Microsoft Readies Shared Classroom Server For 2010 Debut

[6Foot2]

At first sight this looks interesting:

 

Microsoft is touting the forthcoming MultiPoint Server as being designed for non-technical professionals, so they won’t need a consultant or administrator to set up and manage the system.

 

and

 

The teacher management interface is called the MultiPoint Manager and allows the management of desktops, student accounts, and student sessions, plus provides teachers with a way to distribute content to students’ desktops.

 

To finish:

 

No word yet on pricing.

 

Full article: Blogs.ZDNet.Com

[DrPerceptron]

http://www.microsoft.com/video/en/us/details/f35814d9-8af8-4220-9331-21fee39a5678

 

Check out some of the videos, sounds like an awesome idea for places where space is at a premium or for lesser budget locations...

[TwoZeroAlpha]

Sounds like a good idea, for some locations.

 

However I don't really see it working that usefully above primary level. It's essentially a thin client setup isn't it?

 

What happens when teacher leaves themself logged in and says to kid A "oh just work on my profile"

 

Kid A shuts down for a laugh and the rest of class looses their work.

 

In short, nice idea but I won't be queuing up for one.

[rayfleming]

[Declaration: I'm a Microsoft-insider!]

 

Now that this is article is out, let me share what we're thinking in the UK education market for this:

 

- It may have some limited relevance in primary schools (but as it is fixed, probably not as useful as a trolley of laptops/netbooks), eg in IT suites, which are becoming less common.

 

- Even more limited application in secondary schools, who are heading towards 1:1 pretty rapidly

 

- Good setup for a simple cybercafe setup, where all the screens are close together

 

 

So, in a world of Microsoft where were launching a new product every week, and the UK education team tend to look at this as a pick'n'mix shop (ie we choose to spend time talking about the ones that we think are most relevant to UK schools, and don't talk much about the other 1,000+ products) this is probably second order.

 

I think it's most relevant to developing markets (including some markets in europe where their student:pc ratio is waaaay behind the UK). And so, because 20% of the people that come to BETT are international visitors, we'll have it on the stand for them to see - and so you to can come along and make your own judgement too.

 

But as happens now and again , we can be wrong, so feedback on the above appreciated!

[dhicks]

let me share what we're thinking in the UK education market for this

 

Me, I'd use it to put half-a-dozen workstations in each classroom. I'd use the PC as the teacher's main PC, hooked up to the data projector, and have the system run a bunch of workstations for pupil use. Flat screens these days can be wall-mounted, and it should be possible to fix up some kind of fold-away keyboard / mouse rest per screen, so when not in use each workstation wouldn't take up much room.

 

I have a sneaky feeling that in a couple of years a workstation thin enough to be screwed to the back of a monitor between it and the wall and capable of running a web browser is going to be cheap enough to make it not worth the bother of any other kind of system, though.

 

--

David Hicks