Current grad student working full-time in technology support and training for a state university.
I love trying and using new technology in my education, but PDA's are largely a joke. Unless you're an uber-geek willing to strap on an external keyboard for awkward typing on your Palm Pilot, these devices are entirely worthless for taking any sort of decent class notes. I've tried every form of handwriting recognition out there and IMHO they ALL suck. Even using the datebook effectively requires continual syncs to a regular desktop PIM suite. b/c you never really see the big (whole semester) schedule picture.
Laptops v. Desktops
Laptops now accomplish 90% of what a desktop can do and allow the possibility of taking one's research, music, photo, and movie collection with them where ever you go. They allow in-class preso's from a student's own workspace. They allow group collaboration in impromtu meeting times/locations. They allow organized and rapid text-based note-taking in-class. Continued work/research (not to mention less chance of theft) over school break periods when a laptop can come home while the desktop sits in wait to be stolen in unattended dorms. Even recording a lecture for later reference is a simple as firing up iMovie (on a Macintosh), hitting "Record" in the audio section, and exporting to standard MP3/AAC audio.
The only advantages a desktop have over a laaptop are: raw speed, component upgradeability/expansion, 3D acceleration (gaming), and price. For the average student, *none* of these issues is significant enough to warrant choosing a desktop over a laptop. You can now get the highest-reliability and best-serviced (per Consumer Reports) Apple iBook laptop which is smaller and lighter than most first-year textbooks, with 5 hours of battery life, USB, Firewire, and external display connectivity, best-of-class networking/compatibility, and more software than shake a stick at less than $1k (that's less than $300/year). Have the parents snag an extended warranty and you can count on having a complete repair of your Apple laptop mailed in, repaired, and back on your doorstop in *literally* 24-48 hours. I send out nearly a dozen laptops/semester and i can attest that Apple's service and repair operations has improved dramatically in the last 24-36 months. Turn-around time on repair of Apple hardware in education is simply mind-boggling.
If your campus has invested in a decent computer lab infrastructure that is open late hours (you'll need this) consider the purchase of an Apple iPod or other form of external Firewire drive. At $300, 10GB, and universal compatibility these devices are simply the *best* way to keep all of your academic papers, presos, research, and files in one place. Unlike a floppy/ZIP you'll *never* run out of space and unlike a computer, you can capitalize on your university's own investment in computer hardware while paying only for the storage costs of your projects. Given the amazing transfer speed of Firewire, you can even install an entire OS onto these devices and boot a computer off of them as if it were you own computer if you so choose.
At minimum consider a $100/year online storage ala iDrive or Apple's.Mac service for the transfer or storage of your academic work. Unless you truly enjoy losing a term paper for no apparent reason, floppies, ZIP, and CD media will be the bane of your college experience. Online storage drives function exactly like floppy/ZIP media and allow reliable/secure access to your files from anywhere with a network connection.
Slashdot Mirror
I love trying and using new technology in my education, but PDA's are largely a joke. Unless you're an uber-geek willing to strap on an external keyboard for awkward typing on your Palm Pilot, these devices are entirely worthless for taking any sort of decent class notes. I've tried every form of handwriting recognition out there and IMHO they ALL suck. Even using the datebook effectively requires continual syncs to a regular desktop PIM suite. b/c you never really see the big (whole semester) schedule picture.
Laptops v. Desktops
Laptops now accomplish 90% of what a desktop can do and allow the possibility of taking one's research, music, photo, and movie collection with them where ever you go. They allow in-class preso's from a student's own workspace. They allow group collaboration in impromtu meeting times/locations. They allow organized and rapid text-based note-taking in-class. Continued work/research (not to mention less chance of theft) over school break periods when a laptop can come home while the desktop sits in wait to be stolen in unattended dorms. Even recording a lecture for later reference is a simple as firing up iMovie (on a Macintosh), hitting "Record" in the audio section, and exporting to standard MP3/AAC audio.
The only advantages a desktop have over a laaptop are: raw speed, component upgradeability/expansion, 3D acceleration (gaming), and price. For the average student, *none* of these issues is significant enough to warrant choosing a desktop over a laptop. You can now get the highest-reliability and best-serviced (per Consumer Reports) Apple iBook laptop which is smaller and lighter than most first-year textbooks, with 5 hours of battery life, USB, Firewire, and external display connectivity, best-of-class networking/compatibility, and more software than shake a stick at less than $1k (that's less than $300/year). Have the parents snag an extended warranty and you can count on having a complete repair of your Apple laptop mailed in, repaired, and back on your doorstop in *literally* 24-48 hours. I send out nearly a dozen laptops/semester and i can attest that Apple's service and repair operations has improved dramatically in the last 24-36 months. Turn-around time on repair of Apple hardware in education is simply mind-boggling.
If your campus has invested in a decent computer lab infrastructure that is open late hours (you'll need this) consider the purchase of an Apple iPod or other form of external Firewire drive. At $300, 10GB, and universal compatibility these devices are simply the *best* way to keep all of your academic papers, presos, research, and files in one place. Unlike a floppy/ZIP you'll *never* run out of space and unlike a computer, you can capitalize on your university's own investment in computer hardware while paying only for the storage costs of your projects. Given the amazing transfer speed of Firewire, you can even install an entire OS onto these devices and boot a computer off of them as if it were you own computer if you so choose.
At minimum consider a $100/year online storage ala iDrive or Apple's .Mac service for the transfer or storage of your academic work. Unless you truly enjoy losing a term paper for no apparent reason, floppies, ZIP, and CD media will be the bane of your college experience. Online storage drives function exactly like floppy/ZIP media and allow reliable/secure access to your files from anywhere with a network connection.
Where it's at in EDU:
-Laptops over desktops
-Wireless connectivity
-Reliable storage/backup
-No-hassle repair/troubleshooting
HTH.
clif
questions/comments:
hirtle@nospam.sou thernct.edu