Free Tablet Computers Could Well Be A Masterstroke; Thai Opinion

[Siam Simon]

Strange you should say that tawp, the list is drawn from the objections to the tablet in this very thread.........

No, it is a list created by someone that doesn't understand the context each point was written in nor the argument in question.

And as there is no requirement for any introduction to technology for 6 year old's, hence the 'books' option cannot fail for that reason.

Aaanyway...

Y'know, 473geo, I used to be somewhat bemused as to why some expat posters on TV are always opposed to anything that will improve the lower classes' lives and intelligence. Then it struck me like a ton of bricks: Some expats want things to stay exactly as they are; they want the same Thailand that first drew them here. Sure, they will pay lip service to the advancement of the masses, but they always oppose any practical attempts to do so because they don't really want any change other than better roads, better internet connections and suchlike. As far as the structure of society goes, they like their own easy, comfortable place in it and they don't want to lose that place to Thai people currently below them.

Sad people.

[snarky66]

Sounds as if Yingluck is wasting no time in hatching schemes to skim off government contracts. 2000 baht tablets billed to government at 3000 baht. Masterstroke. Must refill warchest after vote buying.

[David006]

The overall idea ( if it is that) to improve the standard and quality of education by introducing learning aids is in itself commendable albeit a perceived vote getter.

I have not seen anything to indicate what the actual objective is...is it to remedy an acknowledged problem/failing of the current system?

Every plan needs to be time assigned and measurable...it would make sense therefore to run a few field trials to get the bugs out and educate the educators, say in half a dozen rural schools, before investing such large amounts of the education budget.

Just suspect in time we will have some gem of a statistical indication announced my some white uniformed individual saying how Thailand education system is expected to jump a notch or two in the global rankings ....

Edited August 15, 2011 by David006

[whybother]

Y'know, 473geo, I used to be somewhat bemused as to why some expat posters on TV are always opposed to anything that will improve the lower classes' lives and intelligence. Then it struck me like a ton of bricks: Some expats want things to stay exactly as they are; they want the same Thailand that first drew them here. Sure, they will pay lip service to the advancement of the masses, but they always oppose any practical attempts to do so because they don't really want any change other than better roads, better internet connections and suchlike. As far as the structure of society goes, they like their own easy, comfortable place in it and they don't want to lose that place to Thai people currently below them.

Sad people.

Once again, you don't understand.

Some expat posters on TV might not be opposed to this idea if they thought it would improve the lower classes' lives and intelligence.

[YellowFeverCAD]

Here is the spec.....a stand alone tool to enhance the learning capabilities and introduce children to technology on an individual basis......not too stiff for your IT team to come up with a solution...out of the tons provided.

I'll give you a few pointers from our Tvisa team to guide you:

This is really not that hard which you would know if you were really trying to find a solution. Let it be said I still disagree with ONLY dealing with grade one, but as with anything else this wacky country does I realize listening to logic from an outside source is NOT their strong suit. Some items on your list have nothing to do with my objections to the project and as such I don't see them as issues, but will happily address them anyway.

1. This equipment cannot be given to the charge of a person with parents, they will just sell it,

2. The equipment cannot be taken out of the class room as the rain will finish it

3. The equipment cannot be left in the classroom or some enterprising theif will steal it

4. We assume once delivered the users are on their own - no support

5. The equipment must be virtually unbreakable,

6. Electricity supply will be intermittent,

7. Doubtful if there will internet connection services available

8.There will be no power outlets on the desktops too dangerous

Answers, sorry I had to reformat your post but you will see all the requests are there but it would have required too many quote blocks to respond directly to each one.

1. I never claimed that children can not have the equipment but rather giving them a fragile tablet which has current demand in the second hand market place a bad idea. Tablets are not designed for the type of usage the would receive in this environment,

2. My solution is waterproof don't worry.

3. Don't know much about security at the schools but would think leaving group of items that can easily be sold off would be a bad idea.. I have already said taking them home is the best idea, more to follow later.

