Laptops, Tablet PCs and hand-held computers

Laptops

Laptop computers have continued to grow in power and features and now include processors that are as powerful as many desktops.  However, the most powerful and fastest processors are only available in desktop computers.  Processors range from the entry-level Celeron, which is perfectly acceptable for most school applications using Windows XP, to the latest Core2Duo, which is required for Windows Vista.

Battery life varies considerably between models and manufacturers, ranging from about 90 minutes to up to five hours.  We recommend at least three hour battery life for school purposes, as this will generally enable the laptops to be used without power connections for much of the morning then, with a recharge over lunchtime, for the afternoon.

Memory is usually either 512 MB or 1 GB and we strongly recommend 1GB if you intend to use Vista.

Disk space is not usually an issue, as most models now have either 80 GB or 100 GB as standard.

Optical drives on laptops tend to be either CD RW / DVD ROM combo drives or "super multi-writer" dual-layer DVD RW drives as standard.

Most laptops are now widescreen (16:9) format, although a few are still available in 4:3 format.  Screen sizes vary considerably from 12.1" through 14" and 15" to the latest 17", although the last come at a considerable price premium at present.

Many laptops have only a one year return to base (RTB) warranty.  We strongly recommend ensuring that the equipment is covered by a full three year manufacturer's collect and return warranty.  Some manufacturers offer relatively low prices for the laptops but the warranty to three years is prohibitively expensive, often indicating a high level of faults arising after the first year.  We recommend that any laptops are compared on the basis of the price including a manufacturer's three year warranty.  Most of our laptops include a three year warranty as part of our bundled price.

Tablet PCs

Tablet PCs are like laptop PCs but they have a touch-sensitive screen, which is folded back to become a note pad.  This allows you to write on it using a special tablet pen or stylus. Tablet PCs differ from laptop PCs primarily because they rely largely on input from the stylus using hand-writing recognition, although many tablets also have a good keyboard for flexibility.

Most, if not all, tablet PCs come with Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition installed as the operating system.  This is a modified version of Windows XP Professional with a few extras specifically for tablet PCs.

Tablet PCs come in two basic designs - convertibles and slates. Convertibles are similar to traditional laptop computers except for the screen which can open to resemble a monitor, swivel 180 degrees and fold back onto the keyboard.  Slates do not have integrated keyboards and therefore rely more heavily on entering data through the stylus.  Docking stations and keyboards are available for slates, but will need to be purchased separately.

Hand-held computers

There are now many different hand-held computers, most of them referred to as "Personal Digital Assistants" or PDAs.  These are small, ultra-portable devices with small screens that are touch-sensitive.  Input is via the screen, usually using a stylus.  They run a special version of Windows and special versions of Office programs, as well as specially-designed software that makes the most of the PDA. 

Many PDAs include camera and phone capabilities and some have satellite positioning technology to give accurate location information.

A recent development of PDAs is the "Educational Digital Assistant" or EDA.  This is a specially-designed PDA with camera and satellite location capabilities with a bundle of educational software.  Together they are proving popular and powerful for encouraging participation in lessons by making lessons exciting and involving.  The EDAs are particularly useful for projects and on educational trips, where the combination of photos, geographical data and satellite positioning enables finds and items of interest to be pictured, logged and located in reference to other finds and geographical features.

PDAs are seen as an interesting and attractive route for further development by many schools and suppliers and there seems every likelihood of many new educational packages being developed for these devices to make them even more useful and attractive to schools and pupils.

Samsung has introduced the Q1, which is described as the world's first ultra-mobile PC.  Its 7" touch-sensitive screen makes it between a tablet PC and a PDA.  It also features the functionality of an MP3 player, a portable media player and a storage device.  It includes Ethernet, wireless and Bluetooth connectivity as standard.  It also has a USB keyboard and organiser pack to make it a stylish complete mobile solution.

We offer a wide range of laptops, tablet PCs and hand-held computers from leading manufacturers.  We are always happy to discuss your requirements and provide a written proposal with guaranteed pricing to serious potential clients. Email us at info@gvtechnologies.com or call on 01604 899333.