On 02/20/2016 10:55 AM, Mayayana wrote:




| [I prefer to lock-down these sorts of machines so the
| student doesn't come looking for "support" (from me)
| later when an update mucks something up...]
|
| [[I'm sorely tempted to install a FOSS OS but figure that
| would leave them even farther out on a limb...]]

You could install Linux, then give them Libre
Office and Firefox. The problem there, though,
is that they won't be able to do much else with
it. And Linux support is terrible because there's
constant version churn.





Once I had the Linux machines setup, I did not bother with updates or
new versions. Everything was fine.


The only time I worked on a machine was when there was a hardware
failure, and at that time I would possibly decide to upgrade the OS


Some of the machines ran for years with no maintenance and when I did
finally have to work on one I had little more to do than simply delete
Windows malware downloaded to the desktop


That said: I did also have to maintain the "production" computers that
ran Windows. Since the organization qualified, I passed the test
required to become a "Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher" and they were
able to get licenses very low cost