Mt. Vernon Register-News

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July 18, 2011

D-80 to purchase tablet computers

By DEREK BEIGH derek.beigh@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — District 80 will purchase 986 tablet computers this week to be used in all of its third to eighth grade classrooms by the end of 2011.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tyler Brown told the Board of Education Wednesday the machines, ASUS Eee Transformer tablets with added keyboard docks to take on laptop-like function and form, are an ideal fit to start the district’s one-to-one computer initiative.

Brown reported at an April 14 board meeting that district personnel decided early in the device selection process to consider only tablets or laptops that include flash video playback and ebook functionality. That requirement eliminated several early contenders, including a range of netbooks and Apple’s iPad.

In addition to those criteria, the ASUS tablets feature more than nine hours of battery life, with a total of sixteen when connected to the keyboard dock. Brown said he expects that capability, along with fast start-up times through the included Google Android operating system, will make the devices convenient for even the most technologically inexperienced faculty.

“(That battery life)_ is incredible; no one else on the market is even close,” Brown said. “All of our flash-based software will work. I think (teachers) will love the flash applications, battery life and keyboard functionality.”

The devices, which were released to the public late April, retail for $399 and are currently backordered for several weeks. Brown said he expects the bulk purchase will allow the district to change those numbers.

“We’re going to get a very nice discount,” he said.

Nonetheless, each device is esitmated to cost about $10 in excess of grant funds, meaning the district will spend $9,860 of its own cash to complete the purchase. Former Superintendent Dr. Kevin Settle said in April the district was not opposed to spending additional money over grant funds to choose the best fitting machine for the forseeable future.

“We’re very comfortable that this is a good device to jump in with,” Brown said. “This is the fast track. We’re at the very beginning of it.”

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