Sub-$100 Netbooks are coming
My crystal ball reading skills are admittedly weak, but if I was going to make a “buzz prediction” for NECC 2009 it would focus on netbooks. I agree with Tony Vincent who observes that both netbooks and webapps are exciting because they are “easy, free, and cheap.” I’d add “powerful and flexible” to this list of adjectives as well. Cloud-based computing is definitely on the rise with increasing numbers of people using applications like Google Documents. The fact that major computer hardware manufacturers are now selling netbooks for $300 and less is a direct result of the market pressure and influence exerted by the XO Laptop or OLPC in the last few years. The model below was offered for sale before Christmas at a Target retail store near my home in central Oklahoma. It is amazing to see laptops for sale at chain retail stores at this price point.
$300 Netbook
The English WikiPedia currently defines a “netbook” as:
…a class of laptop computers that are small, light, and inexpensive, with reduced specifications and processing power relative to larger laptops. Like their desktop counterparts, nettops, netbooks are well-suited for accessing web-based applications, cloud computing, and rich Internet applications, and are less appropriate for running complex or resource-intensive applications directly from the netbook itself.
The February 2, 2009, NPR report “India To Unveil Inexpensive Laptop Prototype” generated quite a bit of discussion about the viability of a sub-$100 netbook. In reference to the claim that an actual laptop can and will be produced in the near term for less than $100, or specifically $20 as the news report alleges, Scott Mcleod pointed out:
Contrary to these assertions, however, India is claiming that the actual cost of the laptop currently is $20 (or $47 if you factor in labor costs?). The hope is that mass production will bring down the price to the desired $10.
While a $20 price point for this laptop in the near term is certainly debatable, the idea of a sub-$100 laptop should not seem far-fetched. I remember seeing Ian Jukes‘ charts of processing power and price calculated according to Moore’s Law back in the late 1990s, and it was mindblowing to imagine the computing power we’d be able to purchase in the future for just a few pennies. These lower-cost laptops are the continuing manifestation of these well-recognized computer hardware trends.
Pointed questions should be asked about the actual capabilities of this $20 Indian computer, however, and observers should be wary to conclude it will offer comparable features to today’s $300 netbooks. Kit Eaton on Fast Company argues that the Indian “computer” in question does not really qualify as a laptop in the usual sense of the word, its functionality is more like that of a cheap Kindle. Kit wrote:
In fact the “laptop” appears to be nothing much more sophisticated than a specialized digital storage hub/net access point for educational media. A deal has apparently been struck between the project’s leaders and educational publishers Macmillan, Tata McGraw Hill, Prentice-Hall and Vikas Publishing which will see student-directed materials stored on the device that can then be downloaded and printed out on a standard laptop. And while that’s all very praise-worthy, the machine itself is simply a 2GB drive with wireless (and wired, or so it appears in the only image available) networking capabilities.
Like others, I am also enthused by the prospect of less expensive netbooks, but I maintain we must not settle for devices in our schools which will serve only as electronic textbooks for content consumption. It is essential that digital technologies purchased for our classrooms empower learners to create, communicate, and collaborate. This is the “CCC” of the 21st century.
Oprah and many others are excited about the Kindle, and I do agree many of its features are praiseworthy. We should not, however, entertain visions of devices with limited, Kindle-only functionalities filling our classrooms, schools and homes in the years to come. Such a device is SO limited in terms of the power it affords individuals to engage in CCC literacies. If India does offer a $20 Kindle-like device for sale in the next few years, I definitely won’t petition my local school board or state legislature to purchase one for every student. A sub-$100 netbook, or even a $250 netbook on the other hand, is a completely different story.
We need to embrace digital curriculum in our schools and colleges NOW, and digital curriculum mandates student access to digital devices. The 1:1 learning revolution is drawing nearer, and announcements like this one about a $20 laptop from India is a signal that day is even closer.
14 Comments
Sub-$100 Netbooks are coming » Moving at the Speed of Creativity
Friday, 13th February 2009 at 1:15 am
[...] shared a new post on ISTEconnects this evening: “Sub-$100 Netbooks are coming.” This post was partly inspired by the February 2, 2009, NPR Report, “India To Unveil [...]
Todd Williamson
Friday, 13th February 2009 at 6:09 am
How does your line of thinking about creating, communicating and collaborating fit with the AlphaSmart Neo 2? I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the purchase of these rather than netbooks. Granted, I think the cost of the Neo 2’s can be worked down below the cost of a netbook, but for the extra $75-100 I think the functionality of the netbook far exceeds that of the Neo 2. Am I off base? Is the Neo 2 a step in the right direction at least? Any thoughts or opinions there?
Wes Fryer
Friday, 13th February 2009 at 11:39 am
Todd:
Great question. I was a major proponent and lover of Alphasmarts when I taught 4th grade in the mid to late 1990s. At that time I obtained a minigrant so we could have five of them in our classroom, which we used for keyboarding / word processing our writing workshop essays along with a hodge-podge of parent-donated computers that were also setup in my room.
