50 Places Linux is Running That You Might Not Expect

By Focus Editor
source: http://www.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/24/50_places_running_lin[..]

It was not long ago when Microsoft Windows had a tight stranglehold on the
operating system market. Walk into a Circuit City or Staples, it seemed, and
virtually any computer you took home would be running the most current
flavor of Windows. Ditto for computers ordered direct from a manufacturer.
In the last decade, though, the operating system market has begun to change.
Slightly more than 5% of all computers now run Mac, according to
NetMarketShare.com< http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.[..]
Linux is hovering just beneath 1% of the overall market share in operating
systems. And although that might sound like a small number, Linux is far
more than just a fringe OS. In fact, it's running in quite a few more places
than you probably suspect. Below are fifty places Linux is running today in
place of Windows or Mac. For easy reading, they are divided amongst
government, home, business, and educational usage.

Business Users of Linux

Businesses, as well as governments, have slowly begun to realize the various
benefits that Linux and open source software can provide. In fact, given
that costs are more important to the decision making of businesses than
governments, they arguably have an even greater incentive to check it out.
Below are several businesses that have made the switch or begun making the
switch from Windows to Linux.
Novell

Longtime software and services company Novell announced in 2006 that it was
undergoing a company-wide migration from Windows to Linux on employee
desktop computers. As of April of that year, roughly half of Novell's 5,000
work force had migrated to Linux, with that figure expected to climb to 80%
by November. It was a bold and sweeping change for such a large, established
company, and it took over a year for the migration to take effect following
its announcement in 2006.
Google

Believe it or not, the gigantic, ever-growing cluster of servers that power
Google's search and other apps runs Linux. Of course, in typical fashion,
Google was not content to simply run an out of the box version on its own
hardware. Intsead, the search giant had its engineers cook up a customized
version of Ubuntu referred to within the company as "Goobuntu." Linux is
also frequently used internally on desktop machines, beyond its use on
Google servers.
IBM

In addition to doing development work on Linux itself, IBM is known to use
it internally on desktops and servers. IBM also ran a TV ad campaign in 2006
called "IBM Supports Linux 100%." One of the commercials can be seen
here<>.
In the last decade, perhaps no larger company than IBM has contributed more
to the success of Linux, both financially and developmentally.
Panasonic

Electronics giant Panasonic is another household name company to use Linux
in powering some of its operations. Like several other firms on this list,
Panasonic used Linux only after Windows NT proved woefully inadequate for
what the company needed - voicemail systems, in this case. Rather than
paying NT's expensive license fees, Panasonic's in-house developers created
their own system incorporating Linux-based voicemail technology. Ultimately,
the system they created was so successful that it grew to replace the
Windows system completely, which has since been long discontinued.
Virgin America

Virgin America, a low-cost U.S. airline run by entrepreneurial big-shot
Richard Branson, uses Linux to power its in-flight entertainment according
to CrunchGear< http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/03/27/all-about-linux-2008-pe[..]
The entertainment system (called RED) is powered by Red Hat and Fedora
specifically, and was reportedly chosen because it is "very stable and
agile." After four years of development, RED hit the airways as a rousing
success.
Cisco

Cisco Systems, the computer networking and routing giant, switched to Linux
after vowing to use Microsoft's Active Directory solution for its servers."
Indeed, the deal was so celebrated that Cisco management dubbed them to be
an "all Microsoft" company according to
AAX.net< http://www.aaxnet.com/design/linux2.html>.
In an imfamous turn of events, however, Cisco's own IT staff could not get
its network printign to work properly using Windows NT and were thus forced
to switch to Linux, which has yet to cause similar problems to our
knowledge.
ConocoPhillips

