Thailand orders 1.2 million tablet computers for pupils

[kevvy]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

the ministers need their commission

[lee b]

I'm asking as i have never used one of these things, but are they really that good or a waste of space??

[thequietman]

I fail to see the problem here.

These tablets are a necessary part of Thai education.

Next thing all on here will want to ban the "To be No. 1" posters all around the schools.

Or the 'Genius corner class' that is situated in the centre of the building.

Or the many beautiful water features throughout the school.

Or the many pretty schrubs and flowers that are an intrinsic part of Thai education.

Don't mess with things you don't understand.

Thai education is Number !. Its been proven.

[Sunderland]

I work in what I consider to be one of the better private Thai schools in Bangkok. I can confirm that last year's tablets were rubbish and they are not being used any more.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Sunderland

[mrfill]

Well they could try some quality teaching, instead of giving playthings to the pupils. And I understand that the schools have to pay the internet charges !

Must be more vote buying.

The internet charges don't really "cost". The infrastructure is already built and there is much bandwidth still to be allocated. Your saying this is like the telecom companies that state that every call you make costs them money, a ridiculous contention.

The infrastructure may be built. The infrastructure does need to be maintained though and that is not free.

And while the contention may be ridiculous, if a school has to pay for internet connections, then it does indeed cost them, just like ordinary consumers who have to pay extra for a landline connection with data.

[jbrain]

Those tablets that "gonna" be ordered now, are that the same that were supposed to be delivered 2 months ago ?

[Skywalker69]

"Each tablet costs between $63 and $93,"

Before and after teamoney?

[thaicbr]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

The Los Angeles School District in California just came to an agreement to provide 650,000 tablets to their students, all iPads! There was no mention of the cost, but for a state that is near bankruptcy, the price they are paying for iPads has got to be huge. Why not a Chinese tablet?

because for this the Ipad is better ... Apple has spent a fortune intergrating the tablets and education software with the Mac computers.. as far as i'm aware the teachers can open and see whats going on on any of the tabs.. unlike android..ie cheap chinese tabs.

[OldChinaHam]

Well they could try some quality teaching, instead of giving playthings to the pupils. And I understand that the schools have to pay the internet charges !

Must be more vote buying.

The internet charges don't really "cost". The infrastructure is already built and there is much bandwidth still to be allocated. Your saying this is like the telecom companies that state that every call you make costs them money, a ridiculous contention.

The infrastructure may be built. The infrastructure does need to be maintained though and that is not free.

And while the contention may be ridiculous, if a school has to pay for internet connections, then it does indeed cost them, just like ordinary consumers who have to pay extra for a landline connection with data.

You mean you also advocate schools without internet connections?

No matter what, the internet connections will be there, in the schools.

It will cost no more to use wireless technology to connect a few hundred/or thousand extra devices.

I realize that there are still some of you around who long for the days with only reading writing and simple maths.

But those days are long over.

How can you visualize a protein without a computer?

Madness!

The whole new field of protein folding depends on computers as just one example of mathematics at work in biology to improve human health.

Madness!

[thaicbr]

 

 

Well they could try some quality teaching, instead of giving playthings to the pupils. And I understand that the schools have to pay the internet charges !

 

Must be more vote buying.

 

The internet charges don't really "cost".  The infrastructure is already built and there is much bandwidth still to be allocated.  Your saying this is like the telecom companies that state that every call you make costs them money, a ridiculous contention.

 

The infrastructure may be built. The infrastructure does need to be maintained though and that is not free.

And while the contention may be ridiculous, if a school has to pay for internet connections, then it does indeed cost them, just like ordinary consumers who have to pay extra for a landline connection with data.

 

 

You mean you also advocate schools without internet connections?

 

No matter what, the internet connections will be there, in the schools.

It will cost no more to use wireless technology to connect a few hundred/or thousand extra devices.

 

I realize that there are still some of you around who long for the days with only reading writing and simple maths.

But those days are long over.

 

How can you visualize a protein without a computer?

Madness!

 

The whole new field of protein folding depends on computers as just one example of mathematics at work in biology to improve human health.

Madness!

But these are not computers in the correct sense. They have no where near the capabilities. Also there are only about 20% of schools in Thailand with fibre optic internet connection. And only 45% with wifi.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[caykay]

I worked in a prathom school. These tablets are garbage. Thirty percent of them don't work out of the box. The rest were given away and never got used once in the school because no one wanted to admit they don't know how to use them. They'll end taped to motorbikes and sold in markets within a few months. Grand waste of money.

