tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post8663251792876692601..comments2024-02-26T07:18:16.299-07:00Comments on The Fischbowl: Sixty MonthsKarl Fischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11121548023409279686noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-87554820947926378122009-04-27T07:08:00.000-06:002009-04-27T07:08:00.000-06:00Just the other day I was wishing that electricity ...Just the other day I was wishing that electricity was wireless as I looked for an electric outlet to plug in my laptop. I'm loving the vision of flexibility. And the extra possibility it brings to all.Renee Howellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13813098198387246353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-39552860376623568422009-04-26T16:59:00.000-06:002009-04-26T16:59:00.000-06:00@Jeff Shear - Well, while I agree with the financi...@Jeff Shear - Well, while I agree with the financial commitment part, I disagree with the rest. Our netbooks (so far) have been more reliable then our full-blown Dell laptops. Our resources in the "cloud" have been just as reliable as our local server. And there are very few things we can do with a full-blown desktop or laptop computer that we can't do with the desktop (high-end CAD, high-end video editing, high-end Photoshop-type work, but that's about it - and, frankly, very few of our students do those things).<br /><br />While I liked the eMac, and I certainly like current offerings from Dell, Apple and others, they don't hold a candle to a device that every student can have with them at all times. (And, of course, the reality of cost.) I've lifted an eMac, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't fit all that well in a backpack. If you want "mass communication," then a netbook/iPhone/whatever that they can have with them at all times is going to teach our students much more about that than any desktop that they can only use a couple of hours a week.Karl Fischhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11121548023409279686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-27535944881696576022009-04-26T16:53:00.000-06:002009-04-26T16:53:00.000-06:00@mrpullen - I think that netbooks themselves may g...@mrpullen - I think that netbooks themselves may get there sooner, but not netbooks with the appropriate coil to receive the WiTricity, nor the broadcast coils for our classrooms. If it's really 12-24 months until it hits the market, that gives us another 36-48 to hit price points schools can perhaps afford.Karl Fischhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11121548023409279686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-33094563342405212522009-04-26T06:58:00.000-06:002009-04-26T06:58:00.000-06:00You wrote: “But then you notice that netbook compu...You wrote: “But then you notice that netbook computers are getting pretty darn good at a price point of around $300 to $400...” I say, Cheap hardware, bah! The PC has been the ruin of education. (Sorry if I sound opinionated — I teach Mass Comm and work with two platforms and four different model computers with three or four different OS.) No, cheap computers are not the answer. Educators need a reliable platform with integrated software, like the late great eMac. This is simply more evidence that modern education requires a financial commitment from the public, not pretend computers: http://tinyurl.com/cdaqygJeff Shearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02483660599154868890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-12586201005947307092009-04-25T18:34:00.000-06:002009-04-25T18:34:00.000-06:00Karl -- I really think we have 1/2 that amount of ...Karl -- I really think we have 1/2 that amount of time (or less!) until the things you've been saying are all true. Woot.com is already selling refurbished netbooks with webcam, windows, etc. for $149-169 from time to time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com