Technology & Learning - November 2008 - (Page 46)

PRODUCTGUIDE Keeping Tabs By Jeffrey Branzburg HOW TO INCREASE BATTERY LIFE ■ Adjust the screen brightness. Dimmer screen means longer battery life. ■ Turn off WiFi when not in use. A wifi system can be constantly looking for a network, using power. ■ Use the power conservation settings of your tablet/laptop. This will adjust a number of settings to increase battery life. ■ Save less frequently each save spins the hard drive, using power. ■ Defragment your hard drive. A fragmented hard drive requires more drive access, and therefore more power use. ■ Add RAM (memory) to your system. With additional RAM, less hard drive access will be needed by your applications. ■ Minimize multitasking—for example, close your email program while you work on that spreadsheet. If not, the email program will be periodically checking for email, using more power. One big reason why computers are still relegated to labs and not part and parcel of a teacher’s everyday classroom instruction: They’re bulky. Even laptops can get in the way. Tablet PCs solve that design flaw. They are mobile computers that teachers and students can truly integrate with a stylus for input on a touch screen. What some people call “convertible” or “hybrid” versions also have a keyboard, for maximum flexibility of input—type on the keyboard, or “write” on the screen (after swiveling the screen around the keyboard and laying it flat)—take notes, draw, run programs, all without using a keyboard. Read what other benefits educators around the country have discovered about using tablets. A note about prices quoted in this product guide—as with all PCs, prices depend on options chosen. We have listed the entry price for each model on the date this product review was written. Please check with the manufacturer for the latest prices; in some cases your state may have negotiated special pricing through a state contract. PRODUCTS GATEWAY The Gateway E-295C (www.gateway.com; starts at $1,539) has a 14” WXGA TFT Active Matrix Color Display and weighs in at 7 pounds. It runs Windows Vista Business, has integrated WiFi, and a battery life of up to 10.6 hours (depending on choice of battery). James Sims, IT Support Specialist with Colorado Elpaso County School District 8, says “the one thing that sets it apart from other tablets is screen size. It is still one of the largest and easiest to read in the industry.” 46 | TECH & LEARNING LENOVO The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (www.lenovo.com; starts at $1,171) is another lightweight (3.5 pounds), boasting a battery life of more than 10 hours (depending on specific model selected). The display is a 12.1” WXGA screen, and the X200 runs the Windows Vista Business OS. WiFi is built in, and broadband is optional. In her experience, Jessica Sepke (St. Mary’s School, Raleigh, NC), says “They hold up very well in the brutal environment of a boarding school where students change locations constantly through the day. http://www.lenovo.com http://www.gateway.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Technology & Learning - November 2008

Technology & Learning - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Desk News & Trends Put to the Test WeeWorld Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection SAS Curriculum Pathways Rosetta Stone Classroom Version Pulse Smartpen Highlights from T&L Top Classrooms Kepping the VoIP from Being the Wrong Number Watch It Back Office Business What’s New Keeping Tabs Leader of the Year Profile: Music to Their Ears

Technology & Learning - November 2008

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