AyatollahPies

Currently in the process of getting one of my schools re-cabled as someone thought it a good idea to make even the fixed desktops wireless. All running over a dodgy 56MB wireless network. Groan.

Annual Holiday? Not on this side of the pond it isn't. Hollywood has a lot to answer for.

Not long since had "Eff You" shouted through the letterbox, for not answering the door. Charming.

Have you had any lip synch issues with mkv files, particularly if you have either paused, or fast forwarded? I've had to relegate mine to the bedroom.

Fair enough. It was a poor example. However, it does tell you about the predicament some schools are in, whereby they are still running it and see no reason to change, because it still works.

Remind me how old Windows XP is and how long we've been running that? (Still does the job) The head teacher is new and is doing a damn fine job of sorting out a large mess that was left for her. There "may" well be a bigger budget for IT next year, but at the moment I have more in my wallet than this school has, and they are unable to use IT efficiently right now, never mind in 5+ years. Not all schools are the same. Anyway, I've gone off topic here, for which I apologise to Millgate.

Ebuyer deal includes 3 year NBD warranty. Doesn't show until you put it in your basket though. I don't understand the argument about it being out of date technology. It's more than capable of running Windows 7, Office 2010 and the curriculum software that will be installed on them.

Not when they are replacing 8 year old single core workstations with 512MB ram they aren't. The school have very little money and need other things doing to their network with are a bigger priority and will make a bigger difference than an i3 will. The point I was trying to make to the OP was that a lot of schools simply do not have the budget for £500 / workstation and that advertising cheaper deals in the current climate may help his bottom line more.

I'm sure you are well aware of the budget constraints facing schools at the moment. Therefore, can you understand why I would recommend a school purchase these HP 500B MT Desktop PC - Desktops | Ebuyer.com £250 ex vat over these http://www.edugeek.net/forums/our-advertisers/84334-hp-compaq-8200-elite-sff-free-19-monitor-millgate.html £520 ex vat I know they are not like for like, but the price difference is far wider than the performance difference, even taking the monitor into account.

Budget Expertise

One of the schools I support is having the network re-cabled and replacing their current (old) switches. I was thinking about recommending 2x48 port Netgear Gb Switches, but after reading various reviews of different brands, the consensus seems to be that they sound like an 747 taking off. The cabinet that they would be going in is located in a corridor (above arms length), so whilst it wouldn't disrupt any lessons, it would be audible in the corridor. I'm tempted to suggest they get 4x24 port Netgear switches instead, as the deal I have found makes it cheaper, and may reduce noise too. Does anyone know if there really is much of a noise difference?

And you need this for???

Monosodium glutamate Tanaka?

All of the above. ;-)

We install it on netbooks. Seems to do everything required of it.