I am glad the Neo2 has much more functionality that the earlier generation Alphasmarts. In most cases I’ve seen, however, they are still used primarily in most schools as just word processors. They can do much more, but as we see with regular computer labs many teachers are not getting beyond “accommodating’ uses of the technology.
For the money, I think it is both wise and most fiscally responsible to go for full netbook functionality. An incredible explosion of webapps is happening right now, and it is just getting started. Wireless, handheld digital devices need to be able to run and fully utilize standards-compliant web apps. I also think the ability to view as well as produce various forms of multimedia is essential.
What are your thoughts in this regard?
Joey Richards
Friday, 13th February 2009 at 12:58 pm
I have been looking at all og the vendors around pushing their one-to-one solutions on our small private school. I am intrigued by the netbooks – 1st of all because of the price. Several of the laptops that have been put in front of me are powerful, but I am wondering if the power offsets the cost in a new one-to-one program. Wes, what do you think? Is the netbook a good alternative for a one-to-one program with the expansion of cloud computing?
Wes Fryer
Friday, 13th February 2009 at 5:59 pm
Joey: I definitely think netbooks are viable options for one to one initiatives. The 60+ programs installed as part of the standard OLPC distribution highlight the fact that education-specific programs are available as free/open source options, and should be included with a netbook 1 to 1 initiative. I do think webapps are game changers in terms of cloud computing being viable on netbooks. Certainly there are content filtering issues that have to be addressed (schools can’t block the web in the draconian way many are now for this to work) but I am more optimistic about netbooks in 1:1 projects than I have been to date about $1000+ laptops. I don’t think it is fiscally responsible for anyone in a decisionmaking role in schools at this point to ignore netbooks.
Becky
Sunday, 15th February 2009 at 1:03 pm
I have been very intrigued by these netbooks under $300 at Walmart and Target. I wasn’t sure what kinds of capabilities they would have, but after reading the definition within your blog, I think they would be great for use in classrooms. As a 2nd/3rd grade teacher pursuing my Master’s in Education Technology, I would want a 1:1 computer that has capabilities for web browsing and other online applications, rather than just word-processing, etc… However, web capabilities means we would need funding to install wireless connections in older schools as well as the funding for the netbooks themselves. Thanks for writing about these products.
MJ Page
Monday, 16th February 2009 at 6:53 pm
Great news on the netbooks, looking forward to having more technology available in the classroom for teachers and students. I agree with the trends towards cloud computing and just need to convince others in my school/ system.
http://mjpageeducation.blogspot.com/2009/02/netbooks-wouldnt-it-be-nice.html
JoeCorbett
Thursday, 26th February 2009 at 1:09 pm
@becky if the classroom is already WIRED for internet access then adding a WIFI router/access point for $35-$40 will grant access to anyone in and around the classroom. I’ve done it countless times so if you need any advice don’t hesitate to ask!
Donna Muller
Monday, 2nd March 2009 at 10:04 pm
We are currently looking at netbooks for each student in 4th-8th grade. We are having a lot of nervous individuals worried about the misuse of the computers, ability to integrate into the classroom, battery life (charging station issues), security, monitoring, and loss of traditional educational methods. As the tech coordinator, I continue to stress that netbooks will ehnance and supplement the our current methodology., not replace it. In fact, we’ll be able to better adapt to individual learning styles more readily. Do you know of any schools that have successfully integrated netbooks into their classrooms? Do you think 4th graders are too young? I personally cannot wait! I believe each teacher (we’re departmentalized) will have different levels of use and will increase the amount of technology as the student and teacher are ready. I believe “fear” or “we’ve not done it before” keeps many from moving beyond their own possibilities. I’d appreciate any feedback you may have!
Netbook classroom experiences and related resource articles | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog
Monday, 2nd March 2009 at 11:37 pm
[...] blog comments inspire a response which is sufficiently long it deserves its own post, and Donna Muller’s comment to my post on ISTEconnects, “Sub-$100 Netbooks are Coming,” is a case in point. Donna [...]
Wes Fryer
Monday, 2nd March 2009 at 11:49 pm
Donna: The trackback link above is a link response to your question– I thought it deserved its own post rather than just a comment here! See:
“Netbook classroom experiences and related resource articles”
eBooks for your students | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog
Monday, 9th March 2009 at 2:05 am
[...] autonomy and free time in the 21st century classroom. The availability of inexpensive cell phones, less expensive netbooks as well as portable media players and Internet-capable devices like the iPod Touch and the [...]
Apple netbook under development? | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog
Tuesday, 10th March 2009 at 9:44 am
[...] Every Student?”, “Netbook Classroom Experiences and Related Resource Articles,” “Sub-$100 Netbooks are Coming,” and “eBooks for your Students” for more related reading on Netbooks in [...]
Education Technology in a Dual-Platform World | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog
Wednesday, 27th May 2009 at 1:51 pm
[...] or file format because the cloud will provide all this data upon connection. This together with the growing popularity of Netbooks, small inexpensive laptops, will allow schools to get more done while cutting costs and maybe [...]
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