Greetings. Would anyone care to suggest CHEAP courses--for credit, non-credit, personal development, whatever--applicable to Windows and Linux? While you're welcome to supply whatever links you think might be helpful to future readers of this thread, I would personally be interested in non-simplistic intro to Linux courses, Windows courses dealing with the more exotic aspects of Windows (networking, administration, etc.), and courses on application/system programming for both operating systems. Of course, by programming, I am referring to courses on programming for the operating system (e.g., APIs, etc.), not about courses on programming languages or computer science, but feel free to include those too if you wish. I am particularly partial to open enrollment courses NOT using one of those ghastly Blackboard(tm) or Blackboard(tm) like systems. Were the course to originate from outside the US, e.g. a UNISA short course, that would be fine, too. Thanks in advance.
Certificate of Linux/Unix System Administration from the University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education Linux/Unix System Administration Certificate -- O'Reilly School of Technology $398 X 4 Classes
Excelsior College’s LINUX RED HAT TECHNICIAN Program Linux Red Hat Technician - excelsior.edu $395 X 1 Class
IMHO, for Linux and general programming these guys are the top: Online Courses -- O'Reilly School of Technology
Try Loyola Marymount University Extension. $125 per class: Introduction to Windows 7 Introduction to Linux Main Page: LMU Extension
Greetings. First off, thanks for the replies! Every one of them! Regarding the replies: a. It came as news to me that Excelsior College (one of the "Big Three" assessment colleges) also offered non-credit courses. Thanks. If anyone else would like to see what they offer, I think the following link leads straight to their main "Professional Development" web page: http://www.excelsior.edu/web/center-for-professional-development b. Thanks, also, for reminding me about the O'Reilly offerings. Their main web page was mentioned above, but to save you, dear reader, a trip it is http://www.oreillyschool.com/courses/ c. Regrettably, the Loyola Marymount University Extension link (previously posted) leads to a re-branded ed2go course which is more of what I'm trying to avoid than what I'm looking for. (The idea of paying extra for a generic, non open-enrollment, time limited, online course just so that a bloated "educational" bureaucracy can be rewarded for not bothering to produce educational material is offensive to me in so, so many different ways.) In case anyone else finds the ed2go Linux course desirable, the (apparently) exact same course can be have via Ivy Tech (Indiana community college) for $48 dollars less: http://www.ed2go.com/ivytech-evv/online_course/ilx/detail/Introduction_to_Linux.html N.B. Thanks just the same, atrox79! Cordially, Richard Kanarek
You could also consider joining the IEEE Computer Society. As part of their $100 annual membership dues, you get access to the complete technical library from ElementK. It contains a lot of courses designed for vendor certifications from Microsoft, CompTIA, etc. which would cover all the areas you mentioned and more. Membership dues are discounted for college students to $40 a year. Here's a link that talks more about it: Any masters of Microsoft Office? (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)