MinecraftEdu has been acquired by Microsoft

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Aleksi Postari

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Jan 19, 2016, 8:39:47 AM1/19/16
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On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu as long as you like
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally for now
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free by Microsoft
  • MinecraftEdu Hosted Servers will keep working, and you can still sign up for them
  • TeacherGaming won’t be going anywhere and we have new exciting plans for the future!

Eric

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Jan 19, 2016, 9:07:55 AM1/19/16
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Awesome news, Aleksi and co.!

I'm almost afraid to ask, but I assume worlds will continue to work the same? You know, ones where a teacher and his students have poured literally thousands of hours into like... World of Humanities? :)
Please God say yes.



On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 5:39:47 PM UTC+4, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu normally
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally until the new version is ready
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free

Lisa Douthit

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Jan 19, 2016, 9:53:31 AM1/19/16
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Awaiting more info like this as well! -Lisa

EduElfie

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Jan 19, 2016, 4:16:31 PM1/19/16
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Eric your world will continue to work with MinecraftEdu as it does now. MinecraftEdu will not change. Your world will not work with the new Education Edition however as it does not have mod support and is based on the Pocket Edition code base.

Elfie.

Pat James

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Jan 19, 2016, 4:52:08 PM1/19/16
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My understanding from the platform requirements on http://education.minecraft.net/faq/ is that Minecraft:Education Edition will be Windows-only.  The line I am looking at in the requirements is "DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver"  

Can you confirm if that is the case, or will there be a java or native OS X client?

Windows-only is a bit of an issue for the many schools that are 100% Macs.

How long will MinecraftEDU be supported?

EduElfie

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Jan 19, 2016, 4:59:24 PM1/19/16
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At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

As to the MinecraftEdu support, what I have read from the community here is that many of us will be sticking with MinecraftEdu as it stands currently, and since a lot of the support, at least on this particular group has been community based, I dont think the community based support is going to disappear overnight.

Elfie.

Jack Standeven

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Jan 19, 2016, 8:05:37 PM1/19/16
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"One year for free". Does that mean it will eventually roll over to the "Pay every year" model?

Jack Standeven

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Jan 19, 2016, 8:16:46 PM1/19/16
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Will you be selling KerbalEDU as well?

EduElfie

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Jan 20, 2016, 2:13:49 AM1/20/16
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I don't think selling is the right word. Microsoft acquired MinecraftEdu, I am not sure, given what I know about Mojang's licensing deal with TeacherGaming that TeacherGaming had much choice in the matter. I think KerbalEdu would only get 'sold' or acquired if Squad decide they want it, that being said I know very little about the agreement between Sqaud and TG.

Elfie.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:26:09 AM1/20/16
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The world library will continue to work and function as it has before. It is my understanding that Microsoft will continue to keep those worlds available after the transition, but that will be their decision.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:27:22 AM1/20/16
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Microsoft has not yet announced many details or the answers to these questions. But their intention is to make it easy for as many schools as possible to use the new version. So there is no cause to worry yet.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:28:21 AM1/20/16
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I can't comment officially on Microsoft's sales plan for the Education Edition. But I personally think that's how it is supposed to work.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:28:43 AM1/20/16
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Yes, KerbalEdu remains unaffected by the acquisition of MinecraftEdu.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:29:32 AM1/20/16
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Any more questions? What would you like to know? We've put some answers together here:

On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 8:39:47 AM UTC-5, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu normally
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally until the new version is ready
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free

Pat James

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Jan 20, 2016, 11:11:00 AM1/20/16
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Do you know if Microsoft will include a full retail license for the non-education Minecraft client like MinecraftEDU does?  I suspect not.

Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 11:20:47 AM1/20/16
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I do not know. But my guess would be that this is a standalone product.

On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:11 AM, Pat James <p...@patjames.com> wrote:
Do you know if Microsoft will include a full retail license for the non-education Minecraft client like MinecraftEDU does?  I suspect not.

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 20, 2016, 11:30:23 AM1/20/16
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I'm here at the Bett conference with Microsoft and would be happy to pass along questions to them or get one of them to jump in this thread. They are showing their beta version of Education here.