4. My solution takes little support but there is no device on the planet that have no support, my objection to the current plan is they have not talked about support. My solution takes a very small amount of support compared to a tablet.

5. It is

6. Don't need it the computer has a long battery life and also can be hand cranked, one minute of cranking for ten minutes of power in a pinch.

7. Don't need it.. the computers can run in ad hoc mode and connect to each other and a central computer with ease.

8. Don't need them see answer six above.

Let me know what you come up with

A real world laptop for real world change. The XO laptop was designed collaboratively by experts from academia and industry to combine innovations in technology and learning. We considered the need to weather extreme environmental conditions such as high heat and humidity, and to support easy field repair by children and local language support. As a result, the XO laptop is durable, functional, energy-efficient, responsive, and fun.

new model has 1GB of RAM, 4GB of Flash storage (upgradable to 32GB). It has a more responsive keyboard and touchpad, and offers the option of membrane or traditional keyboards. It charges 25% faster and suspends more efficiently, extending the effective battery life.

The XO is about the size of a textbook and lighter than a lunchbox. Thanks to its flexible design and "transformer" hinge, the laptop easily assumes any of several configurations: standard laptop use, e-book reading, and gaming. It has rounded edges, an integrated kid-sized handle, and a sealed, rubber-membrane keyboard.

Design was a priority from the start: the laptop could not be big, heavy, fragile, dull, or dangerous. The distinctive appearance both appeals to the intended users and discourages gray-market traffic. There is no mistaking what it is and for whom it is intended

The XO is also designed for constant connectivity. A few children working together under a tree can connect to eachother without any other hardware, and a class full of students can share collaborative activities with one another and see what their classmates are doing.

The XO is compliant with the European Union's RoHS Directive, containing no hazardous materials. Its LiFePO4 batteries contain no toxic heavy metals, plus it features enhanced battery management for an extended recharge-cycle lifetime. It will also tolerate alternate power-charging sources, such as car batteries. Children may also have a second battery for group charging at school while they are using their laptop in class.

The XO has no hard drive to crash and only two internal cables. For added robustness, the machine's plastic walls are 2mm thick, as opposed to the standard 1.3mm. Its wireless antennas, which far outperform the typical laptop, double as external covers for the USB ports, which are protected internally as well. The display is also cushioned by internal bumpers.

The estimated product lifetime is at least four years. To help ensure such durability, the machines are being subjected to factory testing to destruction, as well as field testing by children.

Learning is our main goal. We do not focus on computer literacy, as that is a by-product of the fluency children will gain through use of the laptop for learning. Children—especially young children—need the opportunity to learn far more than Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Of course, picking up these skills, having grown up with a laptop, will be readily accomplished. Epistemologists from John Dewey to Paulo Freire to Seymour Papert agree that you learn through doing. This suggests that if you want more learning, you want more doing. Thus OLPC puts an emphasis on software tools for exploring and expressing, rather than instruction. Love is a better master than duty. Using the laptop as the agency for engaging children in constructing knowledge based upon their personal interests and providing them tools for sharing and critiquing these constructions will lead them to become learners and teachers. As a matter of practicality and given the necessity to enhance performance and reliability while containing costs, XO is not burdened by the bloat of excess code, the "featureitis" that is responsible for much of the clumsiness, unreliability, and expense of many modern laptops.

In the volume the Thai gov't is talking about buying Tablets (reports claim 800,000) the price of the XO would be about 4,000 baht vs. the claimed 3,000 baht for the knock off Tablets the huge difference of course is that that the XO has been proven in the field already (I have one my kid loves it as well) in many third world countries. The life span would indeed be very close to the four years claimed, based on real life experience, meaning that the tabs that are going to need to be replaced in their second and third year throw the budget to hell these do not.

So what is wrong with this solution? The only thing I have been told as to why it won't work is that nobody gets any kickbacks dealing with this foundation on the purchase of the units, hence the Thai's aren't keen on it.

