[K12OSN] Given this situation, why bother continue with LTSP?

[Timothy Legge]

--- Steve Hargadon <steve.hargadon at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Given that the major driving force which helped me
> discover LTSP was
> > the ability to afford Windows, with that roadblock
> gone, what reason
> > is there not to go with Windows?
> 
> Well, certainly you face the continued virus/spyware
> issues and
> maintenance associated with that.  And later upgrade
> and license fees.
> 
> Could you run both Windows and LTSP?  

Ask for the equivalent cost for a shiny new server
instead.  In my opinion Windows should not be
installed anywhere that does not have the resources to
waste money on centralized Antivirus administration,
spyware blocking etc.  

Unless you have significant time on your hands (and
the most productive use you can make of it is fighting
Spyware and Windows) you should not even think of
changing.  For a while I had to support 6 Windows XP
machines (with up to date antivirus) and it took not
less than an hour per machine to run the anti-spyware,
updates for windows and antivirus.  

Now those 6 XP machines have become 11 LTSP terminals.
 I check the server once or twice a week, no problems.

My arguement with respect to it not being windows is
that it is about concepts.  A web browser is a web
browser, word processing is word processing.  The
application that delivers it may work a little
differently but it does the same basic thing.  Teach
people the concepts not the application.  

If they understand the concept they can probably
figure out how to do it on anything from a slate
(personal chalk board in days of old) to a mac.

Tim