The OLPC computers are specifically designed so that they look out of place being re-sold. These are Bright Green in color and don't really look like the normal computer. They are difficult to resell. It is possible for the Thailand government to modify the design I suppose, but why do this?

I have been watching this program develop for a number of years and I am glad to see it finally gaining some hard won momentum.

Well regardless of what they are supposed to be, they are definitely black and silver colored and have since been given away to all the families in the school. They're all gone

[thaicbr]

I worked in a prathom school. These tablets are garbage. Thirty percent of them don't work out of the box. The rest were given away and never got used once in the school because no one wanted to admit they don't know how to use them. They'll end taped to motorbikes and sold in markets within a few months. Grand waste of money.

The OLPC computers are specifically designed so that they look out of place being re-sold. These are Bright Green in color and don't really look like the normal computer. They are difficult to resell. It is possible for the Thailand government to modify the design I suppose, but why do this?

I have been watching this program develop for a number of years and I am glad to see it finally gaining some hard won momentum.

OCH. The tablets being distributed in Thailand have nothing to do with the OLCP world wide program. That program is a great idea. http://one.laptop.org/

The tablets here are Chinese made low/medium tablets running Android software (ice cream sandwich)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxPjUA_CSZ0

Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited July 1, 2013 by thaicbr

[OldChinaHam]

Thaicbr : "OCH. The tablets being distributed in Thailand have nothing to do with the OLCP world wide program. That program is a great idea. http://one.laptop.org/

The tablets here are Chinese made low/medium tablets running Android software (ice cream sandwich)"

OK, thanks for that. I have been watching Negroponte travel to over 100 countries in the past years talking about his project, and I know Thailand was one of them. Yes, the OLPC is a great idea as originally envisioned. But it also needs to be modified as Cloud computing technology advances.

Many of the areas where OLPC can be used do not have readily available internet access to all users, so the OLPC unit can use its own networking software to form a network between OLPC computers to the 1 or 2 access connect points available.

The OLPC was truly a visionary scheme and should not have been watered down by pressure from Microsoft and others who feared competition and the use of Linux OS, for example.

Thailand does need OLPC in a major way, I think.

[thaicbr]

Thaicbr : "OCH. The tablets being distributed in Thailand have nothing to do with the OLCP world wide program. That program is a great idea. http://one.laptop.org/

The tablets here are Chinese made low/medium tablets running Android software (ice cream sandwich)"

 

OK, thanks for that.  I have been watching Negroponte travel to over 100 countries in the past years talking about his project, and I know Thailand was one of them.  Yes, the OLPC is a great idea as originally envisioned.  But it also needs to be modified as Cloud computing technology advances.

 

Many of the areas where OLPC can be used do not have readily available internet access to all users, so the OLPC unit can use its own networking software to form a network between OLPC computers to the 1 or 2 access connect points available.

 

The OLPC was truly a visionary scheme and should not have been watered down by pressure from Microsoft and others who feared competition and the use of Linux OS, for example.

 

Thailand does need OLPC in a major way, I think.

OLPC came did a pilot program in 3 places then disappeared. I agree the server setup is cool.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[tkoenig]

Companies named in winning bids for tablet PCs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Winners of the bids for the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project involving 1.6 million PC tablets were announced yesterday.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the successful bidder for Zone 1, who will provide 431,105 tablets to Prathom 1 students in Central region and the South was Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control. This company's bid of Bt842 million was Bt300 million or 28 per cent below the set price.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control also won the bid for Zone 2, to provide 373,637 tablets to Prathom 1 students in the North and Northeast. The bidding closed at Bt786 million, which was Bt230 million, or 22 per cent below the set price.

In Zone 3, the winning bid of Bt1.24 billion was put forward by Supreme Distribution (Thailand), which will provide 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the Central region and the South. The winning bid was Bt5 million or 0.4 per cent below the median price.

However, bidding for Zone 4 had to be cancelled because only one qualifying bid was submitted.

The e-auction was for the sale of 402,889 handsets to be provided to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the North and Northeast.

-- The Nation 2013-06-29

Now if they only had a network to connect them too....

[OldChinaHam]

Companies named in winning bids for tablet PCs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Winners of the bids for the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project involving 1.6 million PC tablets were announced yesterday.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the successful bidder for Zone 1, who will provide 431,105 tablets to Prathom 1 students in Central region and the South was Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control. This company's bid of Bt842 million was Bt300 million or 28 per cent below the set price.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control also won the bid for Zone 2, to provide 373,637 tablets to Prathom 1 students in the North and Northeast. The bidding closed at Bt786 million, which was Bt230 million, or 22 per cent below the set price.