Like I have said from the beginning if the Thai's really want to make things better for their kids the solutions exist, but in this case like so many other they just wanted to buy votes and talk about giving kids the current trendy IT item a cool tablet computer.. it made no sense when they suggested it and it makes no sense now... the solution I have proposed is working right now in the real world in many countries already but it appears to not be good enough for Thailand... go figure...

[thaicbr]

Strange you should say that tawp, the list is drawn from the objections to the tablet in this very thread.........

No, it is a list created by someone that doesn't understand the context each point was written in nor the argument in question.

And as there is no requirement for any introduction to technology for 6 year old's, hence the 'books' option cannot fail for that reason.

Aaanyway...

Y'know, 473geo, I used to be somewhat bemused as to why some expat posters on TV are always opposed to anything that will improve the lower classes' lives and intelligence. Then it struck me like a ton of bricks: Some expats want things to stay exactly as they are; they want the same Thailand that first drew them here. Sure, they will pay lip service to the advancement of the masses, but they always oppose any practical attempts to do so because they don't really want any change other than better roads, better internet connections and suchlike. As far as the structure of society goes, they like their own easy, comfortable place in it and they don't want to lose that place to Thai people currently below them.

Sad people.

Siamsimon... a question. Do you honestly believe that this scheme to give 6 year olds 3,000b tablet computers will work?

[thaicbr]

Ok

Here is the spec.....a stand alone tool to enhance the learning capabilities and introduce children to technology on an individual basis......not too stiff for your IT team to come up with a solution...out of the tons provided.

I'll give you a few pointers from our Tvisa team to guide you:

This equipment cannot be given to the charge of a person with parents, they will just sell it,

The equipment cannot be taken out of the class room as the rain will finish it

The equipment cannot be left in the classroom or some enterprising theif will steal it

We assume once delivered the users are on their own - no support

The equipment must be virtually unbreakable

Doubtful if there will internet connection services available

Electricity supply will be intermittent

There will be no power outlets on the desktops too dangerous

Let me know what you come up with

This one is easy. Bring the classroom into the 21st century with white boards and a decent computer with all the necessary software on it and use a projector to show the class.. e-learning in a classroom environment were the teacher has control and the students can learn together. THE LAST POINT IS THAT THEY CAN INTERACT AS A CLASS.

Yes they will still need books and Yes more needs to be done to keep these up to date. But at Pratom level it is NOT a major problem. It is more of a problem at higher levels but that is more a general malaise evident in the MOE than anything else.

[TAWP]

Strange you should say that tawp, the list is drawn from the objections to the tablet in this very thread.........

No, it is a list created by someone that doesn't understand the context each point was written in nor the argument in question.

And as there is no requirement for any introduction to technology for 6 year old's, hence the 'books' option cannot fail for that reason.

Aaanyway...

Y'know, 473geo, I used to be somewhat bemused as to why some expat posters on TV are always opposed to anything that will improve the lower classes' lives and intelligence. Then it struck me like a ton of bricks: Some expats want things to stay exactly as they are; they want the same Thailand that first drew them here. Sure, they will pay lip service to the advancement of the masses, but they always oppose any practical attempts to do so because they don't really want any change other than better roads, better internet connections and suchlike. As far as the structure of society goes, they like their own easy, comfortable place in it and they don't want to lose that place to Thai people currently below them.

Sad people.

What is sad is some people that will swallow whatever Thaksin projectiles in their direction as if it was the water of life, disregarding anyone that might point out flaws with the assertions that they have made based on flawed rationalizations.

If you truly cared about this place you would know that giving people in my sons age (yes, he is directly eligible for this plan, hence I would benefit from it - if I really thought there was one) a underpowered and broken tablet isn't going to change the problem with too big classes, under-skilled teachers trying to push a curriculum that just isn't up to snuff.

Go about this in a proper way. Not give the tablets to the youngest kids - improve the technical gear from the oldest and down, the youngest have enough to focus on already.

[473geo]

Ok

Here is the spec.....a stand alone tool to enhance the learning capabilities and introduce children to technology on an individual basis......not too stiff for your IT team to come up with a solution...out of the tons provided.

