Weblog of Wesley Fryer

OK, so I’m a fanboy of VW – but only OLD AIRCOOLED VWs. Seriously.

The “right tool for the right job” often is the one that does just what it needs to do, without going “over the top.” In my school, a majority (95%? 51%?) of computing is basically “looking something up on the web” or “writing in a word processor.”

The occasional video gets edited. Teachers who fought hard to learn Dreamweaver don’t want to give it up for the simplicity of WordPress. And a few other tools come and go especially when it comes to doing grading, testing, foodservice, etc. But most of the time its a browser and a word processor.

Google Docs may even make the word processor obsolete at some point.

So why would I pay more for a Mac? Smooth transitions and a glossier interface? Better security, perhaps.

Enter the Netbook – no optical drive, long battery life & ultra portable. Can it get online & word process? You bet! And as thin-client-esque and application service provider type services become increasingly robust I’m pretty sure the “creative” side of kids will come out on what I really think will be sub-$200 netbooks.

Take that a step further with iPhone and Windows Mobile powered devices. Lots of computing power in your pocket and portable personal internet connections, but limited by screen size. How will creative apps translate to these devices? What about bluetooth enabled workstations that include a screen & keyboard (or an interface more appropriate to the task at hand?), connecting to the computing device in the student’s pocket?

RSS separated content and format – maybe the netbook is an intermediate step in separating computing from the interface?

Will the Apple/MS/Linux debate even matter if the GUI sits with the human interface device, instead of the processing & personal storage?

Don’t forget – all of this stuff is disposable. Its not good to get TOO attached. Tomorrow, it will all be different.

I, too, have felt torn at times by the netbook phenomenon. I bought a HP Mini 1000 (with Windows XP) for my wife this year to see how it worked in the hands of a classroom teacher. For the last few months she’s used it at home and school, putting it through it’s paces, and here’s what we’ve learned:

The hardware is good. Not great by any means, but useable. It’s small size lends itself to a certain amount of durability, but it’s still a plastic case. The keyboard is flakey at times, and the wireless radio is, at times, maddeningly inconsistent with it’s connection.

The usability is adequate, but overall mostly limited by the operating system. Windows XP runs fine on the Atom CPU and 1 GB of RAM, but the OS was NEVER meant to be used on a 10″ screen (and it shows). This is the biggest problem, and its genesis underscores the biggest flaw of the netbook: It will never be an Apple.

My MacBook Pro is beautiful, durable, and powerful. Its operating system is elegant, reliable, stable, fast, and oh, so useable. But the SYNERGY of Apple controlling both the hardware and software, designing each for the other, is what I value most. I was reminded of this recently when I became the Director of Technology at Sperry and had to wait over a week for a new (Mac) laptop to arrive. The NEW HP laptop (with the latest hardware and software) simply left me feeling frustrated and unproductive.

Is my MacBook Pro expensive compared to a netbook? Absolutely! Is it worth the extra cost? Absolutely! I can’t afford to use a discount computer.

What about netbooks for student use? The cost proposition is tempting, to be sure. At 1/3 the price of a MacBook, I could afford extras to deploy as they break (and they will). I just can’t get past the idea right now that I want my students and teachers to experience the value proposition of OS X and Apple hardware. The productive efficiency, creative capability, and unfailing stability and security are so difficult for me to get past.

I have HIGH hopes for an Apple touchscreen tablet device in a 10″ form factor. Such a device, running a flavour of OS X, with hardware quality that meets Apple standards, could be an unbelievable game changer in the education space! Imagine textbooks reinvented to go far beyond text to include error correction, interactive graphics and videos, annotation and note sharing, and teacher-embeddable annotations and links to related content. Imagine rural students connected when they get home by a special arrangement with a 3G provider such as AT&T or Verizon. Imagine students yawning at the thought of “high-stakes tests” because they’re accustomed to interactive, formative assessments with meaningful feedback from teachers. Imagine iMovie and GarageBand in the hands of every student. I’ve been imagining these things lately, and I’m convinced its not a matter of of, but when.

Just thought I would throw in there that I am writing this from a Dell Mini 9 running OS X Leopard.. So there are options out there… It adds significantly to the cost (copy of Leopard and technical persons time for the install), but it is doable and works very smoothly.

On another note, I think it is important for pupils to experience a variety of OSs, as that helps them to develop transferable skills rather than just “windows” or “mac” skills. It makes people less phased by unfamiliar interfaces and more aware of the merits of different systems. In my classroom next year we will have Macs, a windows PC abs ubuntu netbooks and I think this will be a valuable thing.

ecost.com has had deals on the lower model refurbished HP Mini Notes every couple of weeks.
http://www.ecost.com/Detail/Notebooks/HP/FT315UARABA/49954948.aspx?navid=155442127

I have been very close to buying two of them for my classroom the last few times I’ve seen the deal. I have one of the higher end models from when they first came out and two EEE’s in my classroom for students to use. I want more of them, but have been buying them myself. I keep mentioning them to my principal and he seems receptive so hopefully I’ve planted a bit of a seed.

Hi Wes, I’m involved in one of the Maine districts that compared both netbooks and Macs balancing price and features. I wonder how an Apple tablet (if it becomes a reality) might split the difference.

http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/97619

Interesting comments so far. I had an ACER Tablet PC (110i) for 3 years- a kind of older style netbook I’d like to call it. I loved it and gave it a real hammering. However, the 10 inch screen and the smaller cramped style keyboard finally got to me – I had to lean forward often just to see what I was working on and ended up with a lot of neck pain. To be quite honest I just got tired of win XP. So I bought a Mac – MBP – and fell in love, more-so with OSX the software. My productivity and ability just to self-learn and ‘do things’ improved off the scale. I am finding more and more colleagues new to Apple are enjoying the simplicity, functionality and user friendliness of OSX – these teachers have been given Macbooks – they are now creating videos / burning DVDs, making podcasts, composing music – their learning curves are steep. They are also buying iPhones – they are excited! Why weren’t they doing this on the Win XP machines in the previous 3 years? Since more Macs have become available at school, students are doing similar. They love the integration of applications in the iLife suite. They love creating media – isn’t that what the real rich learning is all about – creating, collaborating, critiquing etc. Like many, I’m waiting for the touch screen tablet mac. And just finally – when I tire of ‘all things Apple’ I’ll be looking out for the next innovation to capture my imagination and attention – can’t see this happening for a while.