Matt Coia

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Jan 20, 2016, 11:48:19 AM1/20/16
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Well, it would be nice to have Microsoft people be a part of this community and the other Minecraft Education communities that are out there.  I find it hard to believe that all the wonderful people who have contributed and benefited from this resource will all jump over to the Microsoft online community right away.  A place like this would seem to be a great source of info and feedback for them.

On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Kyle Calderwood <kcald...@tuckerton.k12.nj.us> wrote:
I'm here at the Bett conference with Microsoft and would be happy to pass along questions to them or get one of them to jump in this thread. They are showing their beta version of Education here.
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Shawn Avery

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Jan 20, 2016, 12:14:06 PM1/20/16
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Agree with Matt. This has been an incredible resource as I've been implementing Minecraft in my class. The help that's provided here has definitely allowed me to do more with Minecraft than I thought I could when first starting out. That being said, there's definitely a lot of questions as to how transitioning over will work so I think getting a couple people from Microsoft on these threads would definitely be beneficial to both sides moving forward. 


On Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 11:48:19 AM UTC-5, Matt Coia wrote:
Well, it would be nice to have Microsoft people be a part of this community and the other Minecraft Education communities that are out there.  I find it hard to believe that all the wonderful people who have contributed and benefited from this resource will all jump over to the Microsoft online community right away.  A place like this would seem to be a great source of info and feedback for them.
On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Kyle Calderwood <kcald...@tuckerton.k12.nj.us> wrote:
I'm here at the Bett conference with Microsoft and would be happy to pass along questions to them or get one of them to jump in this thread. They are showing their beta version of Education here.
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Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 12:39:12 PM1/20/16
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I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing Microsoft people showing up here. But just FYI, I think most of the Minecraft Education team is currently at the BETT conference in London. So they may be busy at the moment.

~Joel


On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 12:14 PM, Shawn Avery <sav...@slrsd.org> wrote:
Agree with Matt. This has been an incredible resource as I've been implementing Minecraft in my class. The help that's provided here has definitely allowed me to do more with Minecraft than I thought I could when first starting out. That being said, there's definitely a lot of questions as to how transitioning over will work so I think getting a couple people from Microsoft on these threads would definitely be beneficial to both sides moving forward. 

On Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 11:48:19 AM UTC-5, Matt Coia wrote:
Well, it would be nice to have Microsoft people be a part of this community and the other Minecraft Education communities that are out there.  I find it hard to believe that all the wonderful people who have contributed and benefited from this resource will all jump over to the Microsoft online community right away.  A place like this would seem to be a great source of info and feedback for them.
On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Kyle Calderwood <kcald...@tuckerton.k12.nj.us> wrote:
I'm here at the Bett conference with Microsoft and would be happy to pass along questions to them or get one of them to jump in this thread. They are showing their beta version of Education here.
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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 20, 2016, 12:42:24 PM1/20/16
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Yep Joel, I'm here with them. 
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/minecraft-teachers/CA%2BKocgM0u09gCrvxMbGCkQc5HcmwfjGiWtoaoG43_K-UUNUVsg%40mail.gmail.com.

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 20, 2016, 12:46:44 PM1/20/16
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I have time to do a quick Periscope if anyone wants to see it. My Twitter is @kcalderw


On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, Shawn Avery <sav...@slrsd.org> wrote:
Agree with Matt. This has been an incredible resource as I've been implementing Minecraft in my class. The help that's provided here has definitely allowed me to do more with Minecraft than I thought I could when first starting out. That being said, there's definitely a lot of questions as to how transitioning over will work so I think getting a couple people from Microsoft on these threads would definitely be beneficial to both sides moving forward. 

On Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 11:48:19 AM UTC-5, Matt Coia wrote:
Well, it would be nice to have Microsoft people be a part of this community and the other Minecraft Education communities that are out there.  I find it hard to believe that all the wonderful people who have contributed and benefited from this resource will all jump over to the Microsoft online community right away.  A place like this would seem to be a great source of info and feedback for them.
On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Kyle Calderwood <kcald...@tuckerton.k12.nj.us> wrote:
I'm here at the Bett conference with Microsoft and would be happy to pass along questions to them or get one of them to jump in this thread. They are showing their beta version of Education here.
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Lori Lind

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Jan 20, 2016, 4:57:08 PM1/20/16
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How long will MinecraftEdu be maintained and updated?


