edna.edu.au

What a netbook is not

A netbook is not a just a cute cheap notebook computer. It is a device intermediate between a notebook and smartphone in power and screen size.

When Nicholas Negroponte founded the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program we started a paradigm shift in mobile laptop technology. I am sure that was not his intention. The intention of OLPC was and is to help children in developing nations escape poverty by providing tools to help gain a basic education.

The OLPC is a school in a box. It is supposed to replace textbooks, computer labs, video conferencing and other tools we take for granted in areas where basic infrastructure such as network cabling or reliable electricity may be rare.

It is obvious from its design that it is meant for Primary age children. It is rugged. More like the plastic you might find in toddler toys than the flimsy bendy stuff of adult laptops. There is a purpose behind every aspect of its design. The keyboard size is ideal for small fingers.

The netbook succeeded almost by accident. The form factor was obviously inspired by and intended to compete with the OLPC in the primary school education market. What was quickly discovered was that there was a large market for a second, mobile Internet focussed computer with adults.

So the netbook is a strange mashup of ideas. It is too small to be a primary computing device for most adults. The small keys are a bit awkward. The screen too small to work with graphics. The CPU too slow to work with video and 3D. It lacks the OLPC features that make it ideal for primary student use: the ruggedness, low power, daylight visible screen, advanced wireless etc.

So we have this intriguing new class of device. A very small cheap low power laptop. We have one here and I love it. My wife is a teacher and uses an MSI Wind netbook running Ubuntu Linux. Unfortunately her school doesn't have wireless coverage in her classroom which reduces the utility of it at school.

My wife also has a dual monitor desktop system and I have a 13" laptop which we use for tasks that exceed the netbooks capabilities.

I am left wondering if $150million dollars of netbooks for NSW schools is really all that well thought out.

As I said the keyboards are a bit on the small side. Up to 93% of full size on the best netbooks. Ideal for mobile use where you can make a compromise. But I recently attended by local inter-school sports and many of the young males (and some of the females) towered over me. Some of these young blokes are future footballers with hands that will swallow a Sherrin. Working all day on a dainty little keyboard isn't great ergonomics.

And they are loaded with applications like Photoshop which are not optimal for small screen use and shows someone is lacking understanding.

Netbooks are not just small cheap laptops. They are a new class of device. They have benefits and liabilities. I am sure they could be of enormous benefit if used wisely. Given the history of ICT use in education I am not sure if this purchase will have the desired outcomes.

Posted at 08:43AM Apr 02, 2009 by Paul Shirren  |  Comments[0]