I'll give you a few pointers from our Tvisa team to guide you:

This equipment cannot be given to the charge of a person with parents, they will just sell it,

The equipment cannot be taken out of the class room as the rain will finish it

The equipment cannot be left in the classroom or some enterprising theif will steal it

We assume once delivered the users are on their own - no support

The equipment must be virtually unbreakable

Doubtful if there will internet connection services available

Electricity supply will be intermittent

There will be no power outlets on the desktops too dangerous

Let me know what you come up with

This one is easy. Bring the classroom into the 21st century with white boards and a decent computer with all the necessary software on it and use a projector to show the class.. e-learning in a classroom environment were the teacher has control and the students can learn together. THE LAST POINT IS THAT THEY CAN INTERACT AS A CLASS.

Yes they will still need books and Yes more needs to be done to keep these up to date. But at Pratom level it is NOT a major problem. It is more of a problem at higher levels but that is more a general malaise evident in the MOE than anything else.

Although a solution, I would prefer to move away from total front of class learning, I would prefer to have the children busy learning by doing, obviously not all day and there are topics which align more to class interaction than others, I think technology can provide an entrance to more individual 'hands on' learning activity

Credit to yellowfeverCAD, at least he has brought something to the table which is way more advanced and upto date than any other solution presented here, and certainly deserves consideration. I would appreciate more information on the learning activity however, as my children have a similar 'toy' bought in the UK for 1000 baht, smaller screen, but learning by games and vocal interaction.

You've got to admit guys it is more productive attempting to come up with alternatives than moaning about how bad the suggested fix is, because like it or not something is always better than nothing, and moaning produces nothing, excepting issues to overcome.

I once worked for a very smart boss, he only had to tell me once.........do not come to me with problems, provide me with solutions..... if you are capable of following this advice you will understand why organisations with this attitude prosper

[thaicbr]

Ok

Here is the spec.....a stand alone tool to enhance the learning capabilities and introduce children to technology on an individual basis......not too stiff for your IT team to come up with a solution...out of the tons provided.

I'll give you a few pointers from our Tvisa team to guide you:

This equipment cannot be given to the charge of a person with parents, they will just sell it,

The equipment cannot be taken out of the class room as the rain will finish it

The equipment cannot be left in the classroom or some enterprising theif will steal it

We assume once delivered the users are on their own - no support

The equipment must be virtually unbreakable

Doubtful if there will internet connection services available

Electricity supply will be intermittent

There will be no power outlets on the desktops too dangerous

Let me know what you come up with

This one is easy. Bring the classroom into the 21st century with white boards and a decent computer with all the necessary software on it and use a projector to show the class.. e-learning in a classroom environment were the teacher has control and the students can learn together. THE LAST POINT IS THAT THEY CAN INTERACT AS A CLASS.

Yes they will still need books and Yes more needs to be done to keep these up to date. But at Pratom level it is NOT a major problem. It is more of a problem at higher levels but that is more a general malaise evident in the MOE than anything else.

Although a solution, I would prefer to move away from total front of class learning, I would prefer to have the children busy learning by doing, obviously not all day and there are topics which align more to class interaction than others, I think technology can provide an entrance to more individual 'hands on' learning activity

Credit to yellowfeverCAD, at least he has brought something to the table which is way more advanced and upto date than any other solution presented here, and certainly deserves consideration. I would appreciate more information on the learning activity however, as my children have a similar 'toy' bought in the UK for 1000 baht, smaller screen, but learning by games and vocal interaction.

You've got to admit guys it is more productive attempting to come up with alternatives than moaning about how bad the suggested fix is, because like it or not something is always better than nothing, and moaning produces nothing, excepting issues to overcome.

I once worked for a very smart boss, he only had to tell me once.........do not come to me with problems, provide me with solutions..... if you are capable of following this advice you will understand why organisations with this attitude prosper

Have you EVER taught either here in Thailand or any where else. '

Because you still miss the point.

