Kristian Still's BlogChallenge and Inspire

Every January, just four months into the current Laptops4Learning programme, our E-Resource Manager and I began planning, researching and procuring test devices for the start of the next academic year. Each year we remind ourselves, it is not about the device, but rather the teaching and learning that technology enables. It is supporting staff to rethink their role and redesign their delivery model, that matters most. It is getting the systems and communication right. It is secure and resilient IT infrastructure and wireless. It is effective deployment. It is not about the device, but I  just can’t help but be distracted aware of the acceleration of the tablet PC market.

Let first define our ‘space.’ It is not a consumer space, nor personal space, it is somewhat mobile / transient though. Studens moving between lessons and owning the device 24/7. It is most certainly a networked, organisation space. Students need access to their ‘evidence’ everywhere they go and our parents have requested more IT support. Although it is a space where Open Source opportunities are being explored, I doubt many schools have the capacity to be fully immersed in Open Source systems. It is a financially constrained space and therefore ‘the suitability of Ipads in Education debated’  is mute, given our budget of £300 inc Operating System, Software, Accidental Damage and Warranty. So the focus reverts to netbooks / laptops vs tablets or hybrids, more about Gloria later…..

With the space almost defined, let me outline why I am getting distracted. Microsoft rumours of numerous tablet models,  rumours of a version of Windows for the ARM processors, used in most smartphones. I am distracted by the potential of "pen and touch" computing. Finally, I am distracted by Windows 8, the first Microsoft OS since the tablet was reborn, due sometime in 2012?

I am distracted by Intel’s announcement that Atom processors will feature in 35 tablet devices from 15 brands in 2011. I am always focused on commitments to longer battery life – although standards are now well above the benchmark 5-6 hours needed for a school day.

But most of all, I am distracted by the ruthless competition for market share for tablets or slate PCs. That said, I am not particular distracted by single screen Ipad clones, but rather, dual screen clam shell devices (Toshiba Libretto and Microsoft Courier) and to a lesser degree slide devices (Samsung Tablet Gloria). With 3 years 1-2-1 procurement experience, I have grave concerns for anything with a hinge and severe reservations for anything that swivels or flips. Dual screen clam shells maybe the preferred form factor, I expect traditional tablet PCs will fit our budget space.

What does all this mean for schools 121?

It means that Chrome OS, HP WebOS, BlackBerry’s Tablet OS Gingerbread are great innovations in their own right but are unlikely to fit the school space. Unless you go the BYO route to 121 computing.

Tablets will abate the ‘handwriting issue’ concerns of parents, made more interesting by ‘pen and touch’ technology.

Tablets will raise the profile of Microsoft OneNote in your school.

2012-13 will be the year of the tablet for early adopters.

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