I study in the University of Salamanca, a public university here in Spain.

This year we have a mandatory subject called Interfaces Gráficas de Usuario (Graphical User Interfaces), where we use two technologies:

  • Windows WPF
  • Cocoa

We will spend a few months with each, but… Why the heck do we have to use this technologies?

Propietary technologies should be optional

That’s my whole point. We shouldn’t be forced to use this kind of technologies. Over all in a public university.

Yes, it is true that most people have access to a Windows system, and at least my university partners with Microsoft and we can get a free Windows copy while we’re students (by the way, thanks to the creator of VSVim who made my life much happier today).

But it’s also true that the same does not happen with Mac systems… I don’t have one (and most of my classmates don’t either). To course this (remember, mandatory) subject, I’ll need to either buy an OS X system (which I can’t afford) or be illegal and install Hackintosh in my computer.

So yes, I’m pretty pissed off.

In this specific subject I think the web platform would be the best choice.

But then well, the teachers will have to teach real concepts, and no how to play with an IDE… I think eons will pass before the web is taught in my university…