The item that YFC found is excellent and part of an world wide incentive. Peru and Uruguay seem to have the biggest launch number.

BUT it would still need THAI-ing which is no major problem. But will it happen.

We already have the Minster saying that they have to do an emergency English teaching course so that the P1's can use the equipment.

And it's still a huge amount of money to be spent when there are other things for it to be spent on.

But if it does go ahead then The XO with its support background and infrastructure would be a good idea.

The website makes for interesting reading especially How the Peruvians launched the project.

http://laptop.org/en/children/countries/peru.shtml

So 479geo are you going to volunteer to lobby the Minister of Education with this idea. But don't forget it isn't a tablet (good) and it isn't 3,000b.

Edited August 16, 2011 by thaicbr

[whybother]

...

We already have the Minster saying that they have to do an emergency English teaching course so that the P1's can use the equipment.

...

Edu minister: Preparations needed for tablet policy

BANGKOK, 16 August 2011 (NNT) – Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul has stressed that preparations must be made before the one-tablet PC-per-child policy is implemented to prevent students from using the tablets in wrong purposes.

Mr Woravat stated that he has assigned the Office of the Higher Education Commission to study details of the one tablet PC per child policy as students must be prepared, especially their English language skill, before tablets are distributed.

The minister admitted that tablets cannot be used to the maximum benefits if students do not possess adequate English skills. He said the readiness of students and contents of subjects to be sent to students are pre-conditions for the introduction of tablets. Without it, tablets might be used in wrong purposes.

The minister also confirmed that tablets cannot replace all textbooks, but they are just one of the educational tools while textbooks and development of children’s skills in various aspects remain necessary. He noted that those components will be integrated in the future.

-- NNT 2011-08-16

[thaicbr]

Reading about this OLPC setup... WOW.

This MAY be a good idea if introduced in a thought out way similar to how it was done in Peru... Hat's of to those who planned it over there.

But maybe it's easier in Spanish speaking country

I notice they ALREADY have a Thai keyboard layout and they have over 1,000 units in Cambodia and Malaysia.

Youtube of Cambodian OLPC

AHHH here is why it has a Thai keyboard,

http://www.olpcnews....lpc_laptop.html

Oh look available on EBAY. Strange!

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=olpc&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Edited August 16, 2011 by thaicbr

[YellowFeverCAD]

Reading about this OLPC setup... WOW.

This MAY be a good idea if introduced in a thought out way similar to how it was done in Peru... Hat's of to those who planned it over there.

But maybe it's easier in Spanish speaking country

I notice they ALREADY have a Thai keyboard layout and they have over 1,000 units in Cambodia and Malaysia.

Youtube of Cambodian OLPC

AHHH here is why it has a Thai keyboard,

http://www.olpcnews....lpc_laptop.html

Oh look available on EBAY. Strange!

http://shop.ebay.com...-All-Categories

Actually at one point you could go to the website and purchase one of these computers for your own child and when doing so another one was donated to a third world country. It was called Give 1 Get 1, that is how I got mine for my son and it is a great rugged little box, more than just a toy running on a modified version of linux so with a parent that took an interest it is really quite able to do a great many things.

I know a number of people in the IT industry in Thailand that have been lobbying the gov't here to use such a problem as the support and infrastructure has been proven and tested and the costs very low. So far they have been met with blank stares and shrugs of the shoulders...

This is not a perfect solution either as the entire education system needs help but it is leaps and bounds ahead of the Thai solution under consideration.

The feeling among the IT people I've spoken to is the Thai's won't adopt it as it makes them look like they are playing "catch up" technology wise to Cambodia and Malaysia.. so basically losing face.. as per usual nonsense out weighs the good of the many..

I would love to see this attempted here..

[thaicbr]

A good editorial by Afghan teachers etc about their OLPC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hctg-mDAkY&feature=related

[thaicbr]

Reading about this OLPC setup... WOW.

This MAY be a good idea if introduced in a thought out way similar to how it was done in Peru... Hat's of to those who planned it over there.

