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I volunteer in an after-school supplemental program for kiddos in public housing. Three years ago we scared up a grant to buy four iPads to help the kids do the

I volunteer in an after-school supplemental program for kiddos in public housing. Three years ago we scared up a grant to buy four iPads to help the kids do their homework. Then a local teacher intervened and said, no, no, no, get Chromebooks. We did. We got six for the same money. They're compatible with the local school IT systems. They reset themselves when somebody logs off, so we don't have to worry about what the kids install on them. THEY HAVE KEYBOARDS! Kids can use them to for written-word assignments without futzing around with the onscreen keyboards. They aren't quite as game-focused as the iPads. That means we get less squabbling over who gets to use them and for what. (I've taken to leaving my iPad at home because it's an attractive nuisance.) They're cheap enough that it's not the end of the world if one gets damaged. The chromebooks are a big win for us and the kids we serve.

Fiahil 10y ago
I hope you will find something equally good when Google decide to discontinue the OS.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  Given that they are pichai's baby, and are poised to gain the ability to run Android apps, I would not expect that to happen any time soon.
  - tetrep 10y ago
    They're also a work laptop option for Google employees.
    - digi_owl 10y ago
      Yeah, the pixel line of devices seems in part to be about weening Google off their Apple product addiction. Never mind dogfooding their own software products.
    - dastbe 10y ago
      out of curiosity what is the model of choice internally?
      - saagarjha 10y ago
        I'd expect it to be the Chromebook Pixel.
      - watersb 10y ago
        FWIW Friend of mine at Google could not get a CB Pixel. Are they supply constrained? Anyway, he was mad at Apple for such a long wait for MBP updates (6 months ago), so he purchased a Razer Blade Stealth and loves it.
      - rifung 10y ago
        HP Chromebook 13 and Dell Chromebook 13
- dannyr 10y ago
  Looks like you're still pissed at Google for shutting down Google Reader.
  - CamperBob2 10y ago
    It's reasonable not to trust Google to keep any particular product or service alive once it's no longer politically fashionable inside the company. Their record speaks for itself, loudly.
    - dannyr 10y ago
      So you want Google to only launch products that are guaranteed to be supported until the end of time? I guess if you don't count Gmail, Search, Android, Drive, Photos, etc, Google's record is pretty bad.
      - CamperBob2 10y ago
        There were 29 words in my post. Looks like you stopped reading after 14. Any reason for that?
      - LeoPanthera 10y ago
        Photos is new. It replaced Picasa, which was discontinued.
        tracker1 10y ago
        Picasa was a pretty great app... as was desktop search widget thingy... I wish that Picasa/Photos were better integrated, and the interface were cleaned up like other MD apps from google... that said, Picasa was a great app for managing photos.
      - 2muchcoffeeman 10y ago
        There is a complete list of google products and services and what's been canceled and when: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products Google canceled a whole bunch of things, some of which a lot of people used. Now a lot of people are perhaps rightfully sceptical about all their products, if that product is not part of their core. They still have quite a lot of stuff though.
- rlayton2 10y ago
  Can't the same be said for Apple or Microsoft? If either company changes its mind, say Apple release an iPhone XL and discontinues tablets, then the older devices will become less supported in the same way.
  - simonh 10y ago
    The iPad is an iPhone XL.
    - r00fus 10y ago
      Which also can't get voice cell service.
      - simonh 10y ago
        How would adding that feature kill the platform? I'm not sure what the contention is here.
        empthought 10y ago
        > I'm not sure what the contention is here. Found the Ars Technica Battlefront veteran.
keithpeter 10y ago
https://www.neverware.com/ https://www.neverware.com/ Can be used on recycled laptops. Provides Chromeos. Free for personal (no support). I have no connection with neverware other than being impressed with their work when I tried it on a 9 year old Thinkpad.
dexterdog 10y ago
> I volunteer in an after-school supplemental program for kiddos in public housing. Three years ago we scared up a grant to buy four iPads to help the kids do their homework. > Then a local teacher intervened and said, no, no, no, get Chromebooks. We did. We got six for the same money. They're compatible with the local school IT systems. They reset themselves when somebody logs off, so we don't have to worry about what the kids install on them. > THEY HAVE KEYBOARDS! Kids can use them to for written-word assignments without futzing around with the onscreen keyboards. > They aren't quite as game-focused as the iPads. That means we get less squabbling over who gets to use them and for what. (I've taken to leaving my iPad at home because it's an attractive nuisance.) > They're cheap enough that it's not the end of the world if one gets damaged. > The chromebooks are a big win for us and the kids we serve. How did you only get six Chromebooks for the price of four iPads?
- ceejayoz 10y ago
  > How did you only get six Chromebooks for the price of four iPads? By avoiding the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel ones that might not stand up to a classroom environment? The Asus Chromebook Flip C302 and Samsung Chromebook Plus are $449, for example.
  - tracker1 10y ago
    The C302 definitely looks interesting... have any experience with "corporate" vpn connections? When my last mbp was stolen, I used an earlier atom chromebook for nearly a year, but without VPN access (at the time) that worked, it wasn't great. When I needed more, I could RDP, or SSH to something bigger... was nice light/small machine to have with me to stay connected. As it is, my current (2014 rmbp) sits mostly in the bag and rarely goes with me. My work issued one is tethered to the desk. Wouldn't mind a machine I care a little less about losing to have with me, or keep in the car even. Also, how is the feel of the touchpad? I'm guessing newer builds/kernels should support docker now.
  - dexterdog 10y ago
    My kids' school has had them for a number of years now. They are all Dell and don't cost much more than $200/unit w/ coverage. Sure, kids break them occasionally, but most of the drops and slams that break a $200 unit will also break a $450 one.
Isamu 10y ago
Agreed, chromebooks make the most sense after a certain age. The youngest kids still should get tablets though (if anything.) Just pointing out that it's still a matter of what's appropriate for a particular classroom, never one size fits all.

