0 % Others 76,622 8.6 % Unknown ? 48,236 5.4 % Android browser (PDA/Phone browser) No 17,188 1.9 % IPhone (PDA/Phone browser) No 2,894 0.3 % LG (PDA/Phone browser) No 2,254 0.2 % Mozilla No 2,085 0.2 % Sony/Ericsson Browser (PDA/Phone browser) No 2,022 0.2 % BlackBerry (PDA/Phone browser) No 564 0 % Samsung (PDA/Phone browser) No 424 0 % Motorola Browser (PDA/Phone browser) No 403 0 % Microsoft Data Access Component Internet Publishing Provider No 262 0 % Nokia Browser (PDA/Phone browser) No 168 0 % AppleSyndication (RSS Reader) No 61 0 % Wget Yes 26 0 % Curl Yes 13 0 % NetShow Player (media player) No 8 0 % Microsoft Data Access Component Internet Publishing Provider Cache Manager No 8 0 % Microsoft Data Access Component Internet Publishing Provider DAV No 5 0 % Apple iTunes (media player) No 1 0 %

We also had a high failure rate with OCZ. Their returns system was rather good though and they quickly replaced all the failed units.

Is the default still "automatically detect settings" ? This has always worked a treat for us as it is reasonably independent of browser and O/S

I just mounted a "games" drive within C:\ so I can use a HDD for games and a SSD for the O/S. Is this a big deal?

The EU ruling wasn't because MS had included IE into it's operating system; it was because they had integrated it so far into the OS they claimed it couldn't be removed without breaking the OS, and prevented OEM's from installing Netscape or Opera. Its a different situation with Apple because a) they don'y have a monopoly (yet) b) they don't have any OEMs. If Apple get a monopoly (on ipads presumably - although this is looking unlikely) anyone would be free to bring an antritrust case against them

Thats one of the major reasons I stopped using windows. Needing a 3rd party app to open a .xlsx .iso etc is absolutely crazy for a 'modern' OS. Win7 seems to have got worse without hyperterminal or anything to access serial or SSH, even a telnet probe is difficult on win7. Some of us need to use computers for sysadmin/network jobs and linux is the only viable method these days without spending half a day searching for 'tools' to complement what should already be incuded in an O/S

about £150k with 1800 on roll. = £83 per student 700 devices

I couldn't get into that directory to even view the permissions - it seems to be mapped to c:\programdata