Yesterday, I wrote about the different products that are creeping out into the market, which offer the chance to change your model for ICT provision in school, and to make a rapid shift to ICT-enabled teaching and learning for all pupils. Later on, one of my colleagues came and asked me for a bit of advice - basically, how do you choose - what are the compromises that have to be made when choosing different options.
So, in case you have the same question, here's my quick-and-simple take on the choices & compromises today:
Choosing a low-cost laptop Pros Cons Screen Size Larger, high resolution (eg above 8” and 1024x768) Easier to read & don’t lose all of the screen to menus Battery life reduce Smaller, lower resolution Longer battery life Okay for web surfing Not a replacement for a full PC/laptop Battery Life High capacity battery 4 hours is enough to provide use for a whole school day (assuming it is not on all the time!) Weighs more – can students carry it always? Lower capacity battery More practical to carry everywhere, because of weight Need to allow students to recharge battery during day Operating Systems Linux Fast boot Cheapest (no operating system cost) Doesn’t match pupil experience at home/school More difficult for school to manage holistically Windows XP Familiar, and fits your existing ICT infrastructure. Allows you to manage security and software holistically Not the latest version, and may not match what students have at home. Windows Vista Matches home PC and gives pupils the most up-to-date experience Requires more powerful laptop
Choosing a low-cost laptop
Pros
Cons
Screen Size
Larger, high resolution (eg above 8” and 1024x768)
Easier to read & don’t lose all of the screen to menus
Battery life reduce
Smaller, lower resolution
Longer battery life
Okay for web surfing
Not a replacement for a full PC/laptop
Battery Life
High capacity battery
4 hours is enough to provide use for a whole school day (assuming it is not on all the time!)
Weighs more – can students carry it always?
Lower capacity battery
More practical to carry everywhere, because of weight
Need to allow students to recharge battery during day
Operating Systems
Linux
Fast boot
Cheapest (no operating system cost)
Doesn’t match pupil experience at home/school
More difficult for school to manage holistically
Windows XP
Familiar, and fits your existing ICT infrastructure.
Allows you to manage security and software holistically
Not the latest version, and may not match what students have at home.
Windows Vista
Matches home PC and gives pupils the most up-to-date experience
Requires more powerful laptop
This isn't intended to be an exhaustive list - it's just the list from the top of my head today.
Even as I look at it now, I can see how it can be improved - for example I say "Fast boot" as a Pro for Linux, but then I never switch off my laptop running Vista - I just use sleep mode all the time, whenever I move between meetings, or take it away from my desk. This means I can start it back up almost instantly, and it comes back in the same state I left it. So it means if I've started an email, I can finish it later, but can switch off my laptop in the meantime as I carry it around. It also means I don't leave it switched on, draining the battery, when I'm not using it, because it only takes a few seconds to reboot.
What do you think?