Thailand Buys Chinese Tablet Computers For Schools

[Markaew]

I'd like to know where the tablets are going, are they for the hi-so kids in Bkk or the rural village kids?

I think the 'hi-so" kids would laugh at cheap tablets from China. Pretty sure they all have ipads or Galaxy eh?

I'm not sure you understood my question. I do not wonder if the Bkk kids will like the tablets, I wonder who's getting them.

I understood it mate. What does it matter who gets them? Unless they change the way/what they teach here in Thailand i don't see a tablet helping any student. I also think real hi-so kids are in private schools so wouldn't be in the mix for a free tablet.

Agree with another poster here that we will most likely see these things sold off, on the black market and so on. A gimmick from the start that will now turn into a joke. The money could be better spent educating teachers how to teach.

For first graders, the tablet may replace their coloring books. 90% of academic time for this age is to color, color, color!!

[Markaew]

Sometimes people just cant win when they are against know it all negheads

Spoken like a true Thai.

[Markaew]

A waste of money. How many will be broken or clogged up with BullSH** computer games after a week?

Most likely the ones that are not broken within a week from careless handling will be fitted with a custom android firmware filled with games, a small business opportunity there. Something for the kids to do while being bored to death in school. I truly doubt the government will be able to produce any meaningful educational software, much less the teachers bothering to learn how to use one. Oh well, at least the kids get toys.

That's a good point about a business making money on the software. Some Thai business will get a fat contract to make a bullsh_t software package. I have seen teaching software designed in Thailand and it is the most pathetic I have ever encountered. Clearly something to just fulfill a lucrative contract.

[Markaew]

May be I shouldn't be but I am a bit surprised how quick people are to criticise most things Thai here. There's an assumption that if it doesn't appear in a newspaper article then it probably hasn't been considered by those making decisions. Half the time it could just be bad / vague reporting.

The Thai news networks have more detail and have explained, as you would expect there is more thought/ planning/ training, etc than the English newspapers tell us.

For example- there is software that has already been developed for these- 8 e-books for 8 main subjects already and waiting, there is only 8 Mb of memory and the e-books already use up 4 - the other 4 are for students to upload. There is a word processing program and a learning game programme as well as past papers of relevant exams also ready to be pre-loaded. Some other stuff too but it gives you the idea that there has been some thought gone into this. Think of all those paper based text books that won't need to be printed each year- saving money and hassle to carry about!

Sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to just give Thailand the benefit of the doubt before jumping on the moaning band wagon. We all know there's a lot to sort out here but there are a lot of Thais doing their best to make their country good. It will be a long road but one every country had to travel at some point in it's development!

I wish them luck.

If looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

[vijer]

Yes a total waste of money, and PTP didn't keep its promise. Its promise was a tablet computer for every student, 1 million is way shy of fulfilling that promise. But at least someone got his share of Tea Money before the plan collapses!

Also, as mentioned by another poster, did the government go around and install multiple electrical outlets in every school room so the students could charge their tablets? No and if they did have it installed it would likely overload the existing wiring and cause a fire. Nope a substantial number of students will have forgotten to charge their tablet the nigh before, another substantial number of students will have spent all free time playing games on the tablet and so when time comes to actually use the tablet for the intended purpose of facilitating learning the battery will be dead. "Sorry teacher I can't follow the exercise my battery is dead, can I go out in the hall and fuc_k off while you proceed with the students who have a charged battery?"

Of course I am not sure "facilitating learning" was ever PTP's intention for the tablets when they made the promise of a tablet computer for every student.

[DrTuner]

I'm not sure I'd call the project a total waste of money. Now if the schools do get wifi and the tablets have browser access, it might well be that it raises the interest level of students in learning English, as they might want to surf outside Thai websites. If that happens, then you have a wealth of non-Thai information being absorbed by the next generation which inevitably would lead to a more open society .. if that's good or bad, depends on one's point of view. The ASEAN is going to put pressure on Thais to learn English anyway, maybe the pieces will fall into place by accident, which seems to be the MO of the current government anyway.

Edited May 11, 2012 by DrTuner

[Screws]

If they want to do Thailand and the students a favour, there will not be any 'put Thai' (Thai language) on the device.

If they do this, many students will wake up one morning about 18 months after receiving the machine, and ask themselves 'how come I learnt English?'

No, I do not consider this to be cultural imperialism. Many considerations, inc. upcoming Asean common market -

Edited May 11, 2012 by Screws

[gand]

Will they include spyware???

[blackthorn2005]

This Is going to be fun, epic thread just started. At that price the materials used must be the best and long life guaranteed, Thai kids will respect the item, and take care. Infrastructure ready???? in 60 days ??? all pre training finished, and electric installed in all schools, WITH charge up points. Will they have protected covers ??? or are they scratch proof ???

They will only be used for gaming, for their limited life span!

[anterian]

Any tablet is made up of basic modules, the same as a desktop, so manufacturing is simply assembling modules. I you have a good stock or source of modules then you can assemble very fast. So I think the Chinese can meet their delivery dates. However, whether there will be any academic value in their purchase is a different matter.

I notice many have talked about the availability of electricity and WiFi, but no one has mention the overall Internet network, can the Thai network cope with up to a million new users suddenly coming on line?

[SolarGolf]

The devices come in four colours - red, blue, silver and gold. Each costs $82, with 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM and a 3600 mAh battery. The tablets feature the Android 4.0 operating system and built-in GPS for monitoring and tracking purposes. They also come with two-year international standard warrantee.