On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:39:47 AM UTC-6, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu normally
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally until the new version is ready
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free

Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 20, 2016, 5:00:57 PM1/20/16
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MinecraftEDU from what I was told today is done. There won't be anymore updates. You can run the current software as is without interruption but there will be no further updates.


Kyle Calderwood | Technology Coordinator, Tuckerton Elementary School
213 Marine Street | Tuckerton, NJ 08087 | P: 609.296.2858 x211
TeachMeetNJ organizer – a FREE educational tech conference: www.teachmeetnj.com


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Joel S.

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Jan 20, 2016, 5:13:37 PM1/20/16
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$5.00 per student per year (we have over 750 students in our school), not compatible with Macs, and no mods. These are the reasons why I'll stick with my current version of MC Edu as long as possible.

 

This whole thing feels like a pizza parlor that has become a franchise:

 

I used to make home-made pizza (MC Edu), using fresh toppings (mods), custom pizzas, and charged one low price for all products.  Then along comes Papa John's (aka Papa Gates). They promote how great their franchise is, how everyone will want to try their "new and improved" pizzas, even though they now use bulk ingredients (Windows 10). Customers would also need to purchase annual "memberships" (Costco or Sam's Club?) if they want to keep buying our pizzas. Now, instead of our original recipes and made-to-order pies, we are forced to sell generic pizzas that you would find anywhere. And what was once a family-owned business with a loyal customer base has now become a corporate franchise. 

 

Knowing how much Bill Gates has had a hand in Common Core (I’d be happy to back up this claim with evidence if anyone’s interested) is enough to make me quite cynical about this new business model. 

EduElfie

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Jan 20, 2016, 5:39:39 PM1/20/16
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You will find that TeacherGaming is still updating MinecraftEdu to 1.8.9, Aleksi mentioned that in a tweet. I am sure once Education Edition is released, MinecraftEdu will stop being updated, but the community and support will still be here for people wanting to use Minecraft in education, whatever form that may take for them.


On Thursday, 21 January 2016 09:00:57 UTC+11, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
MinecraftEDU from what I was told today is done. There won't be anymore updates. You can run the current software as is without interruption but there will be no further updates.


Kyle Calderwood | Technology Coordinator, Tuckerton Elementary School
213 Marine Street | Tuckerton, NJ 08087 | P: 609.296.2858 x211
TeachMeetNJ organizer – a FREE educational tech conference: www.teachmeetnj.com


On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 4:57 PM, Lori Lind <lori...@roundrockisd.org> wrote:
How long will MinecraftEdu be maintained and updated?

On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:39:47 AM UTC-6, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu normally
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally until the new version is ready
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free
  • TeacherGaming won’t be going anywhere and we have new exciting plans for the future!

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 20, 2016, 5:44:45 PM1/20/16
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Ok thanks for clearing that up about the last update. I had asked a MS rep today and that is what she told me.


On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, EduElfie <elford.s...@edumail.vic.gov.au> wrote:
You will find that TeacherGaming is still updating MinecraftEdu to 1.8.9, Aleksi mentioned that in a tweet. I am sure once Education Edition is released, MinecraftEdu will stop being updated, but the community and support will still be here for people wanting to use Minecraft in education, whatever form that may take for them.

On Thursday, 21 January 2016 09:00:57 UTC+11, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
MinecraftEDU from what I was told today is done. There won't be anymore updates. You can run the current software as is without interruption but there will be no further updates.


Kyle Calderwood | Technology Coordinator, Tuckerton Elementary School
213 Marine Street | Tuckerton, NJ 08087 | P: 609.296.2858 x211
TeachMeetNJ organizer – a FREE educational tech conference: www.teachmeetnj.com


On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 4:57 PM, Lori Lind <lori...@roundrockisd.org> wrote:
How long will MinecraftEdu be maintained and updated?

On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:39:47 AM UTC-6, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu normally
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally until the new version is ready
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free
  • TeacherGaming won’t be going anywhere and we have new exciting plans for the future!

