Purpose: To set up dedicated computer laboratories aiming to outsource computer science education of various schools and institutions.

Audience:
1. Age Groups: Initially 5 years to 10 years.
Expanding the same to 11 years to 15 years.
After an year or two from now catering to intermediate students facilitating to chose computer science as one of the subjects.
2. Training Faculty: Providing training classes to faculty members of various schools to make use of IT to improve quality of education.
This is meant not just to computer instructors alone but also various other subject teachers.

3. Providing round the clock support to clarify doubts and issues to privately owned computers present in the locality.

4. Providing guidance to execute various "Work at home" schemes and earn, thus afford their education without any hassles.

We would be indebted for the help extended in choosing best operating system for each purpose.

I won't get into the debate of what OS is best, like between Windows and Linux, but I help to set up somthing similar for a corporation. They decided upon Windows as the OS simply because more of the present people there were more familiar with it, and that it SEEMS to have more local people working with it (that may not be true).

Of course, with the age group that you'll be having, you could teach them any OS that you wanted. Or, you could teach them a couple of OSs and they could decide which branch they wanted to go when older. However, the cost of that may be prohibitive.

I think that one OS could serve all those purposes and might be more cost efficient. With the place I worked, we had a training facility where the employees learned how to use a PC and our systems. We used a training system that was especially designed for us (all text), but then we graduated to a multimedia training system.

The bad thing about our system was that this corporation had all the money to build a training facility, plus run fiber optics to all the buildings and to the individual offices and training rooms. Lots of bucks!

But for your original quesion, I think that a Windows OS would be the best since it seems more prominent. I'm sure that there will be several that disagree.

Dave

If i got the message right, were you suggesting to go for "windows" as it's user base is vast.

My intention behind mentioning the age group is to look out for an interface which would not scare the kids off.
Aiming to have suggestions around the eye:
a. Operating System to be taught to the students.
b. Operating System to be used to present the content (I mean some thing to grab maximum attention of the student)
c. Gadgets that could be provided to make students work in the absence of the computer even but that should be presented once in class room.

Some thoughts towards how "work at home" schemes could be made reliable as a source to purchase and pursue education. In other words how any continuous work of this nature (like data entry, testing etc) is available and how it could be won?

I think this elaboration would surely put you at ease to suggest spot on.

Originally Posted by bandi

If i got the message right, were you suggesting to go for "windows" as it's user base is vast.
...
I think this elaboration would surely put you at ease to suggest spot on.

Yes, the esence to my suggestion is that Windows is large, and there is a vast amount of companies, schools, and individuals using it.

I don't know where you're located, nor the background of the students or staff, but I think the majority of children and people around here have already been introduced to the Windows OS.

Spot*On? Are you talking about Spectrum Oracle? I'm sure there are plenty of Mac users that would suggest that or something like Linux. That is just not my area since everything that I've been associated with at work or home has been Windows. However, I know lots of people that suggest I change over and they say that I would never go back to Windows.

So, my suggestion was from my limited knowledge of one OS, not from knowing several.

Dave

Windows is the staple by which all others are compared, whether we like it or not.

Going with Windows wouldn't be a bad thing, but you might as well take the Vista plunge. It looks like it is here to stay., and will be the main for several years.

Nothing wrong with Macs, of course. All the constant bubbling by Mac converts really gets on my nerves, but I see nothing wrong with Macs themselves. But, again, Windows is the mainstay... you don't want to retard the kids ability to use what will be presented to them in the workplace.

I think OSX is a good introduction OS, personally.