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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Broader selection and cheaper By Oded Yaron Until a few years ago, Microsoft's dominance on world and Israeli desktops was absolute. And anyone who turns on a computer in an Israeli school will also encounter Windows. Until now the Education Ministry has not widely adopted the software of Open Office (www.openoffice.org.il), the competitor of Microsoft Office, of which Sun is one of the biggest supporters. Herein could lie the great advantage of the agreement with Sun: For the first time Microsoft will face competition on the desktop of the Israeli schoolchild. Advertisement Elsewhere, too, Microsoft's hegemony is encountering increased competition. This month, for example, Holland announced that all government offices and authorities in the country will switch to open source programs by next April. One of the advantages of adopting open source software is the possibility to download programs free. But there is more to it than that, open source activists explain. The agreement between the education system and Microsoft may guarantee inexpensive software for schools, but the pupils' parents have to fork out a lot of money to buy the programs. Whereas open source software programs promise both additions to software and the help of independent software developers. Bookmark to del.icio.us Santa's helpers Foreign workers hope for citizenship for Christmas. He's ba-ack In a new audio tape Bin Laden vows to free Palestine.

Today Online 2 Israelis killed, one hurt in W. Bank shooting attack Responses: 528 Benn, Rosner: Israel needs a 'Rice bypass road' to White House Responses: 174 PM to Abbas: Israel will not undermine peace efforts Responses: 114 Akiva Eldar: Peace deal must start with prisoner release Responses: 112 IDF kills former PA premier's bodyguard during W. Bank raid Responses: 98 New version of old defense group guards Jewish farmlands Responses: 51 More Headlines 22:53 Bin Laden vows he will 'expand jihad in Palestine' 01:09 IDF soldiers killed on West Bank hike eulogized for courage 22:55 PA premier Fayyad says suspects in killings of 2 Israelis caught by PA 22:47 Arab League ministers to meet on Israeli settlement policy 17:28 U.S. court overturns award over W. Bank shooting of yeshiva boy 18:51 Senator sees 'real opportunity' for resuming Syria-Israel talks 23:47 Hamas: Egypt agrees to allow Gazan pilgrims to return through Rafah 20:19 Chemicals used in making explosives caught at West Bank checkpoint 18:51 PA arrests three Israelis in Bethlehem, transfers them to Israel 10:34 PM announces intention to change building permits Previous Editions Select Day 28 dec 27 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 21 dec 20 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec

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