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Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:35:31 PM1/20/16
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We don't have an precise answer to that question yet. I know it's on a lot of people's minds. It's something we are still working out with Microsoft. I'd like to be cautious and avoid saying anything inaccurate. Stay tuned.

~Joel

On Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 4:57 PM, Lori Lind <lori...@roundrockisd.org> wrote:
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Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:45:38 PM1/20/16
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Kyle, that is incorrect. MinecraftEdu will be updated AT LEAST one more time before active development ends. At least one important update that will come out. We need to address some background stuff to help keep the game running indefinitely (hopefully). But we might have another update with more new features, as well. 

We'll make updates about our final roadmap, soon.







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Joel Levin

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Jan 20, 2016, 10:50:30 PM1/20/16
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I can't say much about the new Education Edition. (EdEd?)  But I can say that there is definitely more than has been announced, so far. I think it's too early for people to pass judgement. And hey, you can always use both.

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 21, 2016, 2:46:40 AM1/21/16
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I was also assured by MS reps that features from EDU will definitely make it into their version. Right now there are no teacher functions (freeze students, teleport, etc) in the beta version.
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kathleen gerard

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Jan 21, 2016, 3:24:01 AM1/21/16
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I'm at BETT too, and was told that they were (paraphrasing) trying to get TeacherGaming to do a couple more updates before the official release...

Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 21, 2016, 3:54:26 AM1/21/16
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I'm going to interview the Sr. Manager for Minecraft today. If you have any questions put them here. I'm going to periscope it around 5:45p GMT. My Twitter is @kcalderw.

Andrew Forgrave

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Jan 21, 2016, 6:23:44 AM1/21/16
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EduElfie wrote:
At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

Is it correct then to assume that the Minecraft Education Edition will not only initially be Windows-only, but will also require Windows 10?  

Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 21, 2016, 6:31:36 AM1/21/16
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Andrew that is correct.
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Chris Goodson

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Jan 21, 2016, 9:28:44 AM1/21/16
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Holy cow! Requires Win10?

To quote my favorite space marine, "That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over!"

Do they understand that most school systems are still working with machines that won't run Win10? Do they understand that many of us only transitioned to Win7 a year or so ago?

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:31:36 AM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Andrew that is correct.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Andrew Forgrave <afor...@gmail.com> wrote:
EduElfie wrote:
At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

Is it correct then to assume that the Minecraft Education Edition will not only initially be Windows-only, but will also require Windows 10?  

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Michael Harvey

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Jan 21, 2016, 3:03:21 PM1/21/16
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These are the questions we all need to be asking Microsoft. Even if I had an unlimited budget and a lab of brand new Win10 machines, I would not be okay with. Microsoft is taking the movement of using Minecraft in schools and shooting it in the foot.

Joel Levin

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Jan 21, 2016, 4:01:58 PM1/21/16
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Regarding the Windows 10 question. I'll reiterate. There's a lot that they haven't announced yet about the Education Edition. I'd recommend waiting a bit before grabbing the pitchforks.

On Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Michael Harvey <mha...@falmouthschools.org> wrote:
These are the questions we all need to be asking Microsoft. Even if I had an unlimited budget and a lab of brand new Win10 machines, I would not be okay with. Microsoft is taking the movement of using Minecraft in schools and shooting it in the foot.


On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 9:28:44 AM UTC-5, Chris Goodson wrote:
Holy cow! Requires Win10?

To quote my favorite space marine, "That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over!"

Do they understand that most school systems are still working with machines that won't run Win10? Do they understand that many of us only transitioned to Win7 a year or so ago?

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:31:36 AM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Andrew that is correct.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Andrew Forgrave <afor...@gmail.com> wrote:
EduElfie wrote:
At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

Is it correct then to assume that the Minecraft Education Edition will not only initially be Windows-only, but will also require Windows 10?  

