Two things;

1.0 The argument about open source vs proprietary software is invalid! We are moving further and further away from that point where the O.S mattered to a point where all you need is a SERVICE - think being able to create a document regardless of whichever software you are using or hosting your website on whichever server as long as people can access it!

2.0 I think getting proprietary software at a lower cost(or free) will actually be good for our next generation! Reason with me; Once we have the proprietary software, we can always download the FOSS alternatives and use them as well! Therefore, we get the best of both worlds!  I personally started on a Apple machine(the very old ones) in lower primary, then Windows later on in my education and yet my job right now entails using enterprise Linux servers for 70% of my time! How about that?

On 4 June 2013 22:20, Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com> wrote:

Micro$oft will continue to laugh all the way to the bank, as we debate
merits of what platform to adopt. Anybody ever heard of Economic Hit
Men (EHM)! I can assure you, we have been hit.

Let's not forget that M$ is not evil. They are just trying as hard as
everybody else to remain relevant in the hard economic times, and pay
their shareholders. But should we do it with our blood?

How many new computers are sold with proprietary M$ software in Kenya?
How much of that hard earned capital could go into  better use? Why
have established and developed economies seen the need to move from
propietary software to FOSS, to the extend of legislating in
parliament?

How comes the Open Source community was caught napping? How was M$
able to pull the carpet under them?

Probably somebody with a bigger platform like Mr. Walubengo can write
a blog where a bigger audience will be able to access the merits and
de-merits of the government position to partner with Micro$oft.

The question I ask myself is, "If I was paying for software license
with my money, which direction would I take"?

Have you ever tried to change a company who's employees were weaned
with M$ and ICDL to FOSS? You will see Organisational behavour
resistance to change at it's best.

Remember "The foundation of a strong economy don't rest alone on the
decision of Chancellors or the spending programs of government" -
George Osborne

_____________
Mwendwa Kivuva
twitter.com/lordmwesh
kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
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--
Kind Regards,

Moses M.G.

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