Got rid of the wireless laptops

[FN-GM]

Woo hoo managed to convince SLT for money to kit out a room so we can use the laptops from the trolley as permanent desktops. No more messing round with Slowwwwwwwww the wireless

[ICT_GUY]

I spent a year working on the smt to go with a dedicated new suite rather than wireless laptops.

So glad they saw sense.

[FN-GM]

I think what did it with us was the head having lots of problems when covering a lesson

[joe90bass]

I think what did it with us was the head having lots of problems when covering a lesson

Look me in the eye FN-GM and tell me that it wasn't just conincidental that the head had these problems

[Pete10141748]

*bows in the Waynes World style*
"We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"


fancy coming to my school and smacking some of your common sense into the SMT here?
"hmm yes, 90 laptops but we want the cheapest wireless we can get.... DLink home WAPS? yes, that'll do us!"

[tomscaper]

Well SMT here have decided to go against our judgment and are swapping out a IT suite of 60 PC's for a room of 60 laptops and a laptop cabinet.

[Edu-IT]

Well SMT here have decided to go against our judgment and are swapping out a IT suite of 60 PC's for a room of 60 laptops and a laptop cabinet.

Would be a lot worse if they were wireless.

[tomscaper]

Would be a lot worse if they were wireless.

It is not yet decided how they will be connected, it might be wireless, we also getting a laptop trolley of 30 .

[broc]

Well SMT here have decided to go against our judgment and are swapping out a IT suite of 60 PC's for a room of 60 laptops and a laptop cabinet.

Only 60? Lucky you.... we already have over 300 and counting.... all against my recommendations.

My school have decided to go for laptops in a big way ... we might be looking at 800+ all funded by those nice kind BSF people. The LA and school 'vision' for BSF is that all students should have access to ICT at all times. The only good thing is I won't have to look after them, but I feel sorry for the poor soul (there will be only one onsite technician post BSF) who does.

We don't have any ICT suites in the design for our new school building, allegedly it has been said that according to the architects they are so '20th Century....'

[Friez]

*bows in the Waynes World style*
"We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"


fancy coming to my school and smacking some of your common sense into the SMT here?
"hmm yes, 90 laptops but we want the cheapest wireless we can get.... DLink home WAPS? yes, that'll do us!"

HAHA Exactly!

We were exactly like that and for about a year we continually explained it was the fault of the wireless. Finally the management caved in (once the rest of the staff started echoing what we were saying) and they ended up giving us the funds to do it properly.

[pmassingham]

The cost of not being able to connect up 280 of our laptops to the network is lost time. The additional costs include: screen repairs (up to £175 and we fit them), replace missing keys (we do that using spare keyboards from wrecked laptops), new keyboards (up to £63 each and we fit those too), replace DC sockets (only £10 but the time to desolder and solder after dismantling is about 45 minutes). That seems OK, I expect some will say. But I think to have replaced 22 screens last year (no desktop monitors replaced), 16 keyboards (missing key replacement is usually 4 machines per week) and 16 DC sockets, is excessive. Oh and by the way, batteries are now dying after 18 months and they are about £60 each. I will be replacing about 17 in the next month and that is for starters. Needless to say, my input (NO LAPTOPS - a 2 year trial here made it quite clear that they we were a mistake) was ignored. But hey, it keeps my technicians employed and gives them new skills. The bottom line is - staff and students don't give a damn about the damage they cause - why would they, it is not their own property and it is not their money!!

[broc]

The cost of not being able to connect up 280 of our laptops to the network is lost time. The additional costs include: screen repairs (up to £175 and we fit them), replace missing keys (we do that using spare keyboards from wrecked laptops), new keyboards (up to £63 each and we fit those too), replace DC sockets (only £10 but the time to desolder and solder after dismantling is about 45 minutes). That seems OK, I expect some will say. But I think to have replaced 22 screens last year (no desktop monitors replaced), 16 keyboards (missing key replacement is usually 4 machines per week) and 16 DC sockets, is excessive. Oh and by the way, batteries are now dying after 18 months and they are about £60 each. I will be replacing about 17 in the next month and that is for starters. Needless to say, my input (NO LAPTOPS - a 2 year trial here made it quite clear that they we were a mistake) was ignored. But hey, it keeps my technicians employed and gives them new skills. The bottom line is - staff and students don't give a damn about the damage they cause - why would they, it is not their own property and it is not their money!!

We have a similar program of laptop repairs & costs, not so many screens but missing keys by the shed load. One of my team replaced keys on 15 out of 45 laptops in one dept last thursday morning.

Can you imagine how these costs will 'scale' when the repairs are being done offsite by a managed service under BSF? No more onsite repairs, no more canabalising keyboards....

Imagine - a missing key... no problem that will a new keyboard at £70-£80 plus labour, thank you very much!

Laptop maintenance is a major drain on resource & budgets.

[tomscaper]

I can see the whole room of laptops thing going belly up here, as other have said the cost to get them repaired will often mean sending them away for a few days, where as we might of been able to get them up and running that day.
But i will be going "i told you so" when the day comes that they realize they should of listened to us.

[alan-d]

Only 60? Lucky you.... we already have over 300 and counting.... all against my recommendations.'

500 and still climbing here

[Jiser]

Only 60? Lucky you.... we already have over 300 and counting.... all against my recommendations.

My school have decided to go for laptops in a big way ... we might be looking at 800+ all funded by those nice kind BSF people. The LA and school 'vision' for BSF is that all students should have access to ICT at all times. The only good thing is I won't have to look after them, but I feel sorry for the poor soul (there will be only one onsite technician post BSF) who does.

Jeeesssssuuss!! Is all I can say. I had enough problems with 15 and staff laptops. Let alone 300+ ..
In fact in a different school now we have a 'fleet' of laptops, stupid waste of money + the laptop trolly which cost several 1000's which could have been spent on new desktops. Dedicated desktop rooms/areas are far better IMO - bad choices by previous management.