Open Options | Our survey results: What are they using?

What are they using?

Operating systems | 85 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

Do you use open source operating system(s) (e.g. Linux) for:
Your desktop computer?
Don't know	0	0%
Yes	36	42%
No	49	58%
A thin client server?
Don't know	2	2%
Yes	32	38%
No	51	60%
Another kind of server?
Don't know	2	2%
Yes	64	75%
No	19	22%
Student desktop computers? (not thin clients)
Don't know	2	2%
Yes	20	24%
No	63	74%
Teacher/staff desktop computers? (not thin clients)
Don't know	1	1
Yes	16	19%
No	68	80%

Backend solutions | 85 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

Do you use open source in the "back-end" for:
Web hosting? (e.g. Apache)
Don't know	1	1%
Yes	61	72%
No	23	27%
A Domain Name Server (DNS)? (e.g. Bind)
Don't know	8	9%
Yes	38	45%
No	39	46%
Web filtering? (e.g. SquidGuard)
Don't know	6	7%
Yes	46	54%
No	33	39%

Fronted solutions | 85 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

Do you use open source in the "front-end" for:
Student Web browsing? (e.g. Mozilla)
Don't know	1	1%
Yes	35	41%
No	49	58%
Teacher/staff Web browsing? (e.g. Mozilla)
Don't know	1	1%
Yes	31	36%
No	53	62%
Student productivity? (e.g. OpenOffice.org)
Don't know	0	0%
Yes	35	41%
No	50	59%
Teacher/staff productivity? (e.g. OpenOffice.org)
Don't know	1	1%
Yes	24	28%
No	60	71%
Other productivity? (e.g. GIMP, Web editing)
Don't know	3	4%
Yes	29	34%
No	53	62%

Do you use open source software with donated or recycled hardware?
Yes	58	68%
No	27	32%

Most frequent write in answer: Security

Open source operating system(s)... How did the following influence your decision?
Customization
Don't know	4	6%
No importance	3	4%
Not very important	18	25%
Important	39	55%
Very important	7	10%
Desirable Features
Don't know	2	3%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	3	4%
Important	52	73%
Very important	14	20%
Interoperability
Don't know	5	7%
No importance	2	3%
Not very important	4	6%
Important	38	54%
Very important	22	31%
Price
Don't know	1	1%
No importance	2	3%
Not very important	4	6%
Important	18	25%
Very important	46	65%
Reliability
Don't know	0	0%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	0	0%
Important	22	31%
Very important	49	69%
Reputation
Don't know	0	0%
No importance	5	7%
Not very important	21	30%
Important	32	45%
Very important	13	18%
Students and staff can take software home
Don't know	1	1%
No importance	16	23%
Not very important	31	44%
Important	12	17%
Very important	11	15%

Why operating systems (combined) | 71 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

How did the following influence your decision? (operating systems) "Important" or "Very Important"
Customization	65%
Desirable Features	93%
Interoperability	85%
Price	90%
Reliability	100%
Reputation	63%
Students and staff can take software home	32%

Open source in the "back-end" (e.g. Web hosting, DNS, Web filtering)... How did the following influence your decision?
Customization
Don't know	8	11%
No importance	5	7%
Not very important	15	21%
Important	24	34%
Very important	18	26%
Desirable Features
Don't know	7	10%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	3	4%
Important	41	59%
Very important	19	27%
Interoperability
Don't know	9	13%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	7	10%
Important	30	43%
Very important	24	34%
Price
Don't know	5	7%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	7	10%
Important	22	31%
Very important	36	51%
Reliability
Don't know	5	7%
No importance	0	0%
Not very important	0	0%
Important	14	20%
Very important	51	73%
Reputation
Don't know	8	11%
No importance	6	9%
Not very important	12	17%
Important	32	46%
Very important	12	17%

Why backend (combined) | 70 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

How did the following influence your decision? (backend) "Important" or "Very Important"
Customization	60%
Desirable Features	86%
Interoperability	77%
Price	83%
Reliability	93%
Reputation	63%

Open source in the "front-end" (e.g. Web browsing, productivity)... How did the following influence your decision?
Customization
Don't know	3	7%
No importance	6	13%
Not very important	16	35%
Important	16	35%
Very important	5	11%
Desirable Features
Don't know	3	7%
No importance	2	4%
Not very important	5	11%
Important	23	50%
Very important	13	28%
Interoperability
Don't know	5	11%
No importance	2	4%
Not very important	1	2%
Important	18	39%
Very important	20	43%
Price
Don't know	2	4%
No importance	1	2%
Not very important	2	4%
Important	12	26%
Very important	29	63%
Reliability
Don't know	2	4%
No importance	1	2%
Not very important	2	4%
Important	16	35%
Very important	25	54%
Reputation
Don't know	2	4%
No importance	7	15%
Not very important	16	35%
Important	12	26%
Very important	9	20%
Students and staff can take software home
Don't know	4	9%
No importance	6	13%
Not very important	15	33%
Important	12	26%
Very important	9	20%

Why frontend (combined) | 46 Responses; Feb. 2003 | 2003 Index | 2004 Index | Analysis

How did the following influence your decision? (frontend) "Important" or "Very Important"
Customization	46%
Desirable Features	78%
Interoperability	83%
Price	89%
Reliability	89%
Reputation	46%
Students and staff can take software home	46%

Open Options is a product of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. These materials are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. The following acknowledgment is requested on materials which are reproduced: Developed by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon.

This Web site was developed and maintained by the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium. The federal funding for the regional technology consortia program ended on September 30, 2005, and no further updates are planned unless additional funding becomes available. However, much of the content is still useful and NWREL will continue to provide access to this site to support educators and to meet its own technical assistance needs.

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What are they using?