Acer's Beefs Up 11.6-, 15.6-Inch Chromebooks For Careless Students

[N.Broekhuijsen]

Acer's got two new Chromebooks coming soon that are built to be extra-tough in order to take the punishment they'll receive from students in schools.

Acer's Beefs Up 11.6-, 15.6-Inch Chromebooks For Careless Students : Read more

 

[dovah-chan]

So instead of forcing their illuminati OS on us they're going to target the helpless and innocent children. RIP privacy and software that respects freedoms.

 

[house70]

So instead of forcing their illuminati OS on us they're going to target the helpless and innocent children. RIP privacy and software that respects freedoms.

This trend was started by pushing ipads in schools with all kinds of "incentive" programs. This is only different because it doesn't actually incentivize kids into using them. Thinking that iOS is not about collecting any data from it's users is naive at best. Nothing is really cheap or free, there is always a trade-off. If all kids (or their families) were loaded, they would not need cheap hardware to take to school. Stating facts here, nothing more. At least Acer is not pushing some "exclusivity" deals here.

 

[canadianvice]

I find it highly presumptuous that it's now considered acceptable for public schools to require parents to fork out for a $249 chromebook.

That's just obscene and defeats the whole point of universal public education.
(ftr, I don'y know about the states, but here parents buy them for use at school, the schools don't pay)

 

[AndrewMD]

@canadianvice - seriously STFU! I don't care how poor someone is, there are payment plans that can be arranged to help anyone in school. Also, there are other programs in place to ensure that truly piss-poor people can get things for free so they will never appreciate the cost of anything, keeping their sorry asses on welfare and any other public help offerings.

 

[canadianvice]

@canadianvice - seriously STFU! I don't care how poor someone is, there are payment plans that can be arranged to help anyone in school. Also, there are other programs in place to ensure that truly piss-poor people can get things for free so they will never appreciate the cost of anything, keeping their sorry asses on welfare and any other public help offerings.

The point is it should not be a requirement. It's a cost that parents should not have to bear and schools shouldn't even be making use of.

I wouldn't buy one on principle if I had children and I know my parents wouldn't have either - we're not poor, since you seem to think that's the only reason for my objections. Universal education is intended to be accessible, and extra costs, especially those that represent a quarter of a family's bills that may need a payment plan are barriers that should not exist.

You don't see people chucking chromebooks in the charity bins for a reason.
Get off your ignorant ass and your high horse.

 

[canadianvice]

@canadianvice - seriously STFU! I don't care how poor someone is, there are payment plans that can be arranged to help anyone in school. Also, there are other programs in place to ensure that truly piss-poor people can get things for free so they will never appreciate the cost of anything, keeping their sorry asses on welfare and any other public help offerings.

There are poor people who try and get a leg up, but with people like you constantly pissing on them and pushing them down, no wonder they have trouble.

 

[canadianvice]

So instead of forcing their illuminati OS on us they're going to target the helpless and innocent children. RIP privacy and software that respects freedoms.

Well, until linux is a low-maintenance, easy-to-understand OS, this is the best alternative.
Chromebooks are used because they're dead simple and a moron could operate one without issues like viruses, x.org configuration, trying to find a proper FOSS driver... the list goes on.

The chromebooks fit the paradigm for tech use in these schools better than any other currently existing solution. Inexpensive (relative to other options), easy to use, low maintenance, and good battery life. It's the perfect option if a school feels entitled enough to require every 6 year old has a laptop.

 

[CRITICALThinker]

Often schools are investing in Chromebooks for the classroom and library. The problem with linux is not that it is difficult to use, as it is very simple to click on a web browser icon. It is the fact that it is difficult to use it as a fully fledged operating system, and I assume it is also more difficult to use as an admin.

 

[Sn SM]

"Well, until linux is a low-maintenance, easy-to-understand OS,...."

Fudd like this gets embarrassing after a while 8-] Let me help you
here...go to www.mint.com....download an ISO....burn it on one
one of those round disk things (you DO know how to do that
don't you?) and get back to us. Installing winblows on a unit
like this is vendor lock-in and unsecured to boot.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Often schools are investing in Chromebooks for the classroom and library. The problem with linux is not that it is difficult to use, as it is very simple to click on a web browser icon. It is the fact that it is difficult to use it as a fully fledged operating system, and I assume it is also more difficult to use as an admin.

I have a good 6 months of running Linux, the command line is a vital tool unlike how in Windows every single thing is GUI, so I don't think Linux is fully fit for students who are not tech savvy. However it does come with a GUI and I think is still better than Chrome OS. Kids should learn a Unix based OS anyway.

 

[canadianvice]

"Well, until linux is a low-maintenance, easy-to-understand OS,...."

Fudd like this gets embarrassing after a while 8-] Let me help you
here...go to www.mint.com....download an ISO....burn it on one
one of those round disk things (you DO know how to do that
don't you?) and get back to us. Installing winblows on a unit
like this is vendor lock-in and unsecured to boot.

You're too confident of that... I'm a compsci student. I can use linux just fine, but it's sure as hell not something I would trust to be low-maintenance and easy for a teacher and her students to use. Hell, I had enough trouble getting it to install to a damn harddrive over driver issues....

Linux is not an OS designed or made for the masses, and until it realizes that it's never going to get any meaningful market share.

 

[Fishwithadeagle]

I can honestly say that I don't understand the hate that most people have for a chromebook. It is essentially a larger tablet that I use when I am going to work on something more in depth such as a word document. Things like photoshop and vegas will obviously not run, but that's what I have a desktop for. I use my tablet for casual article reading, my phone when im on the go, my laptop when I need something that requires actual office and what not, and my desktop for when Im doing some heavier work or gaming. Each of these devices have their own functions and I feel that the chromebooks have a well established function as solely an internet device. BTW this is being typed on a c720 right now, and I love the thing. I just happen to feel that most of the people who are hating on the chromebooks have never used them, which I would suggest that they try because the combination of things available on the chromebooks is quite astounding.