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4836

Affordability and Durability for Student Laptop Initiative

4836 points posted to Education, Laptops by hdrews 02/21/07

If our district was to even consider a 1:1 student to computer ratio, we would need something much more affordable than what is out there now. Money could be saved by cutting storage space, video quality, and more. What our students generally need at their desks is the ability to surf the net and work in an "office" suite. Advanced projects can be done in our more robust labs.

Also, a laptop initiative is no good if in-house support increases 10-fold. These have to be durable. If they fall off a desk, they have to keep working. Replacement batteries need to be less expensive or an extra battery should come with each purchase.

hdrews
08/15/07		 Merged Idea originally posted 02/23/07
Durability and Affordability for Student Laptop Initiative

If our district was to even consider a 1:1 student to computer ratio, we would need something much more affordable than what is out there now. Money could be saved by cutting storage space, video quality, and more. What our students generally need at their desks is the ability to surf the net and work in an "office" suite. Advanced projects can be done in our more robust labs.

Also, a laptop initiative is no good if in-house support increases 10-fold. These have to be durable. If they fall off a desk, they have to keep working. Replacement batteries need to be less expensive or an extra battery should come with each purchase.
abicknell
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
How about developing laptops for school use that are kid-friendly? For example, have keyboards where the keys can't come off. Have limited access for users, except for administrators who can make changes from a central site. Have educational software and bookmarked websites. It would also be great if there was some way to log a student's time on the computer and maybe even be able to take attendance by computer. Ask teachers who are currently using computers in schools what problems they have seen and how to correct them.
dhart
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07

Offer an inexpensive and durable Universal Education Dell PC product line.

Offer the OPTION of free pre-installed free and open source educational software such as the excellent Gcompris and others.

Offer the OPTION for:

1. Education software produced for Windows to run on Linux & Mac OS (for example, via CrossOver).
2. Education software produced for Linux to run on Windows & Mac OS (for example, via coLinux).
3. Education software produced for Mac OS to run on Windows & Linux (for example, via GNUstep).

Include the ability to run OLPC software on ALL Dell PCs (One Laptop Per Child).

Offer rugged and child-friendly laptop and mini PC configurations. Cast your vote for a mini Dell PC.

Provide parental CHOICE of operating systems and installed software. Pre-installed quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. Cast your vote for Edubuntu Linux and other free software. Cast your vote for CHOICE and transparency at Dell.
firefox
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Linux is the futur of the computers! For freedom, use linux operating system. Get's out Windows!
usacomputertec
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Linux Rocks. It is not only more capable than Windows and more stable but it is Virus Free and Cost Free. I suggest that a reliable Video Editor be pre-installed and tested that can take the place of Windows Media Player. Open office and Firefox are no brainers
lyceum
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
I vote yes to Linux. Go with Ubuntu, it is free, and easy to use. I buy used Dell PC's all the time and re-sell them with Ubuntu installed. The end result is a great computer with with a great operating system. I would never buy a new PC if I have no choice in the OS it comes from.
revolution
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Dell have a pretty tight contract with Microsoft. They wouldnt bite the hand that feeds them.
Their problems will start when Vista falls flat.
With my Dell I just waved goodbye to XP and installed Ubuntu.
Now I couldnt be happier. No more nagging popups. No more virus worries.
ashton
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
While normally I'd agree that biting the hand that feeds you is a bad idea; that hand starts to look tasty when you're starving to death.
dphurst
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Dell would need to ensure any Linux machine had the well supported Nvidia graphics option with an added note about binary vs open source drivers. This is important in education since accelerated graphics means kids can have FUN while learning. And, there is always the argument for TuxRacer!
maoriveros
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Linux is the right choice - congrats Dell!
But, what about Knoppix? It should be considered also.
There are other interesting options such Edubuntu for educational (and worldwide) purposes...

:-) Tks
pigeonflight
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Ubuntu, Ubuntu, Ubuntu (mindless chant)... okay... seriously... I'd buy a Dell, and I'd recommend a Dell if it comes preinstalled with Ubuntu.
I'm talking right across your line of laptops. I'm tired of paying the Windows tax since I only will wipe my harddrive anyway!
miq75
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Just a name: Edubuntu
reg
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 02/27/07
Oh, and since you are making everything free, embrace communism, pay your workers sub-slave wages, and enjoy a life of absolute poverty.

Then go look at the PHAT LOOT Mega Margins Apple charges for last year's hardware ($1499 for a 60 GB hard drive laptop ?!?!), then cry and drool.
markdarb
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 03/02/07
Free operating systems (such as GNU/Linux, as I'm sure you're aware) should really be considered for educational computers, because nothing more is needed, because it is cheaper, because it is very suitable for education, and because introducing young people to Windows (or Macintosh) and nothing else is a very bad thing.
moz
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 03/08/07
Build a device designed for education. Bigger than a handheld, smaller than a laptop, full os, tablet screen/USB external keyboard/mouse. Instant -on feature of a handheld, .11n wireless., durable and decent battey life. If Dell could leverage the device (R/D) with the textbook/book publishers OS and productivity vendor, they might have a chance of covering cost, making a profit and actually building a device for one of their largest verticals....
xmechanic
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 03/27/07
How about a low-cost laptop 'thin-client'? No hard drive necessary. The machine could be setup with a hard coded wireless connection (using a bootable configuration CD) and get it's OS and desktop from a terminal server such as K12OS and LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project). Several advantages would be addressed here. The machines would be limited to the school network, thus reducing the possibility of equipment damage and/or theft off-campus. Content would be easy to control via the terminal server on a per-logon basis. Power consumption would be minimal since there is no hard drive and CPU load would be drastically reduced, since most calculations take place on the terminal server, thus increasing battery life dramatically. As to the issue of saving projects, space would be allocated on the server, and if a student needed a copy of his/her project to work on at home, they could simply e-mail it to themselves via an online mail account like Yahoo or Gmail. Both have enough storage space by default to handle most anything they'd want to save. Printing would be done to a network printer connected also to the terminal server network. Each student could be assigned a machine at the beginning of the year and carry it from class to class, eliminating the need for all but one or 2 actual 'fat-client' desktop machines per classroom (as a fallback solution).
henkpoley
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 03/28/07
Merge article with http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/62128 ??
tsc.admin
08/15/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 04/22/07
Being involved in several 1:1 projects in my district with some Dell laptops, I think that the Dell has the opportunity to create a form factor that works well for a classroom and that can be brought home by students. A regular laptop works well for adults but lets face it, kids are hard on equipment and we've had to deal with issues involving dropped and abused laptops. Portability, weight, battery life and most all durability are what are needed as well as prices under $1000 (way under is even better.) Although the Origami form factor recently introduced by Microsoft has its issues, this concept may work better as a student laptop device. Basic web surfing and office applications are the functions that are used for many classroom applications so if the device can handle these adequately and at a good educational price. Schools should have a choice of OS on it whether that is Linux or Windows based on their needs.
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