Comments on: Tiny Laptops For Fresno Grade School Kids http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/ General interest observations and true web-log. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:49:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nice home http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-897577 Nice home Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:33:01 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-897577 I would like i had it at the Univercity, for lectures, but not at school or college. I would like i had it at the Univercity, for lectures, but not at school or college.

]]> By: badcam http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-897506 badcam Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:04:24 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-897506 My wife keeps telling me me that "7 inches would satisfy her...if only!". My wife keeps telling me me that “7 inches would satisfy her…if only!”.

]]> By: ohwenzelph http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-895615 ohwenzelph Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:38:13 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895615 they got 1000 computers "But not every educator is thrilled with the $650,000 investment." so... ~$650 per computer in units of 1000. currently $410.83 shipped from newegg for 1. I don't know what kind of educational discount they negotiated or markdown for getting 1000 all at once, but an average of $240+ dollars overhead for EACH $400 pc purchased seems a little high, but typical of bureaucratic bloat where a big chunk of the donor/taxpayer's money gets lost in the "process" easiest money to spend? somebody elses they got 1000 computers
“But not every educator is thrilled with the $650,000 investment.”
so… ~$650 per computer in units of 1000.
currently $410.83 shipped from newegg for 1.
I don’t know what kind of educational discount they negotiated or markdown for getting 1000 all at once, but an average of $240+ dollars overhead for EACH $400 pc purchased seems a little high, but typical of bureaucratic bloat where a big chunk of the donor/taxpayer’s money gets lost in the “process”

easiest money to spend? somebody elses

]]> By: jbellies http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-895555 jbellies Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:31:15 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895555 If the screen is small, just adjust the number of characters per line. 40 sounds about right. HTML was designed with that in mind. I'd like to get my hands on an 8 GB SSD, in 2.5" laptop HD format, put it in an old Thinkpad 701C, and have true tiny and silent old-fashioned computing (with a butterfly keyboard). I'd like to pay $100 for the SSD-HD, and, no, I don't want to have to use an adapter. AFAIK, what you can get now is something 4x as large for 4x as much. If the screen is small, just adjust the number of characters per line. 40 sounds about right. HTML was designed with that in mind.

I’d like to get my hands on an 8 GB SSD, in 2.5″ laptop HD format, put it in an old Thinkpad 701C, and have true tiny and silent old-fashioned computing (with a butterfly keyboard). I’d like to pay $100 for the SSD-HD, and, no, I don’t want to have to use an adapter. AFAIK, what you can get now is something 4x as large for 4x as much.

]]> By: KevinL http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-895495 KevinL Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:48:34 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895495 When did pencils and paper stop working? One more reason to hate the corrupt public school system in this country. When did pencils and paper stop working? One more reason to hate the corrupt public school system in this country.

]]> By: Angel H. Wong http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-895466 Angel H. Wong Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:22:29 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895466 it's small enough to place on the bathroom and watch porn. it’s small enough to place on the bathroom and watch porn.

]]> By: ECA http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-2/#comment-895455 ECA Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:01:35 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895455 "I", would like to see SCHOOL systems publishing THEIR OWN BOOKS... FORGET buying this carp at OUT RAGIOUS prices... “I”, would like to see SCHOOL systems publishing THEIR OWN BOOKS… FORGET buying this carp at OUT RAGIOUS prices…

]]> By: MikeN http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895421 MikeN Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:41:51 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895421 Half size textbooks are an infinitely better use of resources than these laptops. You have less weight to be carried home by kids, on the margin meaning more books carried home and more homework done. Meanwhile the laptops are a net negative for education. Half size textbooks are an infinitely better use of resources than these laptops.

You have less weight to be carried home by kids, on the margin meaning more books carried home and more homework done.

Meanwhile the laptops are a net negative for education.

