I did not know what or if the rest of the committee was thinking, but I began to wonder if one good way to save money would be to install Linux on the PCs in this new building. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. Linux could accomplish all of the same things that an educational platform needed. Mentally, I ran down that little checklist Linux users carry in their heads to anticipate arguments about our beloved platform. If compatibility is what you want, look no further than StarOffice.
Students can have a full-fledged office suite compatible with anything they have at home.
Okay, they might have us there, because Reader Rabbit for Linux and similar apps are not out yet. I have two counters to that. If the Linux community really works to get WINE more stable on Linux boxes, that should take care of the immediate needs of running specialized children's software. A little boost from the existing Linux companies won't hurt in this regard, but I'll get to this point later. If we're talking about school system admins who have to set this stuff up and maintain it, I will concede there is a real knowledge gap for MS admins to jump to get to be Linux admins.