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 21, 2016, 4:06:52 PM1/21/16
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Spoke again with Neal today. He said they are aware of everyone's concerns and that the version that is out now was only built in 2 months. We all need to take a breath and we will see what they can do before next school year. Joel is correct a lot has not been announced or is not allowed to be announced yet. I'm going to have a sit down with him tomorrow and I'll film and post on YouTube. Please post any and all questions and he will attempt to answer what he is allowed to.
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Michael Harvey

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Jan 21, 2016, 6:02:44 PM1/21/16
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Kyle,
My biggest concern is about mod compatibility. Could you try to get an official word on whether or not their are plans to support Forge and the modding community? Many great mods have been created that allow for teaching specific content: ComputerCraftEdu, qCraft, Customnpc's, GalactiCraft, etc. I am hoping Microsoft sees how much teachers value these extensions to the game.


On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 4:06:52 PM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Spoke again with Neal today. He said they are aware of everyone's concerns and that the version that is out now was only built in 2 months. We all need to take a breath and we will see what they can do before next school year. Joel is correct a lot has not been announced or is not allowed to be announced yet. I'm going to have a sit down with him tomorrow and I'll film and post on YouTube. Please post any and all questions and he will attempt to answer what he is allowed to.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Joel Levin <joel....@gmail.com> wrote:
Regarding the Windows 10 question. I'll reiterate. There's a lot that they haven't announced yet about the Education Edition. I'd recommend waiting a bit before grabbing the pitchforks.
On Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Michael Harvey <mha...@falmouthschools.org> wrote:
These are the questions we all need to be asking Microsoft. Even if I had an unlimited budget and a lab of brand new Win10 machines, I would not be okay with. Microsoft is taking the movement of using Minecraft in schools and shooting it in the foot.


On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 9:28:44 AM UTC-5, Chris Goodson wrote:
Holy cow! Requires Win10?

To quote my favorite space marine, "That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over!"

Do they understand that most school systems are still working with machines that won't run Win10? Do they understand that many of us only transitioned to Win7 a year or so ago?

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:31:36 AM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Andrew that is correct.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Andrew Forgrave <afor...@gmail.com> wrote:
EduElfie wrote:
At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

Is it correct then to assume that the Minecraft Education Edition will not only initially be Windows-only, but will also require Windows 10?  

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Kyle Calderwood

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Jan 21, 2016, 7:06:24 PM1/21/16
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Well unfortunately my flight was canceled on Sat so I now need to leave tomorrow due to the snowstorm in the NE. I have Neal's card and hopefully we can set something up online soon.


Kyle Calderwood | Technology Coordinator, Tuckerton Elementary School
213 Marine Street | Tuckerton, NJ 08087 | P: 609.296.2858 x211
TeachMeetNJ organizer – a FREE educational tech conference: www.teachmeetnj.com


On Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 6:02 PM, Michael Harvey <mha...@falmouthschools.org> wrote:
Kyle,
My biggest concern is about mod compatibility. Could you try to get an official word on whether or not their are plans to support Forge and the modding community? Many great mods have been created that allow for teaching specific content: ComputerCraftEdu, qCraft, Customnpc's, GalactiCraft, etc. I am hoping Microsoft sees how much teachers value these extensions to the game.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 4:06:52 PM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Spoke again with Neal today. He said they are aware of everyone's concerns and that the version that is out now was only built in 2 months. We all need to take a breath and we will see what they can do before next school year. Joel is correct a lot has not been announced or is not allowed to be announced yet. I'm going to have a sit down with him tomorrow and I'll film and post on YouTube. Please post any and all questions and he will attempt to answer what he is allowed to.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Joel Levin <joel....@gmail.com> wrote:
Regarding the Windows 10 question. I'll reiterate. There's a lot that they haven't announced yet about the Education Edition. I'd recommend waiting a bit before grabbing the pitchforks.
On Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Michael Harvey <mha...@falmouthschools.org> wrote:
These are the questions we all need to be asking Microsoft. Even if I had an unlimited budget and a lab of brand new Win10 machines, I would not be okay with. Microsoft is taking the movement of using Minecraft in schools and shooting it in the foot.


On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 9:28:44 AM UTC-5, Chris Goodson wrote:
Holy cow! Requires Win10?

To quote my favorite space marine, "That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over!"

Do they understand that most school systems are still working with machines that won't run Win10? Do they understand that many of us only transitioned to Win7 a year or so ago?

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:31:36 AM UTC-5, Kyle Calderwood wrote:
Andrew that is correct.

