I’ve finally discovered why my school is so good at upgrading its computer software. We’ve long had XP, and Office 2003 is coming in a week or so. Might not sound impressive, but it’s far ahead of the ‘real world’ situation for many companies.
Turns out schools get unbelievably sweet deals on Microsoft licences, including a free upgrade to the latest version of Windows and Office. So why are they so insanely generous?
Well first of all they aren’t – the licences aren’t free!
But more importantly, I’ve now been given a lovely metaphor from our Admin of Microsoft – The Crack Dealer. They give out their stuff for (almost) free to schools filled with poor little children. Who then go home and demand XP and Office from their parents. When they grow up, that’s all they know. That’s what they’ll use, and then they’re hooked when they get into that ‘real world’ and have to start paying, hard.
It’s clever yet obvious at the same time. But I’ve thought of an idea – give free stuffed Linux penguins to kids in nursery! Hahaha.
(Talking of crack dealers, Monkey Dust was insanely brilliant on BBC2 tonight. I sense a slight climb down from the BBC3 days in terms of graphic sketches, but it still beat Dead Ringers and The Kumars, which isn’t easy…)