Fiahil 10y ago

I hope you will find something equally good when Google decide to discontinue the OS.

digi_owl 10y ago
Given that they are pichai's baby, and are poised to gain the ability to run Android apps, I would not expect that to happen any time soon.
- tetrep 10y ago
  They're also a work laptop option for Google employees.
  - digi_owl 10y ago
    Yeah, the pixel line of devices seems in part to be about weening Google off their Apple product addiction. Never mind dogfooding their own software products.
  - dastbe 10y ago
    out of curiosity what is the model of choice internally?
    - saagarjha 10y ago
      I'd expect it to be the Chromebook Pixel.
    - watersb 10y ago
      FWIW Friend of mine at Google could not get a CB Pixel. Are they supply constrained? Anyway, he was mad at Apple for such a long wait for MBP updates (6 months ago), so he purchased a Razer Blade Stealth and loves it.
    - rifung 10y ago
      HP Chromebook 13 and Dell Chromebook 13
dannyr 10y ago
Looks like you're still pissed at Google for shutting down Google Reader.
- CamperBob2 10y ago
  It's reasonable not to trust Google to keep any particular product or service alive once it's no longer politically fashionable inside the company. Their record speaks for itself, loudly.
  - dannyr 10y ago
    So you want Google to only launch products that are guaranteed to be supported until the end of time? I guess if you don't count Gmail, Search, Android, Drive, Photos, etc, Google's record is pretty bad.
    - CamperBob2 10y ago
      There were 29 words in my post. Looks like you stopped reading after 14. Any reason for that?
    - LeoPanthera 10y ago
      Photos is new. It replaced Picasa, which was discontinued.
      - tracker1 10y ago
        Picasa was a pretty great app... as was desktop search widget thingy... I wish that Picasa/Photos were better integrated, and the interface were cleaned up like other MD apps from google... that said, Picasa was a great app for managing photos.
    - 2muchcoffeeman 10y ago
      There is a complete list of google products and services and what's been canceled and when: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products Google canceled a whole bunch of things, some of which a lot of people used. Now a lot of people are perhaps rightfully sceptical about all their products, if that product is not part of their core. They still have quite a lot of stuff though.
rlayton2 10y ago
Can't the same be said for Apple or Microsoft? If either company changes its mind, say Apple release an iPhone XL and discontinues tablets, then the older devices will become less supported in the same way.
- simonh 10y ago
  The iPad is an iPhone XL.
  - r00fus 10y ago
    Which also can't get voice cell service.
    - simonh 10y ago
      How would adding that feature kill the platform? I'm not sure what the contention is here.
      - empthought 10y ago
        > I'm not sure what the contention is here. Found the Ars Technica Battlefront veteran.

keithpeter 10y ago

https://www.neverware.com/ https://www.neverware.com/ Can be used on recycled laptops. Provides Chromeos. Free for personal (no support). I have no connection with neverware other than being impressed with their work when I tried it on a 9 year old Thinkpad.

dexterdog 10y ago

> I volunteer in an after-school supplemental program for kiddos in public housing. Three years ago we scared up a grant to buy four iPads to help the kids do their homework. > Then a local teacher intervened and said, no, no, no, get Chromebooks. We did. We got six for the same money. They're compatible with the local school IT systems. They reset themselves when somebody logs off, so we don't have to worry about what the kids install on them. > THEY HAVE KEYBOARDS! Kids can use them to for written-word assignments without futzing around with the onscreen keyboards. > They aren't quite as game-focused as the iPads. That means we get less squabbling over who gets to use them and for what. (I've taken to leaving my iPad at home because it's an attractive nuisance.) > They're cheap enough that it's not the end of the world if one gets damaged. > The chromebooks are a big win for us and the kids we serve. How did you only get six Chromebooks for the price of four iPads?

ceejayoz 10y ago
> How did you only get six Chromebooks for the price of four iPads? By avoiding the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel ones that might not stand up to a classroom environment? The Asus Chromebook Flip C302 and Samsung Chromebook Plus are $449, for example.
- tracker1 10y ago
  The C302 definitely looks interesting... have any experience with "corporate" vpn connections? When my last mbp was stolen, I used an earlier atom chromebook for nearly a year, but without VPN access (at the time) that worked, it wasn't great. When I needed more, I could RDP, or SSH to something bigger... was nice light/small machine to have with me to stay connected. As it is, my current (2014 rmbp) sits mostly in the bag and rarely goes with me. My work issued one is tethered to the desk. Wouldn't mind a machine I care a little less about losing to have with me, or keep in the car even. Also, how is the feel of the touchpad? I'm guessing newer builds/kernels should support docker now.
- dexterdog 10y ago
  My kids' school has had them for a number of years now. They are all Dell and don't cost much more than $200/unit w/ coverage. Sure, kids break them occasionally, but most of the drops and slams that break a $200 unit will also break a $450 one.

Isamu 10y ago

Agreed, chromebooks make the most sense after a certain age. The youngest kids still should get tablets though (if anything.) Just pointing out that it's still a matter of what's appropriate for a particular classroom, never one size fits all.