Taken from the Australian IT website
ONLY laptop suppliers will be eligible to
jostle for $56 million worth of NSW government funds as part of the
national schools PC program, leaving desktop and thin client suppliers
lamenting.
NSW has decided to supply high school students solely with laptops due to their portability and features.
"The portability of laptops provides students with flexible learning
options," a state Department of Education and Training spokesperson
said.
Independent and Catholic schools in NSW would receive $4.8 million and $13.8 million, respectively.
"The department intends to release a call for expressions of
interest with detailed requirements for a specialist educational
laptop."
The tender would be made available once negotiations with the commonwealth had been finalised, the spokesperson said.
The funds have been allocated on paper but the Iemma Government and
other state governments are said to be concerned about the operating
costs of managing and maintaining the computers.
Among the main points raised with federal Education Minister Julia
Gillard is who will pick up the tab for electricity, software
licensing, security and technical support.
The department, like its counterparts in other states, is using its bulk-buying power to negotiate better rates from suppliers.
"If individual schools bought computers off the shelf they would pay at least double the price," the spokesperson said.
"The department's solution ensures schools of an integrated system
with the best educational outcome and the best value for the
investment."
Industry heavyweight Intel and laptop manufacturer Asus welcomed
NSW's plan. Intel Australia chief Philip Cronin said the Government had
made the right decision, as laptops consumed far less energy than
desktops.
"With laptops you can get a 50 per cent reduction in power
consumption," Mr Cronin said. "I'm not at all surprised that NSW has
chosen this path."
He said laptops would eventually replace textbooks as more curriculum went online.
Several schools in NSW, Victoria and Queensland have been testing a
low-cost, rugged and colourful ultra-portable PC, dubbed Classmate,
designed by Intel and assembled by local vendor Optima, since late last
year.
The Classmate PC trials incorporate Intel's global teacher-training
program, which aims to educate teachers in how to use information
technology to meet curriculum requirements.
Asus Australia also has a few of its popular Eee PC sub-notebooks on trial in Queensland.
Asus business development manager Michael Serdiuk said the feedback
had been positive, but NSW's decision to embrace laptops was a massive
boon.
"We built the Eee PC for the education market so we'll be very keen to partake in the tender process," Mr Serdiuk said.
When the $500 Eee PC was launched it only ran on Linux but the
company has since added a Windows flavour to the mix, which would
please large Microsoft users such as the NSW education department.
"The ultra-low form factor of laptops and sub-notebooks is more
favourable than desktops. Space is a premium, so that would be an
immediate saving," Mr Serdiuk said.
Virtualisation specialist VMware, whose software powers thin clients, was unfazed by the department's decision.
VMware was banking on thin clients supplied by partner Sun
Microsystems to impress government officials, but local head Paul
Harapin said state governments would ultimately opt for a mix of
laptops, desktops and thin clients.
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