But maybe it's easier in Spanish speaking country

I notice they ALREADY have a Thai keyboard layout and they have over 1,000 units in Cambodia and Malaysia.

Youtube of Cambodian OLPC

AHHH here is why it has a Thai keyboard,

http://www.olpcnews....lpc_laptop.html

Oh look available on EBAY. Strange!

http://shop.ebay.com...-All-Categories

Actually at one point you could go to the website and purchase one of these computers for your own child and when doing so another one was donated to a third world country. It was called Give 1 Get 1, that is how I got mine for my son and it is a great rugged little box, more than just a toy running on a modified version of linux so with a parent that took an interest it is really quite able to do a great many things.

I know a number of people in the IT industry in Thailand that have been lobbying the gov't here to use such a problem as the support and infrastructure has been proven and tested and the costs very low. So far they have been met with blank stares and shrugs of the shoulders...

This is not a perfect solution either as the entire education system needs help but it is leaps and bounds ahead of the Thai solution under consideration.

The feeling among the IT people I've spoken to is the Thai's won't adopt it as it makes them look like they are playing "catch up" technology wise to Cambodia and Malaysia.. so basically losing face.. as per usual nonsense out weighs the good of the many..

I would love to see this attempted here..

Those were my thoughts as well....But hell they might get them.. Thailand is playing catch up on most near all aspects of technology 3G etc....So another one will not make a HUGE loss of face

You say you have one.. what is it like? Am i correct in saying you use the levers at the top to recharge it if needed.

I'm actually thinking about getting one from ebay for a look.. But would rather save the money if some one has one in country i can look at

Edited August 16, 2011 by thaicbr

[YellowFeverCAD]

Credit to yellowfeverCAD, at least he has brought something to the table which is way more advanced and upto date than any other solution presented here, and certainly deserves consideration. I would appreciate more information on the learning activity however, as my children have a similar 'toy' bought in the UK for 1000 baht, smaller screen, but learning by games and vocal interaction.

Thank you for at least taking the time to look over my (and many IT experts in Thailand) suggestion. It is working well in other third world countries and I am sure it would work here as well if there was the political will to do so rather than just vote buying or trying to make kids look cool.

I can assure you this is NOT a toy. Built in wifi, very robust, USB ports solid state hard drive and the OS which was in part developed by Redhat is called Sugar and it is a very impressive little OS. If you go to the site and have a look at the demo on the OS you will be suitably impressed I am sure.

My son's came loaded with the factory defaults and that included 25 applications built into the OS some were very plain and basic like notepad type apps etc.. but some were extremely cool like terminal apps allowing older kids to venture into the command prompt of Linux. They also include an app called "pippy" which teaches kids an intro into Python programming you would be shocked how young some of the kids are that start tinkering with such things when made available to them. My son's favorite for the longest time is one called "distance" it is basically a mini gps type app that will measure the distance between any two points you chose on the network. He and his friends would move the laptops around and try to guess the distance then check the machine to see how close they were.. all very simple stuff but look at the wonderful underlying lessons they are being taught...

I can assure you no 3,000 baht tablet will do the same.. again thanks for at least taking the time to look at what I consider to be a better solution and acknowledging the effort made.

[thaicbr]

another great youtube for OLPC

Kinda brings a tear to your eye. Nice music as well

The more i find on youtube the more i LOVE this little thing.

Here's one trying ti destroy it.

Edited August 16, 2011 by thaicbr

[Gary A]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

[thaicbr]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

Or you don't. Because surely that 2 pin 5 volt Dc adapter HAS TO BE plugged into a 220v outlet (which is not earthed)

Or is 220v unearthed electricity NOT dangerous for small kids?

Edited August 16, 2011 by thaicbr

[TAWP]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

As thaicbr says, the outlet is still 220v - but for your knowledge it isn't the volt that kills you, it is the ampere - so 5v in itself can be highly lethal if juiced up...but we are getting off-topic. Sorry for spreading facts into your delusion.

