Enriching our technology program involves having a critical mass of computers in classrooms and to help reach this goal, Windrush purchased 74 netbook portable computers this summer. These ultra-portable computers are smaller, lighter, use less power, and are built with fewer materials than full-sized laptops. Another attractive feature of these netbooks is their low price, which has enabled us to maintain our technology budget while expanding our student computer inventory by more than twice what we would have been able to with full-sized (and full-priced) laptops!

To ensure we obtained the right computers for our students and faculty, we tested four models from various companies with faculty and students. We chose the HP Mini-Note 2140, which has the largest sized keyboard in netbooks. They will be used in grades 5-8 classrooms and the Library. A large portion of the work students perform on computers is Internet research and word processing, tasks that these computers are perfect for. The netbooks are Wi-Fi enabled, and have direct access to the student file server, so students can seamlessly share work between their classrooms and the computer lab. Students will still use MacBooks and iMacs for more resource-intensive applications such as movie editing, animation, and graphic design.

Fresh out of the boxes, these netbooks are about to be configured.

The software imaging process allows us to rapidly install and configure all the software needed on the netbooks in one easy process.

These netbooks are configured and ready to place in classrooms!

Size comparison of a 13” Apple MacBook with the 10” HP Mini-Note