On Thursday, January 21, 2016, Andrew Forgrave <afor...@gmail.com> wrote:
EduElfie wrote:
At this stage you are correct, the Win10 version of Minecraft only works on Windows10, I have heard that a mac/linux version is in the works, but no idea on timelines unfortunately.

Is it correct then to assume that the Minecraft Education Edition will not only initially be Windows-only, but will also require Windows 10?  

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Shawn Avery

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Jan 22, 2016, 12:58:32 PM1/22/16
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If Minecraft Education comes with that table and those stools, sign me up! I'd love to have those in my classroom!

Rob

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Jan 23, 2016, 10:48:20 PM1/23/16
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No mods, Win10 only, based on PE...

I have a bad feeling about this!

Halligator1

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Jan 27, 2016, 5:15:28 AM1/27/16
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Greetings.
I see that we are offered the Education version one year for free. But will that year start running from summer of 2016,or can we postpone the year. There are no way that our school district will be up and ready for win10 the following year.

Hal

Michael Harvey

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Jan 27, 2016, 7:17:20 AM1/27/16
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Smart question, Hal. I've had the same thoughts. I am buying brand new computers for my lab this year, but all Macs. :)
I plan to just use MCEdu as long as possible, but it would be good to try out the new version too just so I can understand it a little more.

Ashley Trevino

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Jan 27, 2016, 11:54:41 AM1/27/16
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I'm presenting at a TX statewide conference on MCEdu next week. Great timing, huh?

Given that so much of this is nebulous, I'm just trying to help teachers make an informed decision at this point.

What crossed my mind today was Java compatibility. As Java continures to roll out updates how will this impact MCEdu? I'm assuming that when everything begins requiring Java 9 at some point will MCEdu continue to work? If not then this would probably be the point at which one would want to designate a set of hardware at their school to run MCEdu and therefore keep it at Java8.

Oracle pinky-sweared that they would limit new version releases to every 2 yrs. Java 8 was released 2014 so this would be the year for a new release.

FWIW, I still consider MCEdu to be a great purchase even if setting aside some EOL hardware is part of the solution.

Joel Levin

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Jan 27, 2016, 12:20:53 PM1/27/16
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This is a great question that we don't have much control over. Trying to get our little piece of software to play nice with multiple Java versions on different operating systems has been challenging. And you are right. Someday a Java update may come along that breaks our compatibility

In that event, you would need to keep an older version of Java installed, if possible. Currently both Windows and OSX have decent support for running older versions of Java. But it usually takes some extra steps to get working.

~Joel



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Ashley Trevino

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Jan 27, 2016, 12:42:16 PM1/27/16
to Minecraft Teachers
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2920183/microsoft-subnet/mark-your-calendar-java-9-finally-has-a-release-date.html

Sept. 22nd. I'm not a developer so forgive my ignorance but don't they release dev kits in advance? MCEdu would be able to ensure compatibility with the next release if so. It sounds like 9 will be different with its modularization. Perhaps easier on the ol' CPU which would be appreciated if schools must resort to using dedicated (older) hardware for this purpose.

I hate standardized testing as much as the next person and I'd bet this room REALLY detests them but testing is going all online now. In fact it was online testing system requirements that partially drove our latest hardware purchase. Yuck. I hate even putting that in print.

Java is an integral part of testing now.

It would be sweet to know that this will work with Java 9 and could be used effortlessly for another 2 yrs.

Sara Richards

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Jan 27, 2016, 1:44:00 PM1/27/16
to Minecraft Teachers
I just wanted to say thanks to Joel for chiming in here with this discussion. I am glad to hear that there are future updates planned from MinecraftEdu, and that we can generally agree that this community will continue to support each other. I initially was incredibly disappointed with the news, but I'll wait to hear what else Microsoft has to say about their new version before I make a final judgment. We can't afford the initial price estimate and don't have Windows 10, but maybe they'll announce something that makes those concerns less of a problem. 

By the way, I LOVE those tables and stools! I want to make those for my school!