inconsequential gizmos and gadgets. No stronger proof to the contrary exists
that ConocoPhillips, which proudly uses Linux to power a massive (and
massively important) cluster of servers aimed at exploring the earth for new
sources of untapped oil. C-Net's
News.com< http://news.cnet.com/Conoco-hopes-to-hit-oil-with-slick-supe[..] >
reported
in depth on the machine, which, largely due to using Linux, reportedly
"costs a tenth of the average price of a conventional supercomputer." Alan
Huffman, then manager of Conoco's seismic imaging technology center, claimed
that the machine was capable of performing 500 billion calculations in a
second.
Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks, a popular catolog-oriented steak retailer, switched to
open-source Linux in 2001, according to
JavaWorld.com< http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-02-2001/jw-0216-lw-ste[..]
While they had previously been running internally with IBM AS/400 computers,
they now operate a cluster of Linux serves in-house that both runs its
corporate website and is connected to the AS/400 system. JavaWorld explains
in-depth how migrating to Linux at the server level helped Omaha Steaks
expand the wildly popular gift aspect of its business by integrating
consumer information and lowering costs. Advertisements for this mail order
company can be found in the back of most up-scale home oriented magazines.
They were running their internal systems on an IBM AS/400 and outsourced
their Web site, but they wanted to tie the on-line ordering directly into
the AS/400. A cluster of Linux servers now runs the Web site and connects to
the AS/400.
Amazon

in nearly every corner of its business", according to ZD
Net< http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/application-development/2004/01/[..]
After Amazon "began to use Linux in 2000 for basic tasks", Linux began
speading through the company "notably the company's database" system. A
separate ZD Net
post< http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/it-strategy/2001/10/31/amazon-sa[..] >
in
2001 referenced a document Amazon filed with the Securies & Exchange
Commission stating that switching to Linux had saved the company $17
million. By 2004, it was reported that Amazon "had nine worldwide
distribution centers with a total of 4.2 million square feet" and that
essentially "everything that happens in them is driven by Linux.
Peugeot

European car maker Peugeot announced in 2007 that it was set to deploy up to
20,000 copies of Novell Desktop Linux and 2,500 copies of SuSe Linux
Enterprise Server.
eWeek< http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Novell-Lands-[..] >
reported
that "unlike recent Novell Linux deals that were released with a great deal
of fanfare, such as Novells recent sale, via Microsoft, to Wal-Mart, this
deal appears to have been made solely on the Linux desktops own merits." IT
represenatives from Peugot remarked that they were pleased to discover how
well supported and user-friendly Linux was upon checking it out.
Wikipedia

Popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia is another staunch supporter of Linux,
having switched to Ubunto in 2008 after a lengthy tenure using Red Hat and
Fedora prior to that. Ars
Technica< http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/10/wikipedia-ad[..]
that "Wikimedia's move to Ubuntu is part of an effort to simplify
administration of the organization's 400 servers" and that the switch "could
help increase the distribution's visibility in the Linux server market and
demonstrate its viability in large-scale deployments." It was no small gig
for Ubuntu, which now powers the servers that spit out up to 10 billion page
views a month on Wikipedia.
New York Stock Exchange

The New York Stock Exchange is another perhaps unexpected business user of
Linux. A ComputerWorld.com< http://blogs.computerworld.com/london_stock_exchange_to_aban[..] >
report
on how London's stock exchange was also "abandoning the failed Windows
platform", it was stated that New York's exchange already used Linux to
power its trading platform and furthermore that it "seems to be doing quite
nicely." InformationWeek< http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArtic[..]  7800195>
revealed
in 2008 that it was Red Hat Enterprise Linux, specifically, that the NYSE
ran on its trading platform.
Burlington Coat Factory

Burlington Coat Factory, a retailer with 280 individual stores across 42
states, run Linux in their distribution centers and "a few new stores",
according to AAXNet.com < http://www.aaxnet.com/design/linux2.html>.  A
full-fledged roll-out to all existing stores is underway, and 1,250 Dell
computers with Linux pre-installed were evidently purchased "to support the
effort" at transitioning fully from Microsoft Windows to Linux.
Raymour and Flannigan

NetworkComputing.com< http://www.networkcomputing.com/1305/1305centerfoldtext.html[..] >
describes
Raymour and Flannigan's transition to Linux as "a major transformation" for
the Syracuse-based furniture retailer, who switched all its servers to Linux
back in 2002. According to company management, "it was easier to put Linux,
rather than another operating system, on the older 486-based machines" that
were available early on at Raymour and Flannigan. While Linux requires some
manual configuration, NetworkComputing says, the benefits have largely
outweighed the costs.
Tommy Hilfiger

fashion magnate Tommy Hilfiger "chose eOneGroup and Linux for its new
e-business infrastructure" way back in 2001. Company representatives were
quoted as saying that "we saved significantly on the time and expense of
deploying this total infrastructure", as opposed to if another operating
system provider had been chosen.
Toyota Motor Sales

