DCU students to get chromebooks - lucky buggers!

jd83

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/15/dublin-city-university-adopts-chromebooks-time-to-go-streaki/

Noodleworm

Saw that, every college wants to be the ones to say 'look at us, we're so high tech!'
I wonder what courses will actually get them

Keano!

What???

So we're going to get a free 'laptop'? I find this hard to believe


Edit:
Just seen the source.. http://www.dcu.ie/news/2011/sep/s0911d.shtml

Well I'm impressed. Doing Computer Applications... hopeful of getting one!

Noodleworm

chrome books are more netbooks than laptops, and they work with Google docs meaning you have to be online all the time to use it. It has pretty much no harddrive. Their not actually worth very much as a laptop. Just handy for browsing and typing notes. They wouldn't be much use for courses like CA or anyone who needs certain software.
Mostly the article just talks about getting classes online, so thats really just making sure more lecturers learn to user moodle properly.

Wudyaquit

The students will end up paying for them in one way or another anyway. Some bulls**t admin charge, or higher prices in the canteen. Can't see them getting any additional Govt funding for a PR stunt in the current climate.

SophieRogan

Very interested to know what courses will avail of these..

vDarr

Keano! wrote: »

Well I'm impressed. Doing Computer Applications... hopeful of getting one!

Pity they'll be useless for us for anything other than web browsing then :L Handy for other courses, just not CA.

And installing another OS on it is insanely difficult, we'd have more use for an iPod to be honest

Wolfe Tone

Only new students get them?

Pygmalion

vDarr wrote: »

And installing another OS on it is insanely difficult, we'd have more use for an iPod to be honest

The design docs from back in the day stated there's a hardware switch somewhere that would turn off software signing and allow you to do so (with a warning at boot).
Is this not the case?

vDarr

Pygmalion wrote: »

The design docs from back in the day stated there's a hardware switch somewhere that would turn off software signing and allow you to do so (with a warning at boot).
Is this not the case?

There is a switch that allows you full access to the system alright, but a chromebook doesn't have standard BIOS from what I've heard so I doubt installing the likes of LINUX would be easy, but I'm sure it's possible somehow.

sob1467

I wouldn't get your hopes up it because according to this article http://www.dcu.ie/news/2011/sep/s0911d.shtml "DCU will be providing the Chromebooks to students on a small number of selected programmesat no charge."

Pygmalion

vDarr wrote: »

a chromebook doesn't have standard BIOS from what I've heard so I doubt installing the likes of LINUX would be easy, but I'm sure it's possible somehow.

Well considering Chrome OS is a Linux distribution, and they publish the full source code of the kernel and base system, I'm reasonably certain it won't be too hard.
I'd assume the necessary kernel support is in mainline already anyway, if not it's just a matter of installing the ChromeOS kernel in place of the distro's default.

joshrogan

Free laptop, grand .

Gman1

jd83 wrote: »

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/15/dublin-city-university-adopts-chromebooks-time-to-go-streaki/

Chrome books arent even that good. All your data is stored in the cloud. So its liable to be leaked, stolen, or used by DCU/Google.

ldxo15wus6fpgm

Only first years to get them... that's a load of bollocks. :mad:

Keano!

Gman1 wrote: »

Chrome books arent even that good. All your data is stored in the cloud. So its liable to be leaked, stolen, or used by DCU/Google.

Free is free*

*Ignore hidden costs in other things

johnmcdnl

Gman1 wrote: »

Chrome books arent even that good. All your data is stored in the cloud. So its liable to be leaked, stolen, or used by DCU/Google.

bleh save your stuff on a memory stick if your really that worried about it...

I can only imagine what Google and DCU would do with those assignments that I'd store in google docs...

wish I could get a free laptop lucky feckers

Pygmalion

Gman1 wrote: »

Chrome books arent even that good. All your data is stored in the cloud. So its liable to be leaked, stolen, or used by DCU/Google.

My emails are probably a lot more sensitive than my personal files anyway, and everyone's been trusting Google with those for years.
Not to mention the fact that the files are probably much safer on Google's servers than the average person's out-of-date Windows XP installation anyway.

Anyway, the laptops are being given out to help with coursework, no-one's being forced to use them for personal stuff.
If your personal data ends up on Google's servers it's because you put them there.

