Hands on with the new ClassmatePC Convertible
I’ve had the new ClassmatePC Convertible (10.1″) for about a day and will be reluctantly giving it back tomorrow (bummer!). Lots of people have been asking me for thoughts, so here’s what I’ve got to share:
Kids’ reaction – My 6th & 7th graders have had the ClassmatePC Convertible 8.9″ in a 1:1 environment since September. When Jim, my sales rep from Equus, came to school to drop of the demo model, we were swarmed by kids with questions. “Where’s the stylus?” “How big is the screen?” “How big is the keyboard?” “Does it still have a webcam?” “Does it come in other colors?” (The demo is blue.) “Will we get this one next year?” (Apparently the whole speech about getting one computer and making it last through 8th grade we’ve been talking about since September temporarily slipped their minds!)
Teacher reactions – They loved the improved screen (1.2″ larger) and keyboard size (about the same size as the keyboards teachers use on their tablets – no real noticeable difference) . Teachers thought it would nice to have navigation buttons in swivel mode (on display); several started asking about ebooks and comparing the Classmate the the Kindle and the iPad (with the Classmate more capability than either). The display has a button that launches the camera, so students can be in swivel mode (screen down, not using keyboard) and easily use the webcam for projects. The 2nd headphone jack would be really great for listening activities when students might share a computer w/each on a set of headphones.
Tech reactions - I spent time with members our tech team and really looked closely at the new Classmate, comparing it to the machine we currently have and others we’ve used 1:1. Anyone using laptops in a 1:1 environment knows kids use the hardware differently than adults would ever intend and tend to cause wear on machines we wouldn’t otherwise anticipate.
Likes/Improvements:
- Screen & keyboard size
- Port access & availability
- Navigation buttons on display
- Better inking/responsive stylus and screen
- VGA port – no screws, so swapping w/projector will be fast
- Better placement of keys – old keyboard was small but it had keys many netbooks didn’t; this one has a larger keyboard w/easier access to many of the keys.
- Good cushioning on the display when it’s closed (there are little nubs around the display to cushion closing; wouldn’t be likely to break the display if a pencil were left on the keyboard.
- Rubbery exterior makes it less likely to slip and will protect it.
- Hard drive is easily swappable – nice for laptop program in case hardware d
Concerns/Questions:
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