Classmate PC
This could be a really useful tool. I want to play with it for awhile but if anyone has any experience with these or any feedback I'd love to hear from you. It is running winXP and has a 30 GB hard drive. 512 mb Ram could be limiting and I'm not sure if it is upgradeable. Built in wireless took me a couple of minutes to get connected on my home network. Also has ethernet port and two usb ports. Headphone and mic input but that is all. I'm no touch typist but the small keys are not too bad. You wouldn't want to be typing a lot on it but then mostly we don't type screeds of stuff.
I will attempt to get back to blogging soonish. At the moment I am enhjoying the challenge of Team teaching with two others a class of 70 fantastic year 7 and 8 pupils.
posted by Paul Wilkinson @ 6:33 pm
2 Comments:
We are currently trialing the poor sister version of this computer = the EeePC. Looks like a goer, we will probably buy a pod of 6-8. Very internet and web2 friendly.
Has been hard for me to get my fingers used to typing on it... but if I had one, I could carry it in my handbag... oh the possibilities!
Thanks for the comment Rachel. If you are looking at the EEE I suggest you check out the Classmate cause to me it just seems more robust. It does have a few downsides, No VGA output means you can't plug it in to a data projector or a bigger screen. The inbuilt mic is really poor. I do wish the screen was just that bit bigger but it is the same dimensions as the EEE. I found the EEE hard to type on too but the classmate is just better somehow. I'm not really sure what it is. The kids love it! I thought they might think it a bit tiny but the reaction has all been positive so far. This may be the way we can get into 1:1 computing. I'm starting to think we may be able to suggest that parents buy them for their children. We are not a wealthy school by any stretch but already I have had a couple of parents say they would just buy one. I'm waiting to hear back on price etc. I'm sure that if they are successful then others will start to come out with higher spec models. The thing for me is the price has to be low enough so that parents would say sure we can do that. In a lower decile school like ours I reckon that needs to be about $400. Maybe a business would like to sponsor one???!! If anyone is reading this and feels like being the first sponsor let me know!
Cheers
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