Linux netbooks look likely to save Australian government education election promise
Submitted by srlinuxx on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 06:56.
The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Training (DET) has today revealed its required specifications for custom-built laptops it intends to issue to students from grades 9 to 12 by the middle of 2009. In what is remniscent of a netbook, the budget is set at $500 per model, with hardware at that level.
One of the most notable promises by Kevin Rudd in the lead up to his 2007 election victory was the announcement that a Rudd government would provide high school students nationwide with laptops to assist with their education.
While it seems most of the voting public regarded the news well, the various state governments – who oversee the implementation of secondary education within their own state – have not been so content to take the message on face value.
Discontent has arisen over just how much the plan costs, with Rudd’s advisers having apparently underestimated the price of equipment let alone the ancillary costs for support and wireless and power upgrades within state schools among other items. Understandably, the states were not keen to be hit with a bill for an election promise not their own.
Netbooks manufacturing firms to bundle curriculum software ?
Over the years, there have been a collection of high school curriculum software; many on multimedia cd(s).
So netbooks had to have USB flash cards printed with high school curriculum software before Australia can have their ambition fulfilled. Linux has its share of curriculum software, too.
This means OLPC will face stiff competition. Cost of netbooks and after sale costs will go down substantially. And Microsoft auto-update dotnet strategy will provide no-cost administrative functions as an incentive to governments.
The successful manufacturer will have a huge market to fill. cloud computing is here to stay, and flash card will provide gears to work offline until work can be uploaded to the internet servers.