AAX.Net < http://www.aaxnet.com/design/linux2.html>. reported years ago on a
"30 dealer pilot roll-out" of a system using Linux to connect car
dealerships to Toyota's factories. The system was a "web based system from
the ground up, and will be handling 30 different functions including parts
ordering, warranties, sales transactions and repairs." As the 30 dealer
pilot was successful, Toyota promptly announced plans to roll out the
Linux-based system to 1,200 other dealerships.
Travelocity

Travelocity (funny gnome guy and all) is yet another Internet business
powered by Linux servers. According to
NetworkWorld< http://www.networkworld.com/ee2/2003/1110qa.html>,
Travelocity management cited their desire "to improve our flexibility and
really decrease our time to market" as the chief reasons for choosing Linux
over other alternatives. Management at Travelocity also admits to being "big
fans of open source, from total cost of ownership and from the
sharing/collaboration [creation processes], using tools developed by other
people and having [easy access] to other people who have experience with
them."
Home & Scientific Uses of Linux

Finally, Linux has also found homes in various home and scientific
capacities. From video game systems to science labs, Linux is playing an
even bigger role in consumer technology. Below are several noteworthy
examples.
Sony Playstation 3

While Linux is not pre-installed on the PS3, it was designed to allow easy
installation of it and
Gamespot< http://www.gamespot.com/news/6162316.html?tag=result;title;0[..] >
revealed
in 2006 that "Terra Soft Solutions is now making Yellow Dog Linux 5.0
available for download for the PS3." Installing it requires a keyboard, USB
cord and mouse, and for the user to "partition the PS3's drive into two
partitions so that the GameOS and Linux can run on dual partitions."
Netbooks

Miniature laptops called Netbooks have become extremely popular in recent
years, and often ship with minimalist distributions like Xandros or Linpus
that are optimized to run efficiently using the limited resources Netbooks
must use due to space and cost constraints.While Netbooks are still
frequently sold with Microsoft Windows installed, they are shipped with
Linux more than perhaps any other mass-market laptop around.
Some Dell Models

In recent years (particularly 2007-2008) distributions of Linux like Ubuntu
have placed a higher than ever priority on user friendliness in efforts to
capture some of the Windows market. Consequently, Dell and other mass-market
PC manufacturers have taken to pre-loading Ubuntu and other distributions on
their computers.
CERN

Cern uses Scientific Linux on a massive scale for mission-critical
applications. FreeSoftwareMagazine< http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/large_hadron_col[..]
for instance, notes that Linux is powering the $10 billion Large Hadron
Collider, a machine designed to do important subatomic research. CERN, it
should also be noted, is where Tim Berners-Lee invented the hypertext link
while working there in the 80's as an independent contractor. CERN also runs
Linux on its 20,000 internal servers.
Internet Archive

Anyone who has ever used the Wayback Machine to peer at the past of a
website has unwittingly been served information by a throng of x86 servers
running Linux -- hundreds of them, in fact.
ASV Roboat

   LinuxProMagazine.com< http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/News/Autonomous-Linux[..] >
reports
that the ASV Roboat, a research craft designed to glean data about "the
Pacific whale population in cooperation with the marine biology department
of the Oregon State University", is apparently powered by Linux software. It
is a considerable test of Linux's technological capabilities, as the craft
is charged with "researching large geographic areas over long periods of
time at low cost." The ASV Roboat can be seen in the video posted above.
IBM iDataPlex in Canada

Canada's largest supercomputer, the IBM iDataPlex (housed at the University
of Toronto) is also powered by Linux. According to the Canadian Globe and
Mail< http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/canadas-monst[..]
the massive machine cost "$50-million to put together, and its brain takes
up as much room as a warehouse full of refrigerators." Its tasks are many
and demanding, including running "more than 300 trillion calculations a
second, simulating the Earth's climate 100 years into the future in four
days and helping researchers study cosmic background radiation."
Government Users of Linux

Governments at all levels (national, state, federal and international) have
opted to deploy Linux across their computer systems for a host of reasons.
Some are purely technological, with the governments in question preferring
the open-source benefits of the OS. Others are financial, as Linux is
typically far less expensive than buying a license for Windows. Still others
are political, as organizations like the World Trade Organization have
actively pressured governments to shun Microsoft products. In any case, here
are some of the governing bodies that now run Linux on their computers.
U.S. Department of Defense

