Is this gonna work...?

 Now and then I get a publication called "Les Infos" - it's a semi-official publication giving all the new things going on in the Region of France in which I live, "Languedoc-Roussillon", and I read it!
It's going back to school/college/uni/crèche time, so obviously the one or the other new things are in there this time around, and there's a remarkable story about LAPTOPS......!
It seems that from this year on, all 32,000 "Lycéens" (that's roughly the secondary or grammar school standard) who are in the second year or later, have been GIVEN a laptop, free of charge, by the Department (kind of like the County Council) supposedly to help them in their studies, but generously is also allowed to be used in their "free time", and I suspect that is mainly where it will be used! Logically, and intelligently, these laptops all come from "Dell" - a company which is based in Montpellier, Capital City of the Region, and it seems they come in all colours, pink for the girlies and those who would prefer to be so, all the way through the rainbow just for the pleasure. This is the actual model...together with it's price!   ..Now I don't imagine the Department actually paid this price, individually, but when I think that I paid less than 350euros for mine, and it has more than 4 times the volume and space, plus many more functions, I can well imagine that both Dell and some of the Regional "school supply purchasers" made the killing of the century!
Yes - I think it is a great idea, if it's going to be used correctly, but is it?
To be of much use, it must have a larger hard disk than most need - it actually has 320GB's , lots of room for abuse - and it should have an acceptable operating system, but cheap.
Imagine - this thing has the most expensive system going - Windows 7 Pro!
A system that most people would avoid because of the price!
It seems that they also arranged for the laptop to be equipped with standard text and other programmes, INCLUDING an Anti-Virus!
Free of charge of course.
Now it seems they are using "open" appliances, by which I presume   "Open Office" is meant -  which is free for everybody anyway.
Why?
At the price - does Windows 7 Pro not include Windows Office or at least a basic version of it?
Of course it does!
Just look at what these ongoing genii are getting for free.....

WHAT...? No language Packs....?

Of course, little nobodie's like most of us others, who have to buy it all by ourselves, can't afford all that!
Since this is usable, legally, in their spare time, imagine what is going to happen! Mind boggling.....
I repeat - I do think it is a good idea in principle, with limitations, I suppose the "experts" in the purchasing Departments are not aware that Linux Ubuntu (which I use all the time) is every bit as good as and often better than....any Windows System, and is 100% FREE.....! Using Ubuntu also supports what some of these little geniuses are supposed to become.....PC wizards......
I wonder if anybody in the murky depths of organization has recently bought a new villa with swimming pool.....?
Strangely, although I've combed the article, I can't find any mention of the cost of this project, nor whether the laptops have to be given back when the stars leave the School....!
The only mention of cost is that between 2011 and 2014, a total of 500 million (500,000,000) euros will be dispensed on various new projects, things like....664,000 manuals (text books) - safety shoes for the handworkers - hairdressing tools for the "trade" schools - tool boxes and the necessary tools for the handworkers, even down to free "secators" (special scissors for cutting grape vines)- Amazing!
Oh....almost forgot to tell you.....They even supply a "carry case" for the free laptops - something I haven't yet got - Can't afford it!
No....I wouldn't want them to go back to my origins, with a slate and a "sort of" pencil, but maybe thrashing their backsides in many cases wouldn't be a bad thing......
Ah well - like all the rest of you, we were just born at the wrong time!
Well - back to work, somebody has to pay for these things.......


mrlemarquis(iwmpop)    -    Vauvert, France     -    Septembre 2011