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Re: [school-discuss] Linux Tablets?



Thank you, James.

----- Message from jkinney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------
    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:14:13 +0000
    From: "James P. Kinney III" <jkinney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 Subject: Re: [school-discuss] Linux Tablets?
      To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Hi David,

Linux on tablet PCs does work quite well. However, the tablet PC
platform the _the_ most expensive platform currently available. I have
purchased several and have found no good, compelling reason to use them
except in one situation: taking notes in class where non-ascii
characters are required; i.e. higher math and physics which use math
notation and diagrams.

The drawbacks to tablets are the generally poor handwriting recognition
code (even the stuff from Microsoft - a derivative of a public domain
project funded with Federal money many years ago - doesn't work very
well. Fuzzy logic is not a current hot computing topic.) and the very
high cost. Additionally, any portable device uses a battery pack with a
finite lifespan. So the pack must be replaced periodically and no
insignificant expense.

A much more affordable option is to equip several Linux thin client LCD
monitors with a pen-style touch screen (thin Wacom tablets - but not
from Wacom $$$$$) so the kids can draw right on the screen.

Your points are well-taken. I agree with them and appreciate your suggested work-around. However, some schools are using them and many are considering using them. Some students will tell you that they go to a certain school _because_ it uses tablets. (Don't know if that is the reason their parents had for choosing the school, but a couple of kids did tell me that tablets made the school good.) Now, however, the schools are coming around to saving some money and it's finally getting through to them that the software is _could_ be cheaper. Hence, my question about experience with Linux on tablets. I'm sure I'm not the only one watching this particular wind shift.

Thanks again.

David

On Wed, 2007-10-17 at 19:25 +0700, David M. Bucknell wrote:
Dear Colleagues,

I am investigating the use of tablets running Linux in k-12/13 schools
around the world.  Searching for Ubuntu on tablets, I've found lots of
promising stuff, so I imagine that someone with more money than I has
bought one and installed Linux on it, right?  Please let me know if
you have any leads on schools using tablets running Linux.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

David Bucknell

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James P. Kinney III
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