I guess Smarts Techs currently nearly non-existent Linux support is a result of Smart Amp, their common child with Google. In the USA and Canada schools can switch to Chromebooks in order to have a cheaper solution than windows-based computers. Instead of porting Smart Notebook to Chrome OS they started Smart Amp as an alternative. Because of Chromebooks there is little interest in Linux in American k12-schools.
Smart Tech seems to overlook that because of more restricted privacy policies neither Smart Amp nor Chromebooks are an option for public schools in many European countries - especially Germany. Instead Linux becomes an interesting alternative in order to cut costs. The same might be true for some Asian, south-American and African parts of the world.
More European schools might switch from Windows to Linux in case Microsoft will stay with its policy to force yearly auto-upgrades for any Windows 10 version less than Enterprise. This new policy forces k12 schools to switch to an expensive subscription plan for Windows 10 Enterprise if they want to avoid huge admin-problems with Windows 10 Pro.
Technologies like Snap and Flatpak are making it much easier to support Linux than in the past. If Smart Notebook will no longer be available under Linux schools might change not only their operation system but their iwb-solution as well. Free solution like OpenBoard might become much more interesting in the future.
Niwi Hamburg
supported this idea
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I guess Smarts Techs currently nearly non-existent Linux support is a result of Smart Amp, their common child with Google. In the USA and Canada schools can switch to Chromebooks in order to have a cheaper solution than windows-based computers. Instead of porting Smart Notebook to Chrome OS they started Smart Amp as an alternative. Because of Chromebooks there is little interest in Linux in American k12-schools.
Smart Tech seems to overlook that because of more restricted privacy policies neither Smart Amp nor Chromebooks are an option for public schools in many European countries - especially Germany. Instead Linux becomes an interesting alternative in order to cut costs. The same might be true for some Asian, south-American and African parts of the world.
More European schools might switch from Windows to Linux in case Microsoft will stay with its policy to force yearly auto-upgrades for any Windows 10 version less than Enterprise. This new policy forces k12 schools to switch to an expensive subscription plan for Windows 10 Enterprise if they want to avoid huge admin-problems with Windows 10 Pro.
Technologies like Snap and Flatpak are making it much easier to support Linux than in the past. If Smart Notebook will no longer be available under Linux schools might change not only their operation system but their iwb-solution as well. Free solution like OpenBoard might become much more interesting in the future.