Surface (Win RT) in Education...

Took delivery of 3 Microsoft Surface tablets yesterday, two with the Touch Covers, one with the Type Cover... pretty impressed so far (apart from having to have a Hotmail/Live account to set it up (I already had one, but that's not the point... the boss didn't, so I had to create him one first))...

I'd already published Outlook, Word, and SIMS on the Terminal Server, so it was pretty easy to get going quickly... The staff iPad users that have seen it so far are already impressed with being able to get the school calendar via Outlook (one of the biggest demands) and SIMS...

I was disappointed at not being able to access ActivInspire and SmartNotebook via the table though... I was looking forward to seeing if we could replace IWBs with them... I'll try some other 3rd party IWB solution at some point... (if anyone's got any recommendations, I'd be keen to hear them)...

(Edit: ActivInspire and SmartNotebook are accessibles as an Apps - I hadn't added Domain Admins to the permissions on the TS... I believe both packages are changing so they won't work unless they detect their respective hardware connected to the PC though, so will need to look into another option anyway... )

I've never been an Apple fan, and even less of a iOS fan, so I never got into the whole iPad craze, so really looking forward to seeing more apps come available for RT... Especially something that matches AirServer/AirPlay so teachers can control their PCs via the tablets...

Does anyone have any recommendations of Educational Apps that are already out there? Or software that I can install & publish from the Terminal Server that might work well on a tablet?


Some annoyances...

1. Can't change the IE Homepage (There's a Google search app available in the market place, and I've published FireFox on the TS)
2. Can't reduce the size of the icons on the Start screen

Not that I am an iPad fan etc, but wouldn't what you say be achievable on the iPad using terminal server?
Or do you mean you have configured outlook on the surface to work correctly?

You can use RDP apps like iTapp to connect to the Terminal Server, but they're expensive, and not really ideal as they're awkward unless you've got a keyboard...

I don't think there's any way of accessing the published software on the iPads like you can on Surface - they appear as individual icons and open up directly in the software, as opposed to in an RDP session...

Still waiting for my surface to be delivered hence the question. Good to know that it works well, and its winning over the mass of iPad fans or Buzz word fans out there

Another thing annoying me that I've not found a resolution for yet...

Despite ticking the box to Remember my credentials for the published apps from the TS, I keep getting prompted every so often to re-enter them... Most annoying! It's just an RDP file at the end of the day, I never get prompted again on my PC once I've saved the credentials...

I guess it could be argued that it's done like that intentionally for security reasons as there's more at stake with the network apps / access to network files etc. but it's still annoying!

I now have Sims.Net and Sims Discover both as published remote apps (RDP files saved on the desktop of the RT)

WOW! I mean WOW! (Is there any further need really for Sims Emerge? No)

So now we have the perfect tablet

Office Package
Full Outlook
Sims
Discover
Remote Desktop

And any other application I publish...

It was going to happen... It did happen... and I aint got no problems with Microsoft :)

In my opinion like they did with the Xbox - They hit the nail right on t

I am just wondering why you decided to go with the RT version as this is a consumer device? Thanks

This is my personal device... Just wondering what was and was not possible on a 'Surface'.

The Surface Pro is the best option especially if planning to use within the classroom with the better hardware and Full Windows 8.

For senior management who want to have a portable device they can use.. for us I do not think the additional cost on them would be worth it for what they require it for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FN-GM

I am just wondering why you decided to go with the RT version as this is a consumer device? Thanks

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At a guess cost as ive yet to see even an atom based x86 thats not overpriced

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrisalltraine

I now have Sims.Net and Sims Discover both as published remote apps (RDP files saved on the desktop of the RT)

WOW! I mean WOW! (Is there any further need really for Sims Emerge? No)

So now we have the perfect tablet

Office Package
Full Outlook
Sims
Discover
Remote Desktop

And any other application I publish...

It was going to happen... It did happen... and I aint got no problems with Microsoft :)

In my opinion like they did with the Xbox - They hit the nail right on t

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If the perfect tablet needs terminal services to run, how is it any different to "insert other tablet here" ?

It still can't run what a school/business wants as default without terminal/remote apps w/e you want to call it.

Not sure what is stopping you using all those packages on an android/linux/apple/RIM etc tablet.

Just curious as to what makes the surface any better than well any other tablet (that's roughly same specs, so not a silly £80 android).

(Note, Not having a go at surface, just don't see how the above is only surface usable)

Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FN-GM

I am just wondering why you decided to go with the RT version as this is a consumer device? Thanks

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The Pro version is more like a laptop with a touch screen - it needs to boot up like any PC does, when it's on standby, it doesn't sync mail etc. so you lose the benefits of the tablet...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrisalltraine

The Surface Pro is the best option especially if planning to use within the classroom with the better hardware and Full Windows 8.

For senior management who want to have a portable device they can use.. for us I do not think the additional cost on them would be worth it for what they require it for.

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If you've got a decent terminal server & wireless connection I can't see why Surface Pro would make much of a difference in the classroom... The only disadvantage that I can see for the classroom environment at the moment is the lack of apps that teachers have been using on their iPads for a while...

We're just looking at them for SMT at the moment, until more apps are available, but I don't think it'll take too long... The two members of the SMT who got them when I got mine are loving them so far, one has pretty much given up with his iPad as a result, the other is nearly there... both have mentioned returning their laptops as well as their iPads in favour of the Surface tablets...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve21

If the perfect tablet needs terminal services to run, how is it any different to "insert other tablet here" ?

It still can't run what a school/business wants as default without terminal/remote apps w/e you want to call it.

Not sure what is stopping you using all those packages on an android/linux/apple/RIM etc tablet.

Just curious as to what makes the surface any better than well any other tablet (that's roughly same specs, so not a silly £80 android).

(Note, Not having a go at surface, just don't see how the above is only surface usable)

Steve

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It's the ease with which it accesses the remote apps... and the fact that you've got (assuming you get one of the keyboards) a keyboard & touchpad to use the software designed for a PC, which has always been a flaw of accessing them from devices without... (I know you can get bluetooth keyboards for iPads, but they're not as responsive, and you don't get the touchpad... ) Trying to use SIMS via something like iTapp on an iPad was a nightmare... on Surface it's just as easy as using it on a laptop... and you can access the published apps directly from icons rather than having to go through an RDP session...

Having just got a Nexus 7 I have to vote for surface, you can get RDP for it (nexus) but it's rubbish or expensive. You've got to turn off most of the security to make it work. From my usage RT/8 is faster and more stable.

You may ask why I got a 7 rather than a surface, $900 price difference. They are just stupidly expensive here, the x86 ones are cheaper but still double the cost of a 7, around £180 here on the best special they have had.

I'm still looking at apps so it may get better but I have to vote for W8 for actual us ability for anything else than angry birds and consuming Google comparable web pages.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichCowell

The Pro version is more like a laptop with a touch screen - it needs to boot up like any PC does, when it's on standby, it doesn't sync mail etc. so you lose the benefits of the tablet...

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Personally i think thats a small plus based on what you get with a pro version.