In Zone 3, the winning bid of Bt1.24 billion was put forward by Supreme Distribution (Thailand), which will provide 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the Central region and the South. The winning bid was Bt5 million or 0.4 per cent below the median price.

However, bidding for Zone 4 had to be cancelled because only one qualifying bid was submitted.

The e-auction was for the sale of 402,889 handsets to be provided to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the North and Northeast.

-- The Nation 2013-06-29

Now if they only had a network to connect them too....

What about connecting them to the internet?

That's what its there for.

While we are at it, let us just invite Google in and ask Google to install a WiFi network citywide In CM, one which provides 100Mbps speeds universally throughout, and which is free --- because we all know that investing in freely available internet connections, just like free superhighways, will return far more to the economy than what was originally invested to build the network.

And let us just ask Google to build this network for free, something they will gladly do.

Just common sense.

[thaicbr]

 

Companies named in winning bids for tablet PCs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Winners of the bids for the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project involving 1.6 million PC tablets were announced yesterday.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the successful bidder for Zone 1, who will provide 431,105 tablets to Prathom 1 students in Central region and the South was Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control. This company's bid of Bt842 million was Bt300 million or 28 per cent below the set price.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control also won the bid for Zone 2, to provide 373,637 tablets to Prathom 1 students in the North and Northeast. The bidding closed at Bt786 million, which was Bt230 million, or 22 per cent below the set price.

In Zone 3, the winning bid of Bt1.24 billion was put forward by Supreme Distribution (Thailand), which will provide 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the Central region and the South. The winning bid was Bt5 million or 0.4 per cent below the median price.

However, bidding for Zone 4 had to be cancelled because only one qualifying bid was submitted.

The e-auction was for the sale of 402,889 handsets to be provided to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the North and Northeast.

-- The Nation 2013-06-29

 

Now if they only had a network to connect them too....

 

 

 

What about connecting them to the internet?

That's what its there for.

 

While we are at it, let us just invite Google in and ask Google to install a WiFi network citywide In CM, one which provides 100Mbps speeds universally throughout, and which is free --- because we all know that investing in freely available internet connections, just like free superhighways, will return far more to the economy than what was originally invested to build the network.  

 

And let us just ask Google to build this network for free, something they will gladly do.

 

Just common sense.

But if they build it for free then the politicians will not get their feed from the pie.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[OldChinaHam]

Companies named in winning bids for tablet PCs

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Winners of the bids for the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project involving 1.6 million PC tablets were announced yesterday.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the successful bidder for Zone 1, who will provide 431,105 tablets to Prathom 1 students in Central region and the South was Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control. This company's bid of Bt842 million was Bt300 million or 28 per cent below the set price.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control also won the bid for Zone 2, to provide 373,637 tablets to Prathom 1 students in the North and Northeast. The bidding closed at Bt786 million, which was Bt230 million, or 22 per cent below the set price.

In Zone 3, the winning bid of Bt1.24 billion was put forward by Supreme Distribution (Thailand), which will provide 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the Central region and the South. The winning bid was Bt5 million or 0.4 per cent below the median price.

However, bidding for Zone 4 had to be cancelled because only one qualifying bid was submitted.

The e-auction was for the sale of 402,889 handsets to be provided to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the North and Northeast.

-- The Nation 2013-06-29

Now if they only had a network to connect them too....

What about connecting them to the internet?

That's what its there for.

While we are at it, let us just invite Google in and ask Google to install a WiFi network citywide In CM, one which provides 100Mbps speeds universally throughout, and which is free --- because we all know that investing in freely available internet connections, just like free superhighways, will return far more to the economy than what was originally invested to build the network.

And let us just ask Google to build this network for free, something they will gladly do.

Just common sense.

But if they build it for free then the politicians will not get their feed from the pie.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Don't worry. Finding some inconspicuous way to slip the Politicians their cut of salami can be done, while still getting what we want.

But it will require a fair vote in a fair election to make the will of the people heard.

The people need to understand the advantages, and then be given the opportunity to decide, unencombered by graft.

Right now, the US is also having its share of trouble with exactly this type of internet related issue.

The hogs want to continue getting their free food, and so the people don't get their way, and the network remains super slow.

[iancnx]

What a barking mad policy. First fix the system and teach the kids a basic education. Giving out tablets are a further reward for the large contingent who routinely fail at their studies without any consequences. Barking barking MAD!