[K12OSN] thin client laptops/Asus EEE

Thu Apr 3 17:01:59 UTC 2008

Why not build carts for 6 laptops that are also desks for them?  One plug,
one eathernet wire, and your off.   If power is an issue, press those old
broken laptops into service as the thin clients, using usb mice and
kyboards, as well as lcd monitors.  If bandwidth is an issue, you could plop
a beefier laptop in as a k12ltsp server, then your room drop is only a wan
drop.

  _____

Steven Santos
Director, Simply Circus, Inc.
Email: Steven at SimplyCircus.com
 Mail: 14 Pierrepont Road
       Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-527-0667
  Web: www.SimplyCircus.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com]On
> Behalf Of Peter
> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:28 PM
> To: Support list for open source software in schools.
> Subject: Re: [K12OSN] thin client laptops/Asus EEE
>
>
> Will, my school is in the position of getting a grant every year of 12
> laptops. That *seems* fantastic until you start to try to manage all
> those machines. They're wireless too so I've opted not to use active
> directory b/c of the bandwidth and resulting frequent wifi disconnections.
> But the only problem is not the software maintenance; laptops are
> horrible investments b/c they're so expensive to repair. We get dell
> latitude d600s and the hinges break and the keys get ripped off. The
> batteries run low and the kids lose their work. They break the security
> cables (or the laptop case). Teachers have to worry about all the
> laptops getting setup, charged, and returned before and after every
> class when they have a laptop cart. The time alone spent keeping track
> of and calling the technician is enough trouble without the actual cost
> of the technician.
> I'm trying to move the school away from laptops to computers that are
> cheaper to replace/maintain. A replacment laptop keyboard is $100. A
> replacement desktop keyboard is $5. We're also looking at having
> designated computer classrooms and trying to buy furniture that will
> work well with that. One idea is change the classroom layout: a
> horseshoe layout with the monitors facing in allow a teacher to keep
> students attention (they're either facing in toward the teacher or out
> toward the computers)
>
> but either way: good luck!
> -peter
>
> Rob Owens wrote:
> > Personally I think getting a decent electrical system is a better
> > long-term investment than any computers you can buy.  That said, have
> > you actually added up the power requirements of a lab using thin client
> > hardware?  I use a few SYM1112 models from Symbio Technologies,
> and they
> > only use 6 watts of power.  So 30 of them would use the same
> electricity
> > as 2 or 3 light bulbs.  A 17" LCD monitor uses about 33 watts.
> >
> > You could mount the server in another room, on a different electrical
> > circuit, if you really don't have enough juice to lab.
> >
> > -Rob
> >
> > Will Hatch wrote:
> >> Our school is at a juncture where we have to decide between upgrading
> >> the electrical system so it can handle a permanent computer lab, or go
> >> with laptops of some kind that run off of a cart.  The principle wants
> >> to go with the laptops because of cost.  I priced out a couple
> >> different models of Dell, that would run Windows XP, and would coexist
> >> with our Windows 2003 server.  But the cost is still more than we
> >> probably want to spend.  Wireless is a must.
> >> I set up a k12ltsp network a few years back with good success.  But I
> >> used desktop hardware and ethernet.  I am wondering how wireless works
> >> with k12ltsp, and if there is a recommended make/model of inexpensive
> >> laptop that will do the job.  Has anybody successfully set this up
> >> with the Asus EEE?  Thanks for any help/suggestions.
> >>
> >> -Will
> >>
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