Anyone here in DCU, Ireland?

[happysmileman]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I was at the DCU open day today, considering going there, since it appears to be the best University in Ireland for Computer stuff (I was thinking Computer Applications then going on to Software Engineering).

I was wondering if anyone here goes to DCU, preferably Computer Applications/Software Engineering, and what do they think of the course, and how much of it is done on Linux?
I saw a lot of the computers there run Linux, but I'm wondering if they're actually used much, or whether it's mainly just Windows, with a minimal amount of network programming for Linux (Like in Limerick AFAIK)?

[bonzodog]

Here in Galway at NUI and GMIT they tend to have a mix of computers, although GMIT require students to have windows on the laptop as they have some kind of software that syncs with the servers, which run windows server 2003.

However, due to the efforts of a friend of mine, GMIT now have an entire lab with ubuntu machines in it, and Ubuntu is being spread around the campus slowly but surely.

I have heard that NUI Galway has a mix of machines, and some linux servers, though it is apparent that Mac books are *very* popular amongst students.

One of the problems that Ireland has with lInux adoption is Microsoft and the way they suck up to the Irish Government, and the fact that their main EU campus is in Dublin, along now with their main EU datacentre.

So, you could say that Ireland is one of the last strongholds of the MS empire in Europe. This is also coupled with the fact that the Irish are either very lazy, or hate change when it comes round.
The Irish are very stuck in their ways I have found, and struggle to adapt to any kind of new technology.

Then Bertie announces that he hopes Ireland becomes the 'tech capital of Europe' !

I feel very lonely here knowing I am the only person (to have made himself known anyways)in the ubuntu community in Galway :(

[happysmileman]

Same here in Wexford, DCU have a few Linux machines (I think they might all be dual-boot because I saw no apparent order or layout based on OS, but no real reaosn to think that).

I'm hoping there'll be more of a Linux community in college, at least in the computer classes, would be nice to be able to discuss that stuff with people IRL. My g/f uses Kubuntu on laptop but doesn't use laptop much, she's fun to talk to about it and all, but she's into multimedia and I'm into programming so we can never understand each other :P

I'm wondering whether Ireland will EVER follow Germany/France/Italy's lead and start using OSS, but I think they care more about being Microsoft's bitch than actually saving money or getting better software, though I suppose with the "sponsorship" (bribes in my opinion, but not technically bribery so nothing can be done about it) that Microsoft hand out to them for it maybe they do save money, just at the cost of stopping awareness about better alternatives spreading.

[Lutin]

There's more of us Ubuntu users in Galway than you think. My wife is a lecturer in NUIG and has been using Ubuntu on her laptop for a while now - and giving the computer dept. a dig about Linux and Open Source whenever she can.