When I say “special” I mean a delivery so special it can’t be delivered at all!
Some time ago I started work trying to get hold of a Dell XT-3 Tablet. It’s a current model and it meets some of our requirements. I also know of another school using it in a tablet PC program, so it’s got some credibility.
That’s all great, however months have gone by since I originally enquired about getting a demo machine. After signing the required paperwork to ensure them I won’t break it, sell it, or take it to Mordor and throw it into a volcano nothing has happened.
If it wasn’t for the fact I have to keep my options open here, I don’t think I’d bother with it at all.
UPDATE:
After several enquiries and one somewhat unhappy email making it to people high up in Dell’s Australian sales team, I’ve been told I can have an XT3. Apparently it’s one they found somewhere else in the company (so not a made-to-order demo like we usually get). But I’ll take it anyway.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Chasing Geese
So, we have our first test machine for our staff machine rollout next year. The idea here is that the teachers get something ahead of the kids that sets the scene for our 1:1 program next year.
The machine sent to us was the Lenovo X230T (pictured). Interesting because it’s a traditional Windows Tablet PC form-factor with multi-touch capabilities. Available in an i5 version (which is where we’ll be aiming), it seems to tick a number of boxes, on paper at least. Probably the only issue is how well it runs Windows 8, apparently some schools have looked at it previously, and had trouble getting some drivers to work. I’ve been told by a reseller though, that they believe the drivers are due to be updated for Win 8 soon, so I guess we’ll see.
It’s been handed to one of our teachers for a look and the impression has been overall quite positive. The demo model didn’t have an SSD though, which we’d require if we were to buy it.
Whether it turns out to be any good or not, it’s nice to at least have it. It wasn’t easy to get hold of. We were originally told by one reseller that we could have it as soon as another school was finished, only to have that reseller spend weeks trying to track it down as it went from school to school, avoiding us like we had the plague. When push finally came to shove we were told that the particular demo unit had been arranged by another reseller and we couldn’t have it. We contacted said other reseller and had it in our hands within a week.
Needless to say, we won’t be hurrying back to that first reseller anytime soon.
The machine sent to us was the Lenovo X230T (pictured). Interesting because it’s a traditional Windows Tablet PC form-factor with multi-touch capabilities. Available in an i5 version (which is where we’ll be aiming), it seems to tick a number of boxes, on paper at least. Probably the only issue is how well it runs Windows 8, apparently some schools have looked at it previously, and had trouble getting some drivers to work. I’ve been told by a reseller though, that they believe the drivers are due to be updated for Win 8 soon, so I guess we’ll see.
It’s been handed to one of our teachers for a look and the impression has been overall quite positive. The demo model didn’t have an SSD though, which we’d require if we were to buy it.
Whether it turns out to be any good or not, it’s nice to at least have it. It wasn’t easy to get hold of. We were originally told by one reseller that we could have it as soon as another school was finished, only to have that reseller spend weeks trying to track it down as it went from school to school, avoiding us like we had the plague. When push finally came to shove we were told that the particular demo unit had been arranged by another reseller and we couldn’t have it. We contacted said other reseller and had it in our hands within a week.
Needless to say, we won’t be hurrying back to that first reseller anytime soon.
Friday, October 5, 2012
BYO, but not the kind I like.
This is old news now, but I thought it worth an update here on our timeframes and requirements for 1:1 and all the rest (yup, it's grown).
I've recently notified all teaching staff of our intentions for computing going forward so here's a potted version of that.
1:1 in Year 7
Identified as our best area to target with a new program (for a variety of reasons), we'll be rolling out new Windows 8 based, touch and pen enabled PC's to Year 7 next year, but not at the beginning of the year. This will take place mid-year at the beginning of third term.
New Staff Devices
It's time to do away with the old Lenovo laptops which are suffering badly from a higher than expected rate of hardware failure. We're replacing these with Windows 8 based touch-enabled devices with a pen. This will happen in December/January next year.
BYOD in 11 and 12
Our senior students (year 11 and 12) will be asked to provide a machine of their own from the beginning of 2013. They'll be given access to our network and some network resources and provided limited I.T. Support (ie. their connectivity will be maintainted, but not their PC).
They'll be allowed to bring anything, within limits. Basically, anything that has a screen-size 10" or larger and has a keyboard (and probably some software requirements as well).
LMS
We've got a sub-group of our Working Party underway investigating different Learning Management Systems with a view to selecting one and running with it in 2013.
I've recently notified all teaching staff of our intentions for computing going forward so here's a potted version of that.
1:1 in Year 7
Identified as our best area to target with a new program (for a variety of reasons), we'll be rolling out new Windows 8 based, touch and pen enabled PC's to Year 7 next year, but not at the beginning of the year. This will take place mid-year at the beginning of third term.
New Staff Devices
It's time to do away with the old Lenovo laptops which are suffering badly from a higher than expected rate of hardware failure. We're replacing these with Windows 8 based touch-enabled devices with a pen. This will happen in December/January next year.
BYOD in 11 and 12
Our senior students (year 11 and 12) will be asked to provide a machine of their own from the beginning of 2013. They'll be given access to our network and some network resources and provided limited I.T. Support (ie. their connectivity will be maintainted, but not their PC).
They'll be allowed to bring anything, within limits. Basically, anything that has a screen-size 10" or larger and has a keyboard (and probably some software requirements as well).
LMS
We've got a sub-group of our Working Party underway investigating different Learning Management Systems with a view to selecting one and running with it in 2013.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
More potential devices?
I've made a few more contacts with regard to devices for staff and/or students. Dell are in the process of finding me an XT3 (the basis of a Hobart schools 1:1 program), and Toshiba seem to think they can send me a demo of one of their M930. So at the moment it looks like I might have up to four candidates, with more to be released in a month or two.
I also have a meeting arranged with Samsung. I have to travel a couple of hours for the privilege, but they seem keen to approach schools with the promise of longer warranties supported by local service centres (that are yet to be esablished). Interesting!
I also have a meeting arranged with Samsung. I have to travel a couple of hours for the privilege, but they seem keen to approach schools with the promise of longer warranties supported by local service centres (that are yet to be esablished). Interesting!
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