Asus laptops gain top marks for reliability

Asus laptops were the most reliable notebook computers during Q2, a US repair specialist has claimed. Apple followed behind them whilst Lenovo picked up the inaugural bronze.

The three manufacturers scored 416, 394 and 314, respectively, on Rescuecom’s reliability index. Fourth-placed Toshiba scored 218. HP, which came in fifth place, rated 142 points. Notable absentees were Acer, Dell and Sony Vaio.

Rescuecom’s figures are based on the number of support and repair calls it receives – some 11,560 in all across the quarter.

£300,000 bill given to buy laptops for traveller children

More than a thousand gypsy and traveller children have been given a free laptop so they can keep on top of their school work.

The brand new equipment features wireless Internet connection and is estimated to be worth up to £750 per pupil, costing the tax payer £300,000 each year.

Some children are even being handed printers and digital cameras under a controversial Government-backed scheme aimed at encouraging them to stay in education.

Since 2004, 1,317 pupils from gypsy and traveller families have been given the free equipment, however ministers have admitted that some of the laptops have been used by parents to buy and sell goods, and book foreign holidays online.

The results were obtained by Conservatives later last week who warned that the scheme risked fuelling resentment among taxpayers. Just days before the figures were released it was announced that gypsy and traveller children were being given priority admission to popular state schools.

Gypsy and traveller families are also being given priority to see GP’s and dentists.

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Programme (E-LAMP) has been created to offer ‘quality distance learning opportunities’ to gypsy and traveller children who regularly change school and are on the move through large parts of the school year.

The scheme is currently being run across 330 schools with children being given laptops, with, for example 3G wireless Internet software, which enables them to study while travelling and keep in touch with their base school.

Between 2004-2009, 1,317 laptops were issued according to a Parliamentary answer by schools minister Jim Knight. He said, “The vast majority are still out on loan to the students. There have only been seven incidents of minor accidental damage. One laptop was sold by the family, but recovered quickly as it has been tagged.”

The National Association of Teachers of Travellers has found through a survey that adult travellers have been using their children’s laptops to book holidays, shop and sell goods online.

The survey said, “Initially the restriction on data transfer allowed, due to shared group tariff packages, caused issues when the students became more confident workers and their parents discovered the joys of Amazon, eBay and booking flights online.”

Laptop Exams for Norwegian Students

Norwegian students are being allowed to do exams on laptops in a trial that could soon be rolled out across the country. Every 16-19 year old student in Nord-Trondelag county is given a government laptop to do their schoolwork, and complete their exams on. 

During exams, the laptops onboard security software is activated which prevents any attempts at cheating. The laptops come equipped with word processors, spreadsheets, calculators as well as additional applications specific for particular courses.

The initiative to now allow students to use the laptops in an exam environment is a new one, designed to aid the students by ensuring they can use equipment which they were familiar. Bjorg Helland, project manager for digital literacy at Nord-Trondelag said: This is used both during their final exams before going to college or university but also during tests when the teacher wants to have a test with the class.

The laptop exam initiative was given the go-ahead after monitoring system, called MAS designed by UK firm 3ami, was tested to ensure students did not cheat while taking a test or exam.

In the exam hall students can use the laptop to access a website to download the papers for their particular test, although in some schools answers were completed on computer from paper-based exam papers.

Bjorg Helland said: “We have to monitor the laptops during the exams, because they are not supposed to have internet access and not supposed to communicate with other students.”

The program works as a keylogger and takes screenshots and we can very easily get a graphic of what the students have used or have done. The blocking software on the laptop is only activated during exams, and students caught cheating fail the test. The use of laptops increases efficiency in the marking process as papers can be quickly e-mailed to markers. If the system proves successful, Norway hoped to roll-out a completely computer-based system for its exams across the whole country.