Edited August 16, 2011 by TAWP

[Gary A]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

Or you don't. Because surely that 2 pin 5 volt Dc adapter HAS TO BE plugged into a 220v outlet (which is not earthed)

Or is 220v unearthed electricity NOT dangerous for small kids?

It appears that you also are not capable of thinking out of the box. If I plug a DC converter into the 220 volt AC supply so the output is 5 volts DC and run the 5 volt DC wires to each desk, how can a child even get close to the dangerous 220 volts AC?

I would agree that running 220 volts to each desk would be dangerous.

[thaicbr]

Because this is Thailand and they would just put the extension lead on the desk for the P1 Students to plug into themselves......... It happens now.

[Siam Simon]

Siamsimon... a question. Do you honestly believe that this scheme to give 6 year olds 3,000b tablet computers will work?

If you are asking me about 6 year olds using computers, my answer is yes, it would most definitely work under the right instruction (and, of course, supervision). Show a 6 year old the basics in how to use a computer, and within a few days they will be using it far more skillfully than most of us on this forum.

If you are asking about the suitability of a 3000bt piece of I.T., I'm dubious, but let's wait and see.

[Siam Simon]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

As thaicbr says, the outlet is still 220v - but for your knowledge it isn't the volt that kills you, it is the ampere - so 5v in itself can be highly lethal if juiced up...but we are getting off-topic. Sorry for spreading facts into your delusion.

Except that 220v reduced to 5v by the type of cheap, small transformers that would be used on these applications would be incapable of such a tragic occurrence at the 5v end (one can just imagine those enormous, powerful and hugely expensive industrial transformers that can deliver a 'belt' being installed in classrooms, of course ). Facts and delusion indeed.

[Siam Simon]

Charging problems? Any simple minded electrician could arrange for low voltage DC outlets on every desk.

Anyone that has ever hired an electrician here don't want anything wired anything close to any kids in a school. That is just nuts.

I have no idea what you know about computers but if you think that 5 volt DC is dangerous, you obviously don't have a clue about electricity.

Or you don't. Because surely that 2 pin 5 volt Dc adapter HAS TO BE plugged into a 220v outlet (which is not earthed)

Or is 220v unearthed electricity NOT dangerous for small kids?

Why can't it be earthed? A short length of copper cable from the transformer's casing to a piece of copper rod placed appropriately in the ground isn't rocket science.

[thaicbr]

]Why can't it be earthed? A short length of copper cable from the transformer's casing to a piece of copper rod placed appropriately in the ground isn't rocket science.

True.... but have you EVER seen it done here..i haven't ... But I have worked in schools were light fittings are hanging off the walls. Please do not compare Thailand with your home country... on some things the majority have NO idea.

[Siam Simon]

]Why can't it be earthed? A short length of copper cable from the transformer's casing to a piece of copper rod placed appropriately in the ground isn't rocket science.

True.... but have you EVER seen it done here..i haven't ... But I have worked in schools were light fittings are hanging off the walls. Please do not compare Thailand with your home country... on some things the majority have NO idea.

Yes I have. My father-in-law had a twintub washing machine earthed. It cost him 300bt btw.

[thaicbr]

]Why can't it be earthed? A short length of copper cable from the transformer's casing to a piece of copper rod placed appropriately in the ground isn't rocket science.

True.... but have you EVER seen it done here..i haven't ... But I have worked in schools were light fittings are hanging off the walls. Please do not compare Thailand with your home country... on some things the majority have NO idea.

Yes I have. My father-in-law had a twintub washing machine earthed. It cost him 300bt btw.

Sorry Simon i meant in schools.. And i had a shower earthed lucky i checked it as it was just a small multi core cable run across the path to a 12cm metal rod... but hey it was earthed...

And how are you going to earth 400+ individual charger plugs????

[harrry]

Charging will be no problem. THey know how to handle wires...just look up at any intersection and you will see. And they can just plug another 4 way board into the 4 way board that is plugged into the four way board that is.....

[Crushdepth]

I am less enthusiastic about the tablet scheme now that I know they will spend 10% of the national education budget on it.