Monday, January 21, 2008

Lets get real about laptops & kids!

Okay so the goverment are offering tax incentives? for each child in a school a laptop or access to one via the school resources. There was something even on the table beginging with a audit on schools seeing where a resource rich and a resource poor private schools could equally fund a music room and then share it.. (but thats getting off track)
That aside from what can, may or will happen. Lets talk kids or teens with laptops.
I saw the sunrise, chanel 10 gadget guy segment today and it was all about this. Laptops and kids.
What he recommended was incredible! (but when hasnt that segment been for rich and dumb people? seriously) Link to gadgets
First off, the gadget guy just like today tonight or a current affair is obviously shameless paid advertising. E.g pete (the gadget guy) says "brand is very important" camera zooms in on HP logo. *rolls eyes*
He recommended a HP or a compaq laptop. With any laptop, if its something other than dell be ready for any warranty or malfunction problem to be a lengthy problem with hardly any support. I think the only reason he picked these laptops were because of the weight. lets think about this, kids already carry books, books arent going to be replaced because less face it spelling and writing is a must to learn! Goodness knows how many boys have messy writing! lol!
where was i? hmm..

OK lets think about laptops and kids again, 1 spill of any sugar added liquid on the keyboard and its non-repairable! Did you hear? Yes johhny just spilled his fruit juice on the keyboard and now a few of the keys are a bit sticky, $1699 down the drain!
we have 2 laptops in the house with sticky keys, one which i do not recall ever spilling juice on!

Kids dont need a light laptop if they are using a wheeled laptop case/bag. They dont need 100gb space! They do NOT EVER NEED 2gb ram! They do not need a dual core or fast processor!!!!
Im sorry do you have a dual processor and 2GB ram on your home computer?
I know i have 3gb ram, but then we use 3d graphic software and special effects video editing software (well we would if i spent hours reading the manual) You dont need 2GB ram to run photoshop, paint, word, open office.. You dont need 2GB ram to write a essay or a project, send email or view the web! Sure laptops run slower than a normal pc. Consider the space of your home computer box to the size of a 3-5kg laptop.. concessions have to be made!

As for backing up it was suggested to buy a 300gb portable hardrive. Given that we just bought a 250gb one for $130 they are a good investment. But unless your a photographer (the ones that take so many photos in like 20seconds) you dont need a portable hardrive. Portable hardrives do come with warranty (but its not much good, if its died the contents have probably gone as well or the factory will do a reset anyway if your not given a replacement!) writeable cd's are the way to go, as long as they are looked after and stored right they should last. However its worth checking them every so often (they can actually loose data or like do this weird leaky corrupt thing on the surface) or making a backup every week anyways. A writeable cd does not last as long as a factory done cd of e.g sims.

A cheap back up idea, that doesnt need another power point or create more carbon and green house gases is a $15 usb 1gb stick found at post office, office works, k-mart. I have one on my keychain! A 1GB stick can store alot of essays, powerpoint presentations, graphics.. just leave the mp3 files on a laptop, a cd (since most cd players these days can read/play mp3) or the ipod. Its easier to loose, but if a parent keeps it at home and does the back up, no issues!

Another thing overlooked by pretty much everybody is.... DRUMROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one has considered battery power or how long it lasts. No one has considered fitting classrooms (other than a already used computer room) with extra power points. (unless tables are along walls or powerpoints up on the ceiling, otherwise all those cables are a OH&S issue)
yes when your buying you can see the specs and usually it will say how long the battery power will last. But do you know how long battery power lasts on average? about a hour or less. I'm sorry how long do they go to school for? lol. AND the thing with battery power is the more heavy programs or more programs used at one time on a laptop the bigger the drain on battery power.

Of course theres always going to be a kid with the best laptop ever.. and the kids without or a slow school one.. its another chance in schools to split the haves and the have nots. :(

1 comment:

maria said...

I do not support the idea of Jenna carrying a laptop to and from school for starters. When she started at her new school in Grade 5, a 'stick' was on the booklist.

She had a 128megabyte one and we had the choice of Jenna looking after it (from school to home and back constantly) or the teacher would 'mind' it in a box. So we opted for the teacher to mind it. A month before school was finished, the teacher was sacked promptly and left immediately. We tried and tried to get that stick back but nobody knew anything.

Anyway Jenna has a brand new stick this year, I think 2G was recommended but Paul bought her a 4G one!

My keys aren't sticky on my laptop (which I'm typing on now).. but I'd love to pop the keys off (if they popped off) and vacuum the bed of food crumbs that's for sure!