[Year 12 IT Apps] [OT] 'Ruddy' Computers

[Timmer-Arends]

Hello Mark
the same issue has been raised at Brighton SC and I have suggested we look 
into the $500-ish computers such as the eePC from Asus. Very robust and will 
probably suit most general purpose classroom applications. And perhaps small 
enough to have many class sets which don't need an enormous trolley to be 
lugged around in, plus a battery life that should see out a normal school 
day.

Regards
Robert T-A
Brighton SC



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Kelly" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List" 
<itapps at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:27 PM
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] [OT] 'Ruddy' Computers


> Hi all.  This is OT, but I just wanted to air this.  If the thread 
> develops, we can move it to the OffTopic list.
>
> I wanted to get people's ideas about the money we are being given to get 
> us to a 1:2 computer/student ratio.
>
> Yesterday I found we were entitled to apply for funding for 257 computers, 
> which is wonderful except for the fact that we have nowhere to put them.
>
> I could perhaps use about 45 of them, but 257?  Not unless we also get 
> funding for new buildings, cabling, tech support, software licences etc.
>
> If we applied for the maximum amount of money we are entitled to, the only 
> only option would be for use to stack the computers five-deep in shipping 
> containers on the oval.
>
> At $1000 per PC (assuming about $650 for the hardware the the rest for 
> associated expenses) I can't see it working.  And we can't just use the 
> money to replace existing computers - we have to add to the existing 
> fleet.
>
> It's starting to look like a white elephant: the gift you'd give to 
> someone you really didn't like  :-)
>
> Is anyone else in the same boat?
>
> Cheers
> Mark
>
> -- 
> Mark Kelly
> Manager - Information Systems
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
> School Phone +613 8520 9000
> School Fax +613 95789253
> kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
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