According to Linux.com < http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/61302>,  the United
States Department of Defense is the "single biggest install base for Red Hat
Linux" in the world. Nor was it an unconscious choice, as Brigadier General
Nick Justice, the Deputy Program Officer for the Army's Program Executive
Office proclaims "open source software is part of the integrated network
fabric which connects and enables our command and control system to work
effectively, as people's lives depend on it." Justice went on to state that
"when we rolled into Baghdad, we did it using open source", and that he was
indeed Red Hat's "biggest customer."
U.S. Navy Submarine Fleet

FreeSoftwareMagazine.com< http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/special_301_foss[..]
that "the US Navy nuclear submarine fleet is using GNU/Linux" as
well.
The City of Munich, Germany

The city of Munich, Germany has "chosen to migrate its 14,000 desktops to a
free Linux distribution, rather than a commercial version of the open source
operating system" according to a 2005 ZD
Net< http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/application-development/2005/04/[..]
"considered several alternatives before choosing Debian", settling on it
ultimately because of price and the degree to which it could be customized
to meet Munich's municipal computing needs. The German Foreign Office, as
well as the city of Vienna, also opted to make the switch to Debian in 2005.
Spain

LWN.net < http://lwn.net/Articles/41738/> > maintains that Spain has long been
the strongest supporter and user of Linux from a national government
standpoint. Linux has spread rapidly throughout Spain since 2002, when the
government of Extremadura actually created its own cutomized Linux
distribution (called LinEx) based on Debian, using GNOME as its "default
desktop environment." Since then, the government "gave away the product CDs
at every opportunity -- in government offices, magazines and even daily
newspapers" as part of a determined and ongoing effort to get LinEx out to
everybody." By handing out the software for free and continuing to publicize
its availability, Linux spread from Extremadura throughout the rest of Spain
and remains widely used today.
Federal Aviation Administration

Few government users of Linux appear to be happier with their choice to
switch than the United States Federal Aviation Administration. According to
Wikipedia < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_adoption#Types_of_adopter[..] ' target='_parent'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_adoption#Types_of_adopter[..]
the FAA announced in 2006 that it "had completed a migration to Red Hat
Enterprise Linux in one third of the scheduled time and saved 15 million
dollars" in the process of doing so. Score it another big-time government
client for the Red Hat distribution of Linux.
French Parliament

French Parliament opted in November 2006 to dump Windows in favor of Ubuntu
Linux, according to ZD Net
< http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-150389.html>The  move was part of a
comprehensive shake-up in the software run on
Parliament computers, resulting ultimately in "1,154 French parliamentary
workstations running on Linux, with OpenOffice.org productivity software,
the Firefox Web browser and an open-source e-mail client." Despite the
training costs, Parliament officials named cost savings and technological
superiority of open-source software for parliamentary purposes as reasons
for the switch.
State-Owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

According to a 2005
InformationWeek< http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showAr[..]
the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China "decided to
roll out Linux in all of its 20,000 retail branches." As the largest bank in
all of China, the institution committed to buying "an unrestricted user
license" as part of a full-blown integration of Linux "throughout its entire
banking operations network" culminating in 2008. At the time,
InformationWeek stated that this represented the largest deployment of Linux
to date in the Chinese financial sector. Essentially, Linux became "the
basis for its web server and a new terminal platform" at the bank.
Pakistani Schools & Colleges

In 2002, the government of Pakistan launched a Technology Resource
Mobilization Unit< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_Resource_Mobilizatio[..]
promote the spread of open-source software (including Linux)
throughout
that country. The unit (comprised of academics, businesspeople and
government officials) has largely succeeded in educating computer users
throughout Pakistan about what free software has to offer. As a result,
Pakistan is using Linux in many of its public schools and colleges and plans
to ultimately run it on all of its government computer systems. In countries
like Pakistan, where little money is available for government investment in
technology, Linux and other open source software is appealing from a cost
perspective.
Cuba

Cuba, never a fan of capitalism or corporate enterprise, took the step of
developing its own Linux distribution (called "Nova") to replace Microsoft
Windows in February 2009. According to Carribean Net
News< http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-14211--5-5--.html>,
the switch to Linux was motivated not by technology or cost issues, but
instead constituted "the latest front of the communist island's battle
against what it views as U.S. hegemony." Nova was introduced during a
conference held in the name of "technological sovereignty" and was touted as
essential to Cuba's "desire to replace the Microsoft software running most
of the island's computers." Evidently, Cuban officials feared that U.S.
security agencies could access Microsoft software code and in the process
discover secrets belonging to the Cuban government. Whether or not Cuba's
switch to Linux has any practical effect on relations between the two
countries is debateable, but they have been using Nova ever since.
Macedonia's Ministry of Education and Science

Ubuntu.com < http://www.ubuntu.com/news/macedonia-school-computers> > reported
in November 2007 that every student in Macedonia would use computer
workstations powered by Ubuntu Linux, as part of that country's "A Computer
For Every Child" program. In total, more than 180,000 workstations were
covered by the project, described as "one of the largest known thin client
and desktop Linux deployments ever undertaken." Indeed, Macedonia's Minister
for the Information Society dubbed it "the largest and most important
education project undertaken in the 15-year history of the Republic of
Macedonia." Under the agreement, 160,000 of the 180,000 workstations were to
be virtual PC terminals, while the other 20,000 were to be stand-alone PCs,
all of which accomodated one student each and ran the Ubuntu Linux OS.
U.S. Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service is a textbook example of a once-avowed Windows
loyalist switching to Linux for purely technical reasons. While the Postal
Service ran Windows NT on its servers until the bitter end, they then
switched to using over 900 Linux clusters spead throughout the country for
use in sorting the nation's bulk mail. They use technology from Pacific
Northwest Software, who proudly explains in-depth the work it has done in
switching the Postal Service to a Linux-based infrastructure. Those
interested are encouraged to check it out
here< http://www.pnwsoft.com/default.aspx?page=cs/usps> >
.
U.S. Federal Courts

AAX.net < http://www.aaxnet.com/design/linux2.html>. explains that the U.S.
Federal Courts rely on Linux for all manner of administrative tasks,
including "case management, case tracking, finance and accounting, probation
and pretrial services." Linux has been used by the courts since November of
2003, when PEC Solutions assisted in orchestrating a "migration of the
Federal Judiciary to a Linux-based system."
Government of Mexico City

Wired.com < http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/03/42456> > reported in
2001 that the government of Mexico City had concluded that "they can no
longer justify the ever rising cost of Microsoft Windows when the cost of
Linux software is very low." In an interview with Wired, the city's
technical coordinator, José Barberán, "announced plans to switch city
computers to the Linux operating system and to use the money it saves to
fund social welfare programs." At the end of the day, when faced with
pressure to increase social spending, "cutting costs by moving to
open-source software was a logical choice for the mayor."
Garden Grove, California

Perhaps the earliest governmental adopter of Linux on our list is Garden
Grove, California, which made the switch all the way back in 1995, according
to Linux Journal < http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/218>.  Evidently, the
city was in a cash crunch when it opted to give Linux a try, and found that
it saved so much money that they later decided to roll out Linux across the
city, including on some desktop systems.
Largo, Florida

A 2003 Linux.com < http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/26827> > article entitled
"Largo Loves Linux More Than Ever" explains how the Floridian city came to
rely so heavily on Linux software. After having such great success running
city computers on Linux, Largo's municipal government soon thereafter was
"talking about Linux-based terminals in all the city's police cars." To
their credit, Linux.com remarked that Largo's system administrators (who are
responsible for managing the city's Linux machines) were "the least
harassed, least worried, calmest sysadmins we have ever met." Perhaps there
is a correlation?
Czech Post

Perhaps taking a cue from the U.S. Postal Service, the Czech Republic's own
post office successfully migrated to Linux in 2005, according to
Europa< http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/jsps/documents/dsp_showPrinterDocu[..]
chosen distribution of Linux (SuSe) now runs on "4,000 servers at 3,400 post
offices across the country, as well as at 12,000 client terminals used by
20,000 employees." Once more, cost was a driving force behind a large state
institution switching from Windows or other providers to free, open-source
Linux.
Educational Users of Linux

Educational institutions, like businesses and government, have increasingly
decided to roll out Linux on servers and desktop computers for their
open-source and cost benefits. These institutions range from public schools
(elementary, middle and high school) to colleges and post-graduate schools.
Below are several of the most prominent educational establishments to have
switched from Microsoft Windows to Linux.
Russian Schools

In 2007, the nation of Russia announced that all its schools would begin
running Linux software. A
BBC< http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7034828.stm>report  on the
matter stated that Russia's "schools formerly tended to run
illegal copies of Microsoft operating systems", but that since Russia joined
the WTO, that is no longer accepted practice. Therefore, rather than buy
licenses for all the software it had been pirating, it opted to go with the
free Linux operating system. While admitting that most teachers and students
had no experience with Linux, Russia's education officials nevertheless felt
that the transition would go well and that the software would suit the
purposes of schools.

