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Affordability and Durability for Student Laptop Initiative
February 21, 2007
426 Votes
Status: Implemented
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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.
Status Update
The Latitude 2100 offers this. Please check out this blog for more details.
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Jul 24, 2009 Comment Link
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Posted By: jrprich
Regarding Dell's response that the Latitude 2100 fills the need for a durable low cost laptop for schools.......post 4240The Latitude 2100 offers this. Please check out this blog for more details.
I configured one with 2gb of RAM, 160gb HD, and a 3 year basic warranty = $632.00 each.
While this beats the usual $1,500 for a Ed Latitude it will not get us to a 1-1 ratio with the dollars available in K-12 Ed in Oregon
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: tsc.admin
Merged CommentBeing 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.
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: henkpoley
Merged CommentMerge article with http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/62128 ??
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: xmechanic
Merged CommentHow 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).
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: moz
Merged CommentBuild 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....
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: markdarb
Merged CommentFree 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.
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: reg
Merged CommentOh, 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.
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: miq75
Merged CommentJust a name: Edubuntu
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: pigeonflight
Merged CommentUbuntu, 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!
Aug 15, 2007 Comment Link
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Posted By: maoriveros
Merged CommentLinux 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
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