[Technical] Notebooks

[Tien M. PHAN]

Hi Kevin,

At my school, Window desktop computers make up the majority of the student network in addition to 26 Student Lenovo R61 notebooks added to the school at the start of the year.
The school also has a small collection of 30 Apple Mac desktops and 58 Student Apple iMacs notebooks.

In my opinion we offer the same amount of support with the 26x Window R61 notebooks as with any standard window desktop.
The initial problems with the Notebook were:
-Creating a standard image with all the software available on a window desktop and every network printed installed.
-Physically Securing the notebooks & Charging (PCLock Trolleys)
-Protecting each notebook from technical damages cause by students
-Network Access

This was all solved in the end, we managed to create a image and set up the laptops with machine certificate to allow any network user wireless access through the EduPaSS system. Once this was set up, the laptops had access the same resources as a standard window machine. Deep Freeze was installed on the laptops, as with any other Window desktop preventing unauthorized changes. 

And because of Deep Freeze, we actually don't provide much support to the Student (win) laptops as we do with Staff laptops. (Where the workload is 4 times much trying to solve the problems each staff have done with their machines.)

In the end, I believe as technicians we felt the notebooks:
-Were much more efficiency in terms of energy usage.
-Allows kids to have a limited "portable" environment.
-Took up less space, which was a major advantage for us.

Overall, the window laptops have been a great additional to the school network - however I did mention another 58 iMac notebooks which is a whole other story.

Just to keep this part short, due to the relativity new Operating system Mac OS10.5 or leopard. We have had trouble providing support to the group of students using these machines as a Active Directory user in terms of constant logging problems and software failures. This is the only exception, where general support has been much higher for Apple Mac machines in general.
These problems are usually solved after downloading updates from Apple and the long process of imaging the machines over the network via Ethernet cables (I'll just let you imagine the time and effort to image 58 machines this way). 

Well, I hope that helps.
Regards,

Tien PHAN
ICT Support - Brentwood Secondary College
TPHAN at Brentwood.vic.edu.au

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-----Original Message-----
From: tech-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Kevin Feely
Sent: Tue 6/10/2008 7:06 PM
To: Technical Discussion in Schools Mailing List; Technical Discussion List
Subject: [Technical] Notebooks
 
Hi all,
I hope this is an appropriate discussion board for this, and if not my 
apologies.
In the Rudd "every kid will have a computer funds" we will have to 
decide between notebooks and desktops.
My own view at this time is that the extra quantities of desktops (~240) 
will simply overload our system in costs.
Infrastructure such as power points, networking, desks, chairs, etc. 
Plus there is no resale in a 3 year plus destop, so we could end up 
drowning in used desktops.
With notebooks, especially if we look at leasing them out to kids in a 
"curriculum program" we would avoid infrastructure costs such as 
networking ( use wireless systems) and space contraints as the kids take 
them with them.
Also notebooks do have a resale value and some funds could be recouped.
Also our annual electricity bill with an extra 200 plus desktops either 
on or in standby would run to 100's or a 1000 in extra electricity bills.

However there is a very strong view from our local and specialist 
technicians that notebooks require 4 times the amount of IT support than 
an equivalent desktop.

Could anyone with experience in supporting both desktops and a student 
based notebook program please help with replies on the pros and cons of 
desktops v notebooks, specifically wrt IT support demands.
I could be cynical and ask that we do not consider the support that 
teacher notebooks require as maybe in that field the IT staff are correct..

However any and all replies will be gratefully accepted.

kond regards
Kevin Feely

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