I did hear from one teacher that you just remove the HDD and pop in a new one that is much larger (Say 120 Gb+) Keep the old HDD or use in a portable usb2 hdd box. This would set you back by around $100. Of course you would need to replace everything at the end of the laptop cycle and your new HDD would not be covered by the laptop warranty.
<br><br>I notice that there are some super cheap laptops now out that come with Linux for just a couple of hundred dollars. Imagine if schools would consider using something like these as entry level hardware for staff or students?
<br> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2f8v4z">http://tinyurl.com/2f8v4z</a> (Age news report)<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 28/08/2007, <b class="gmail_sendername">Cameron Bell</b> <<a href="mailto:bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au">
bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><disillusionment><br>Is it just me or are you finding that the notebooks DEECD lease are
<br>struggling to keep up?<br>I have put a Gig of RAM in the R51 (up from default 512) I have and<br>because at any given time I am running a virtual box, a remote desktop<br>session for admin, plus email plus online marking, the thing is having a
<br>hernia. I don't even bother with Clickview videos.<br>I was thinking of getting a Macbook in the next rollout, but I have<br>severe doubts that they would be any better, especially given the<br>miniscule partition size you are left with if you install XP as well. (I
<br>would need 3 partitions to take any advantage of getting a Mac - Ubuntu,<br>OSX and XP)<br><br>At least in NSW teachers can lease the Macbook Pro. Would be good if we<br>at least had an option of getting a reasonably speccd machine. Many
<br>users wouldn't need it, but I reckon that if you include all the<br>graphics teachers, multimedia, or other "power users" (I hate that term)<br>across the state, it could justify a choice.<br>Cheers<br>Cameron
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</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead