Laptops for primary school

dohda

Hi,

I'm unsure if this is posted in the right place so feel free to move post to somewhere more relevant.

I'm currently on the parents association for a primary school. The main project for us this year is to try and improve the access to computers for our children as what is currently available to the students is quite poor.

Being a primary school, and because access will only be for a few hours each week the system requirements would be qutie low. Laptops (preferably)/Desktops that are a generation or two old would easily be able to meet the students requirements and at least allow them an introduction into the world of computing.

As such I am trying to source/price getting about 30 laptops. Preferably all of the same model, preferably older (read cheaper). Being a parents association our budget is severely limited.

If anyone can help point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. I have sent several emails to different companies over the last few days but have heard no replies from anyone.

Thanks in advance folks for any/all help

byhookorbycrook

We got some old PCs from our local IT, who no longer wanted them. Not top of the range, but useful still. Is there a big company near you that might be able to pass some on?

Moonbeam

Have you spoken to other school that have done it?
With out knowing the school set up it is hard to advise.

dohda

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I sent out several emails asking large companies in the surrounding area and got 0 replies.... I don't think any help will be coming from that end. A lot of schools in this area either got state funding for IT equipment either 3 or 4 years ago or have signifigant backing from the local community which helps. Neither is really the case in this situation.

I'm not 100% what you mean by the school setup? If you let me know I wil try to pass on any information that I can if it helps.

Thanks again for the replies,
dohda

byhookorbycrook

Every school got that grant, but many places chose to use it for IWB and visualisers etc. I'd actually try to make a personal contact with companies, epecially if the pupils have parents there.

hilarymcl

You should check with an organisation called 'Camara' www.camara.org. Although they started as suppliers of recycled computers to African schools they began to offer laptops and pcs to Irish schools at a very good price in the last couple of years. Generally the computers are a couple of generations old but they are rigorously tested in Camara's workshops and should be more than adequate for primary school use. I've just looked at their website and can see no mention of them supplying to Irish schools but I know that they were doing this a year ago for certain so it might be worth giving them a call. Best of luck.

qwertz

Have you considered sites like www.etenders.gov.ie or tenderme.ie?

the memory box

Have you heard of schools opting for cheap tablets instead of desktops? Every option seems to be problematic. Desktops/laptops have storage, upkeep and networking requirements. The alternative is wifi but a survey arrived recently about the effects of wireless internet and kids' health. We have seven newish computers in the whole school including office, learning support and for use with the whiteboards and it is a fulltime job keeping those in good working order. Best of luck with your efforts.

Dubstar07

Depending on how many pupils are trying to use the internet at the same time, the school IT system may not be able to handle more than a few at a time. It could be an additional cost to upgrade the IT infrastructure. just something to bear in mind,

Orion

Contact HP/Intel/IBM - they're all based in Kildare/Meath but they do give old laptops away. Intel gave 15 laptops to our school. It was without hard drives for data reasons but they're cheap as chips.

As regards Dubstar's remark about the infrastructure there's no reason any primary school cannot have many computers linked to an internal network with internet access cheaply. The DES provide the internet access (router and connection to the web) - all that the school needs to provide is a basic switch which should cost no more than €100 and that would allow for 24 computers to be internet connected - even a 48 port switch should cost no more than €150.

SerialComplaint

the memory box wrote: »

Have you heard of schools opting for cheap tablets instead of desktops?

They're not really comparable. The lack of a decent keyboard makes the tablets really a content-consumption device, not a content-creation device.

silverharp

Rehab seem to be involved in this, I get offers from them from timt to time

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2013/0117/1224328949392.html

Moonbeam

Orion wrote: »

Contact HP/Intel/IBM - they're all based in Kildare/Meath but they do give old laptops away. Intel gave 15 laptops to our school. It was without hard drives for data reasons but they're cheap as chips.

As regards Dubstar's remark about the infrastructure there's no reason any primary school cannot have many computers linked to an internal network with internet access cheaply. The DES provide the internet access (router and connection to the web) - all that the school needs to provide is a basic switch which should cost no more than €100 and that would allow for 24 computers to be internet connected - even a 48 port switch should cost no more than €150.

Every school in the country has internet access,not every school in the country has computers for the kids to take advantage of it.
schools also lack the technical expertise and often funding to build internal networks.
I am not sure if their were networking infrastructure grants recently.

byhookorbycrook

DES broadband is as slow as a snail.

Moonbeam

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

DES broadband is as slow as a snail.

Ring the NCTE and complain.

you on satellite?;)

RainyDay

These guys had a stand at last year's IPPN conference - seem to have some good deals on refurbished stuff;
http://www.greenit.ie/products/laptop/