Robijn Vogel

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Jan 28, 2016, 6:37:55 PM1/28/16
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I just wanted to inform you that the last time that Java broke compatibility with Minecraft in any way, was when Java 8u20 came out. Forge Mod Loader (McEdu needs this) suddenly did not want to work anymore. Lower Java 8 versions, like Java 8, 8u5 and 8u11 worked fine though, even though false rumours were being spread that Forge was incompatible with any Java 8 version

What I am trying to say is that the future upgrade to Java 9 doesn't have a substantially bigger chance to cause problems in compatibility than any other minor Java update.
How high is this chance? I don't think there have been enough past issues to determine this.
One out of eight Java 8 versions caused problems, but I do not know what issues some versions of Java 7 may or may not have caused. My Minecraft Forge experience isn't that old.

Let's just hope McEdu will update its Forge version if Forge 1291 becomes incompatible with Java. (Preferably sooner)

Toni Paavola

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Jan 29, 2016, 4:15:08 AM1/29/16
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At least with the latest Java 9 Early Access version MCEdu runs fine.

Pamela Rickard

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Jan 31, 2016, 6:34:48 PM1/31/16
to Minecraft Teachers
Yes, we will not update to Windows 10 for years. 

I teach students coding with the ComputerCraft mod for only six weeks at a time in our quarter-long STEAM class. News of the $5 yearly subscription model per student is a disappointment. 

No mods? Sad face.

Michael Harvey

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Jan 31, 2016, 8:04:37 PM1/31/16
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I'm with you Pamela. Keep in mind though that we have every reason to assume we can continue using our existing software for years to come.

Pamela Rickard

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Jan 31, 2016, 8:18:28 PM1/31/16
to Minecraft Teachers
I hope so. 

I don't know about the Java update stuff. Not sure what my IT department will do about that and how it all works.  The lab I use is not my lab and I doubt they will keep an old Java version on the machines just for me especially if they need to update for standardized testing.

Thoughts? :)

Sharon Roche

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Feb 1, 2016, 8:41:55 AM2/1/16
to Minecraft Teachers
Well, that really takes the cake.  We just purchased a handful of licenses at my public library and are set to go live in March.  The ability to have unlimited users as long as we could limit how many are on simultaneously was key to our decision.  Other branches are looking at us as a pilot with this launch, and now I don't know how to advise them.  Going with the new service is out of the question:  Cost per user would crush us...as we may have 150 users registered for server multiplayer groups at different times per month using 18 licenses, and any average Joe with a library card who wants to log on to access single player all the rest of the day.  Hence the 'public' in public library.  The EDU service was designed for schools AND libraries, and once again libraries are taking a hit.  Hopefully we won't need much support post-launch with EDU and can use our new licenses for a good long time, but if we do get stuck with no support I've got a lot of 'splainin to do with my director.  

Michael Harvey

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Feb 1, 2016, 10:00:11 AM2/1/16
to Minecraft Teachers
Sharon,
In terms of support I can all but promise that this group will continue to be available for just that. I've never seen a more dedicated online group of teachers. Many of us, perhaps the majority, are in similar situations to your own. I don't think you should feel any regret or worry over the purchase. If anything, be relieved that you purchased MCEdu while it is available. I am going out of my way to encourage other local districts to do the same right now. If the next version ever becomes superior, we can make the switch at that time. For now, I'm comforted to know that what we already bought still works great!
Mike

Ashley Trevino

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Feb 1, 2016, 11:26:44 AM2/1/16
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I agree with Mike here too.  I'm encouraging educators to grab this while there is still a chance because it is a great deal, great product backed up by a supportive community.