]]> By: Uncle Dave http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895266 Uncle Dave Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:01:34 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895266 #17: "Not everything Mom taught us is true" Given some of the things mine tried to teach me (racism, homophobia, religion, etc), I'm thankful for that! #17: “Not everything Mom taught us is true”

Given some of the things mine tried to teach me (racism, homophobia, religion, etc), I’m thankful for that!

]]> By: jim h http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895237 jim h Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:36:41 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895237 Any school districts that buy hundreds of these this year (or force parents to) are going to feel dumb in a year when new models have full-size screens. Would people buy half-size textbooks? Then why buy chopped half-size screens? This is obviously just a stopgap model intended to grab market share. Any school districts that buy hundreds of these this year (or force parents to) are going to feel dumb in a year when new models have full-size screens.

Would people buy half-size textbooks? Then why buy chopped half-size screens? This is obviously just a stopgap model intended to grab market share.

]]> By: the Three-Headed Cat http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895227 the Three-Headed Cat Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:28:49 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895227 Unca Dave? "With a screen that tiny how much you want to bet by the time these kids graduate high school they’re all wearing glasses." Old wives' tale. A too-small or too-dim screen cannot itself cause damage or diminish one's visual acuity; the worst it can do is tired eyes, eventually a headache - and over a long enough time, wrinkles from squinting... Not <i>everything </i> Mom taught us is true, heartbreaking as that may be... ;) Unca Dave?

“With a screen that tiny how much you want to bet by the time these kids graduate high school they’re all wearing glasses.”

Old wives’ tale.

A too-small or too-dim screen cannot itself cause damage or diminish one’s visual acuity; the worst it can do is tired eyes, eventually a headache – and over a long enough time, wrinkles from squinting…

Not everything Mom taught us is true, heartbreaking as that may be… ;)

]]> By: Ash http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895216 Ash Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:12:03 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895216 The limited screen size and power can keep kids in line and not be destracted with games, and other misc. activities while in class. Fresno Unified has some of the lowest scores in the nation. Fresno Unified families also has some of the lowest family incomes in Fresno County. This may not be an innovative solution, but at least a stepforward for some students. The key will be implementation of the technology. If student's couldn't write an essay with a pad and paper you can't just hand them a computer and expect War and Peace back. Other costs are associated with this idea as well, training teachers on the computers, new learning methods to integrate the computers and so on. This will be interesting to watch. The limited screen size and power can keep kids in line and not be destracted with games, and other misc. activities while in class. Fresno Unified has some of the lowest scores in the nation. Fresno Unified families also has some of the lowest family incomes in Fresno County. This may not be an innovative solution, but at least a stepforward for some students.
The key will be implementation of the technology. If student’s couldn’t write an essay with a pad and paper you can’t just hand them a computer and expect War and Peace back. Other costs are associated with this idea as well, training teachers on the computers, new learning methods to integrate the computers and so on.
This will be interesting to watch.

]]> By: Greg Allen http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895161 Greg Allen Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:11:07 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895161 As for the Eee! Pee! C computer... I think it looks fantastic. I'd love to get my hands on one... it might be the computer I've been demanding ever since I retired my Tandy 102. As for the Eee! Pee! C computer… I think it looks fantastic.

I’d love to get my hands on one… it might be the computer I’ve been demanding ever since I retired my Tandy 102.

]]> By: Greg Allen http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895157 Greg Allen Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:08:40 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895157 With schools brimming with WiFi, how much do you want to bet that some parent is going to sue Fresno Unified School District for causing their kid's leukemia due to exposure to so much RF? With schools brimming with WiFi, how much do you want to bet that some parent is going to sue Fresno Unified School District for causing their kid’s leukemia due to exposure to so much RF?

]]> By: MikeN http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/11/28/tiny-laptops-for-fresno-grade-school-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-895148 MikeN Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:01:00 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14822#comment-895148 Why are they giving kids computers to begin with? A waste of money. Why are they giving kids computers to begin with? A waste of money.

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