[brlug-poly] Reveille Counts the Cost, Fellow Students Outraged.

[Will Hill]

A fellow Medical Physics student gave me some more dirty deal details and told 
me about this article with actual dollar amounts:

http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/24/435c4e163d8c0?in_archive=1

He and another fellow student were aggravated, even though they are Microsoft 
users, and felt like they are paying two or three times for the same 
software.  Their view of it is that the $562,446/year deal provides only "the 
most basic software bundle that comes with any new computer and already 
installed in all of the campus labs,"  and that "13" students will actually 
benefit from it.  If they need one of the wizbang feature or programs not 
provided by the bundle, they will find it already installed in one of LSU's 
many labs.  

To put things in perspective, LSU students pay about four million dollars a 
year in technology fees at a rate of $75/semester.  So, the average student 
will get to pay Microsoft:

$140/year * 4 years * 1/8 = $75

For software most either own or don't want.  Few students, as Microsoft 
already knows, will actually take the time and trouble to change their 
operating system or programs they depend on.  The whole point of giving in 
and paying the cost of the Microsoft tax by buying a Dell, for example, is to 
not have to fool around with computers and get what they need to do their 
work.  Installing software, for them, is a dangerous exercise which rewards 
them with features they don't know about or want at the risk of things they 
need.  Those few students with really old or skimpy software usually have 
hardware that matches and won't run MicroShaft's latest and greatest.  
Students who are thrifty like that have moved on to free software already.

The tax is levied, three times on students.  Once at time of purchase, where 
the bundle is always cheaper than a software free computer.  A second time 
when the school puts it in the lab, often paying twice for the software by 
having to wipe out the bundled software for "pro" versions licensed for 
public or corporate use.  Finally, a third time to make it available for 
download again.  

On Monday 24 October 2005 08:51 pm, Will Hill wrote:
> If you thought you could avoid the Microsoft tax by building your own
> computer while studying at LSU, guess again!