The other caveat to Microsoft's approach regarding Windows 10 requirement is that this OS upgrade, although free, is not a decision for teachers or even campus-level techs to make in most school districts. There are Desktop Engineers that have to test Win10 against alllll of the Edu apps that are being used across their district and then create an standardized image that can be placed on a server and deployed by onsite desktop support (or automatically overnight if they have huge b....). Why?  Because of alllll of the subsequent updates/patches that come after it. They need a set of standard machines that have all of those quirky software apps installed to test on first so that each update that goes out across all of those machines at night doesn't end up breaking hundreds of them all at once and setting them up to get sued.  That is not a small task.  For example, there are some antiquated apps and peripherals (scanners & such) that are used by SPED - that stuff has to run by law.  Unless Microsoft plans on dropping support for Win7 (the way they did a few yrs ago for XP) there will not be a reason to make that move. Too much other $&@? to do. When IT finds a Win OS that is stable - they stick with it for as long as they possibly can.  If MSMCEE creates a superb product that is FIRE and EVERYONE wants it and standardized tests are given through it (hey, that would be cool), this one product is not going to drive that train.
I still have an XP box at home. Don't  let my kids on it (or even my husband) but I still love it. Has old versions of software that companies have changed (for the worse imo) so I still use it for that purpose. I don't have a crystal ball but I think that that Win10 requirement will not pan out like they are hoping and won't stick.  The Java issue may not happen for a long time but even if it did pop up within the next year you are STILL getting a great deal with MCEdu and the free yr of MS's version. 

It would be super cool if MS allowed that free year to kick in when Java eventually does become an issue in exchange for all of the dedication these innovative teachers took on in getting their product tested out in schools across the globe. An olive branch that would keep these special kind of teachers in their camp and continuing to innovate in the trenches.    Continuing our work in MCEdu for just a few years longer just gives them further ideas that have been classroom-tested that they can then confidently integrate into their product. Doing what all of these MC teachers (you gals & guys) have done takes bravery and determination. You are the GREAT teachers working even more above and beyond than the typical over-burdened teacher.  I am not a teacher but I work with all of them so I see the challenges you all face. You deserve that AND a few sets of those killer tables & chairs. ;-).

stepping off box now, 

Ashley Trevino
Technology Support
Baldwin Elementary

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Lori Weedo

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Feb 7, 2016, 11:07:56 AM2/7/16
to Minecraft Teachers
Does anyone know when the purchases for MinecraftEdu will go away? Thanks.


On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:39:47 AM UTC-6, Aleksi Postari wrote:
On January 19th 2016, Microsoft announced they will be acquiring MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming. At the same time, a new educational version of the game was announced: Minecraft: Education Edition will launch this summer to schools around the world. You can read Minecraft: Education Edition FAQ here. You can read our blogpost from here.

In a nutshell:
  • You can still keep using MinecraftEdu as long as you like
  • MinecraftEdu sales will continue normally for now
  • Existing customers will be offered one year of Education Edition for free by Microsoft
  • MinecraftEdu Hosted Servers will keep working, and you can still sign up for them

EduElfie

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Feb 7, 2016, 4:33:14 PM2/7/16
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The current word on the street is when the Education Edition is released, which is supposed to be in time for the new school year in the US.

Elfie.

Lori Weedo

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Feb 7, 2016, 10:36:10 PM2/7/16
to Minecraft Teachers
Thanks! I just needed to know how long to continue promoting and providing pd to teachers on the MinecraftEdu before it's too late. The Microsoft Education Edition will not be an option for all our Mac users...and we also don't have Windows 10 yet. Don't think paying $5 per user per year is a viable option either. 

Bishal Monger

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Mar 26, 2016, 9:24:40 PM3/26/16
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Sharon Roche

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Mar 27, 2016, 2:23:55 PM3/27/16
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So post-launch of the Minecraft in the Library club - we have almost finished our first month.  Kids are ecstatic, parents are happy too.  My director is very satisfied with our investment.  I've been up front about the acquisition by Microsoft.  We are currently on the cloud server, which I find a lot to like about in terms of ease of use, convenience, and their responsiveness.  Things were bumpy when we launched since there were glitches with the cloud server that of course coincided with our launch date... I am being asked to present to other member libraries and I'd actually recommend to 'buy now' since the MIE edition will not work for libraries.  My only nagging concerns are compatibility of EDU with Java updates, and the cloud server commitment long term,  in terms of us having to adapt over time.  Having the Minecraft Teachers group around has been incredibly helpful from the start...I've lurked on several threads and gotten some good advice on others.  THANKS!!!

Matt Coia

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Mar 27, 2016, 4:24:16 PM3/27/16
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We're glad that it has worked out for you! I do believe you can maintain more than one version of Java on your machines so in theory, you should be set forever, even if new Java versions stop being compatible with MCEDU. 
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