< http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7034828.stm">B[..] > report on the matter stated that Russia>
German Universities

ComputerWeekly.com< http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/08/28/226420/ger[..]
in August 2007 that "around 560,000 German students plus thousands
of staff at 33 German universities will now be supported by Linux systems
from Novell." SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop was the specific distribution
chosen, evidently for the "more flexible IT architecture" that it provides
"when compared to other proprietary software."
The Phillipines

Phillipines, according to
ComputerWorld< http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/204950/23_000_linux_[..]
As they explain, "after a successful deployment of 13,000 Fedora Linux
systems from a government grant, plans are underway to roll out another
10,000 based on Ubuntu" in that country. Apparently, Linux reached
popularity because of its lower installation and maintenance costs in the
Phillippines in the wake of 1997's Asian financial crisis.
Georgia

Former Soviet state Georgia began "began running all its school computers
and LTSP thin clients on Linux, mainly using Kubuntu, Ubuntu and stripped
Fedora-based distros" back in 2004, according to
Wikipedia< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_adoption#Types_of_adopter[..]
Add Georgia to the growing list of less-wealthy countries that opted to use
Linux for cost reasons versus pay expensive licensing fees for Microsoft
Windows.
The Indian State of Tamil Nadu

LinuxWatch.com < http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS6504473525.html> > told the
story of how "after being put off by Microsoft's bundling tactics for
academic users", the Indian state of Tamil Nadu decided instead to
"distribute 100,000 Linux laptops to students there." The laptops were to be
sold to students for $800, a "considerable markdown compared to retail
value." While the government proposed to license Windows at $12 per copy,
Microsoft stood firm at $57 per copy, prompting Tamil Nadu to go with Linux
instead.
Switzerland Schools

Wikipedia also reports that Switzerland converted 9,000 of its computers to
using Linux and OpenOffice.org's suite of office productivity tools in its
Geneva district in September, 2008. As has been seen by the licensing fees
other software companies charge, there is often a compelling financial
incentive to use Linux instead.
Bolzano, Italy

The town of Balzano in Italy (with a student population of 16,000)
reportedly switched to using a customized distribution of Linux across all
its schools in 2005.
Kerela, India

Rediff.com < http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/sep/02microsoft.htm> > reported
in September 2006 that from now on, in Kerela, India, "nearly 1.5 million
students in the 2,650 government and government-aided high schools in the
state will no longer use the Windows platform for computer education.
Instead, they have switched over to the free GNU/Linux software." Rather,
they would now begin running Linux operating systems and accomplishing all
word processing and spreadsheet tasks via OpenOffice.org software. An
education official was quoted as saying ""we have decided that we will use
only free software for computer education in Kerala schools" on the eve of a
56,000 teacher Linux training program.
One Laptop Per Child

The much-publicized One Laptop Per Child < http://laptop.org/en/> > program was
built around the OLPC XO-1, which, according to Wikipedia "is an inexpensive
laptop running Linux, which will be distributed to millions of children as
part of the One Laptop Per Child project, especially in developing
countries." Here, again, the low cost of Linux was a major factor in its
inclusion.
Indiana Schools

CRN.com< http://www.crn.com/software/192201386;jsessionid=121UO31WVLD[..]
in August 2006 that "more than 20,000 Indiana students are now
Linux-enabled under a state grant program to roll out low-cost,
easy-to-manage workstations." The state's Affordable Classroom Computers for
Every Secondary Student program rapidly grew from "24 high schools to 80
high schools" after it became clear that software costs per computer ($100
prior to the migration) could be cut down to $5 using Linux and other
open-source software. Districts get to choose which distribution of Linux
their schools will run and have considerable control over the
implementation.

--
Alok Singh Mahor
CSE, IIT Delhi
www.alokmahor.tk

Join the next generation of computing, Open Source, and Linux/GNU!

--
LUG*******/ycueutm

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