Wolfe Tone

Sure DCU have access to all your emails in your dcu account anyway dont they?

Hex

Noodleworm wrote: »

chrome books are more netbooks than laptops, and they work with Google docs meaning you have to be online all the time to use it. It has pretty much no harddrive. Their not actually worth very much as a laptop. Just handy for browsing and typing notes. They wouldn't be much use for courses like CA or anyone who needs certain software.
Mostly the article just talks about getting classes online, so thats really just making sure more lecturers learn to user moodle properly.

Google Docs got it's offline mode back quite recently, I love using it. Didn't bother installing Word on my laptop this year, just find Docs so much handier!

Also, does this apply to this year's first years or the first years of the future?

nildisperandum

Anyone know who's getting this sweet stuff?

jpower87

any clue to what courses will be receiving the free chromebooks?

jpower87

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Sure DCU have access to all your emails in your dcu account anyway dont they?

Yes to a point. And that's a gmail account already anyway.

Tree

I imagine our favourite local mega search provider the ones down grand canal dock way, the colouredy one, are sponsoring/subsidising the venture.

polkabunny

I'd imagine Multimedia students or somebody in courses along those lines could be getting them, unless they'll be letting the Computing and Engineering students look at how they're built and that... Anyway, I don't think I'll be near one any time soon

rigumagoo

lol, I hope the new students realise that those Googletops are worthless bricks without an active, high speed internet connection.
Can't wait to watch Laplan groan and buckle under the strain of 800 new laptops.

Noodleworm

polkabunny wrote: »

I'd imagine Multimedia students or somebody in courses along those lines could be getting them, unless they'll be letting the Computing and Engineering students look at how they're built and that... Anyway, I don't think I'll be near one any time soon

Their no use to multimedia students, we pretty need high specs for the ton of software we need to use. I'd say its more likely the less computer based courses would get them.

polkabunny

Noodleworm wrote: »

Their no use to multimedia students, we pretty need high specs for the ton of software we need to use. I'd say its more likely the less computer based courses would get them.

Ah fair enough, never thought of that! Still, looks very good for DCU, University of the Year and a partnership with Google...

sarahmurphy

My dd starts the multimedia course this week at DCU and I've no course requirements from the university and no idea what sort of laptop to get her? When I first saw this news about the free laptops I was thinking that I wouldnt have to buy her one, but maybe I do? To complicate matters Apple have an offer on Mac laptops that finishes this Tuesday, but the course doesn't start will Wednesday.

Noodleworm, can you tell me what sort of laptops the other students have?

BTW what she 'wants' is a Macbookpro with Finalcutpro on it!

Noodleworm

sarahmurphy wrote: »

My dd starts the multimedia course this week at DCU and I've no course requirements from the university and no idea what sort of laptop to get her? When I first saw this news about the free laptops I was thinking that I wouldnt have to buy her one, but maybe I do? To complicate matters Apple have an offer on Mac laptops that finishes this Tuesday, but the course doesn't start will Wednesday.

Noodleworm, can you tell me what sort of laptops the other students have?

BTW what she 'wants' is a Macbookpro with Finalcutpro on it!

I PM'd you so not to distract the thread, though long story short is ,Multimedia need a good computer, make an investment and get one that will last.

sarahmurphy

Thanks Noodleworm.

MrPirate

Tree wrote: »

I imagine our favourite local mega search provider the ones down grand canal dock way, the colouredy one, are sponsoring/subsidising the venture.

Apple? Linux? Myspace? :pac:

Aoifums

I can't remember who said it today but there are only 150 going this year. Pity because I wanted to get my hands on one but am way less likely to now.

Omega28

so which courses are getting these?

River Song

Aoifums wrote: »

I can't remember who said it today but there are only 150 going this year. Pity because I wanted to get my hands on one but am way less likely to now.

Didn't he also say that only 3 courses are getting them too?

Aoifums

Michael_E wrote: »

Didn't he also say that only 3 courses are getting them too?

Did he? Crap. I wasn't paying enough attention so :rolleyes:

Shreddingblood

Michael_E wrote: »

Didn't he also say that only 3 courses are getting them too?

Odds are the journalism students are getting them so. Ah well.