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Friday, 27 July 2007 |
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Thanks again to those people who took part in our trial of Ubuntu linux. 100% of participants are keen to hold on to their new PC’s, which must say something! The one setback we had was that one of PC’s died after only a few weeks. This is in no way connected with Linux, but does testify to the inherent risks in using older hardware.
Overall the feedback was very positive indeed. Users found the PC’s fast, reliable and easy to use. Integration with current systems (email, internet, printing, and documents) was good, although the main drawback was whether the PC’s were able to use company databases and other systems which were developed on Windows. Interestingly, there was a noticeable preference for continuation of paid-for IT support, so whilst the principle of free software with free self-help support is very attractive, people clearly still value the experience and utility of having professionals to call on.
In the short term, and thanks to this positive feedback, ESP’s Morgan Killick will be looking at Ubuntu in more detail. In the medium term, ESP will be exploring the possibility of recommending and supporting Ubuntu PC’s for some applications.
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