Only important bit is the capacity of the hard drive as Thai kids only use tablets for games! If they can lock down the system to only allow the installation of new apps by an administrator then it might work but I'm not sure how you'd go about that on the android operating system.

If anyone is interested I found a review of last years similar model: http://www.buyandroidtabletpc.com/review-scope-pad-7-inch-android-2-3-tablet-pc.html

[mr78]

I'd like to know where the tablets are going, are they for the hi-so kids in Bkk or the rural village kids?

Hi-so kids already have i-pads and Samsung phones.... get a life..!

Whoa! A bit moody today are we? Is there an alkohol ban day today, or what?

[rubl]

Under the contract, Thailand will buy 400,000 devices for US$32.8 million, or Bt1.02 billion. A contract for the remaining 600,000 would be signed later. They would have the same price and must be delivered within 90 days from May 10.

The devices come in four colours - red, blue, silver and gold. Each costs $82, with 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM and a 3600 mAh battery. The tablets feature the Android 4.0 operating system and built-in GPS for monitoring and tracking purposes. They also come with two-year international standard warrantee.

Question1: unknown when contract will be signed for remaining 600,000 units, but to be delivered within 90 days of May 10. Really?

Question2: What happened with the 8 or 16 Gb additional storage space (HD or RAM) ?

[rubl]

^ #103

Question3: the GPS monitoring/tracking part suggest that the tablets will not be owned by the kids, or it this just big brother watching us?

[DrTuner]

Question3: the GPS monitoring/tracking part suggest that the tablets will not be owned by the kids, or it this just big brother watching us?

GPS is probably integrated into the chipset and can't be removed. They're most likely using a chipset that's a year or two old and has been used in android phones before, should be quite fine. BTW there is a lively Android developer community in Thailand ( http://droidsans.com/ ), entertainment software for schoolpads shouldn't be a problem, educational software might well be.

[Gerryasia]

Not even the Chinese can produce so much with so little in such a short time.

No doubt selling off old inventory.....think a 1st grader will care?

[Skywalker69]

400,000 tablets in 60 days.

If they work 24 hours a day that is close to 300 per hour.

Hats off if they can make that target.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

They have more chance of platting fog than meeting that deadline. I am sure the price was 79 USD before. Now it is 82 USD? What about the other 8 or 9 million kids?

Never mind it´s only tax-payers money.

[Skywalker69]

Under the contract, Thailand will buy 400,000 devices for US$32.8 million, or Bt1.02 billion. A contract for the remaining 600,000 would be signed later. They would have the same price and must be delivered within 90 days from May 10.

The devices come in four colours - red, blue, silver and gold. Each costs $82, with 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM and a 3600 mAh battery. The tablets feature the Android 4.0 operating system and built-in GPS for monitoring and tracking purposes. They also come with two-year international standard warrantee.

Question1: unknown when contract will be signed for remaining 600,000 units, but to be delivered within 90 days of May 10. Really?

Question2: What happened with the 8 or 16 Gb additional storage space (HD or RAM) ?

What about next years first-graders? Will they order another 900.000?

[gand]

I am guessing the older kids will take them away from them, unless the school keeps them locked up.

[Semper]

Will this have any influence on the already crappy internet connection?

[Jimjim]

Colossal waste of money.

[Buchholz]

What about next years first-graders? Will they order another 900.000?

That's their plan. A million or so every year.

.

[Skywalker69]

What about next years first-graders? Will they order another 900.000?

That's their plan. A million or so every year.

.

Ohh my "Budda"

[Buchholz]

Under the contract, Thailand will buy 400,000 devices for US$32.8 million, or Bt1.02 billion. A contract for the remaining 600,000 would be signed later. They would have the same price and must be delivered within 90 days from May 10.

The devices come in four colours - red, blue, silver and gold. Each costs $82, with 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM and a 3600 mAh battery. The tablets feature the Android 4.0 operating system and built-in GPS for monitoring and tracking purposes. They also come with two-year international standard warrantee.

Question1: unknown when contract will be signed for remaining 600,000 units, but to be delivered within 90 days of May 10. Really?

Question2: What happened with the 8 or 16 Gb additional storage space (HD or RAM) ?

The model identified in the other paper yesterday is ShenZhen's ScoPad SP0712, although it comes with a 1.2 GHz CPU, so apparently they've changed that to the 2.0 listed.

Other specs for ScoPad SP0712 :

http://www.lcdadvert..._8g-174653.html

which includes the:

Nor hot for long time

as one of its main features

.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Buchholz

[Yunla]

Improved roads infrastructure & driver regulation, and better water infrastructure / regulation, are greater priority for Thailand than disposable tech toys for kids IMO. Doesn't sound as good at rallies though.

[sparebox2]

Want a half price unit?

Just visit the pawn shop the day after.

[gand]

I would like to see them collect on the 2 year warranty.

[billd766]

Will this have any influence on the already crappy internet connection?

Lots.

[sirchai]

Here’s another article of the Bangkok Post:

Tablet PCs for students plan 'needs modifying'

Prathom 4 kids benefit more than first-graders

The government's tablet computer distribution plan benefits students and has no obvious negative impacts,

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/292920/tablet-pcs-for-students-plan-needs-modifying

[tlansford]

Not even the Chinese can produce so much with so little in such a short time.

Yes they can.

Foxconn has factories producing over 300 PCs per hour.