Refurbished Dell Latitude E7290 for Teaching with Linux

My Dell Latitude E7270 laptop had developed the disconcerting habit of blanking out the external HDMI signal at random. This 12.5" laptop was a premium product in 2016 but after four years of intensive use in my hands (second hand), it needed replacing. Perhaps I could have had the unit repaired, but the simplest option was to buy a newer model, the E7290, refurbished from the same place as the previous model, Australian Computer Traders. This time I purchased direct, not through Kogan. 

The package arrived on time, looked brand new (but with a HP USB power supply). One catch was that when I booted the machine it had the logo of a mining company on the startup screen. It looked as though Microsoft Windows was still registered to the previous owner. This was not a great problem as I was installing the Ubuntu version of Linux and erasing Windows. There were a few difficulties with Ubuntu: as per Dell's instructions I turned off the BIOS security. The install stopped part way through. I then found the suggestion online to switch off WiFi in the BIOS, install Ubuntu, and then switch it back on. This worked fine. 

The e7290 is a slim sleek minimalist machine, which looks almost the same as the e7270. It worked so well I bought another one for a friend and installed Ubuntu on that. The second unit had an illuminated keyboard, and a different generic USB charger. After installing Ubuntu, the computer would only recognise the charger intermittently. There is much written online about problems with USB chargers not being recognised by laptops. The charger worked fine with my other Dell, but neither charger would not work with the new laptop. After much head scratching I decided to work around the problem, old school. The e7290 has an old style Dell DC socket, as well as a USB C socket, for charging. So I ordered a generic DC charger ($22 from MSY), which worked fine (just make sure it has Dell's unusual 7.4 X 5.0mm plug).

Refurbished Dell Latitude E7270 for Learning with Linux

My Acer Aspire E11 was proving too slow for the demands of presenting webinars to students, so I purchased a second hand Dell Latitude E7270. This is a 12.5" laptop, which was a premium product in 2016 and still works well today. 

The E7270 is a sleek black rectangle, with plenty of ports (4 x USB, HDMI & Ethernet), an okay mat screen, back-lit keyboard and touch-pad. The case is apparently magnesium, but has a black rubber non-slip finish. This is the mid-to low end model, without the optional touchscreen, fingerprint scanner, or 4G modem (none of which I wanted anyway). The unit is supposed to be moderately rugged, with a spill proof keyboard (but not the track-pad buttons). This could be handy as I destroyed a previous laptop with a cup off coffee in the keyboard, and leaned on the case of one before that, cracking the screen.

I booted the machine and a fresh install of Microsoft Windows 10 came up, but all I used that for was to shrink the Windows partition, to make room for Linux. Dell sell laptops with Ubuntu installed, so I decided on that. One glitch was that with fractional scaling turned on Zoom became very, very, slow on Ubuntu.

However, I found Ubuntu's default desktop environment too different to the Mint Linux I had been using. So I first tried UKUI, to turn it into something more familiar (which looked familiar but did not work so well), before realizing I could simply install the same Mate desktop environment I had used to with Mint.

Buying a refurbished laptop worked out well. I could not browse in stores due to the COVID-19 lock-down, so had to rely on the reputation of the seller.My unit cost about one quarter the new price, refurbished by Australian Computer Traders, and purchased through Kogan. The package arrived on time, looked brand new (with a genuine Dell power supply) and worked straight out of the box. The laptop I got is about twice the speed of a new unit this price, but in a more premium case. Also it makes me feel good to be adding less e-waste to the world.

Upgrade Your Computer with Stuff from the Tip

I was amused to read in John Davidson's "Three gadgets to give your computer the facelift you so richly deserve" (AFR, 18 February), that I could upgrade my computer with a new keyboard and mouse for less than $450. My computer only cost $298, so it would seem a false economy to upgrade it with peripherals costing 50% more than the computer. I did upgrade my computer with a wide-screen LCD desktop display. This cost nothing at all, as I found it on the roadside on rubbish collection day. For those not willing to try a road-side upgrade, I recommend the tip-shop or charity. There are peripherals in abundance for a few dollars. If you want to refresh a very old computer, then an upgrade to Linux will breath new life into it. I am reluctant to but a second hand laptop, but even a new one is not going to cost around $500.

Fix for Blank Screen at Grub/Linux Login: VGA Dummy Plug

My a Leader Companion 220 has been running well since 2014 with Linux Mint. However, it has developed the annoying habit of displaying a black screen when booting, unless a VGA (or HDMI) external monitor is plugged in. The LCD screen then works fine (even when the computer is suspended and resumed without the external monitor), but a cold boot with an external monitor gives a blank screen.

I found hundreds of queries on the web about this problem, with any conclusive software fix. What solved the problem was a "VGA Dummy Plug". When inserted in the computer's VGA socket this tricks the system into thinking a monitor is installed and allows the boot.

Apparently such plugs were used in some bitcoin mining computers. A PC chassis was used with multiple graphics cards. But to for Microsoft Windows to recognize the graphics card , each required either a monitor plugged in, or a dummy. Thus there are many VGA Dummy Plugs offered on Amazon.com.

However, I made my own using the instructions provided by JeGX. I used 86 Ohm resistors soldered to a DB15HD plug (as used for VGA) for about AU$5.

Low Cost Linux Laptop for Learning

My HP Pavilion DM1-4108AU notebook computer was not working reliably, so I decided to replace it with a Leader Companion 220. The 220 has a 11.6" screen and cost AU$298.00 at Big W.

One reason for selecting the 220 was that it has a VGA video socket, as well as HDMI. Many of the locations I give presentations in have older VGA projectors and it is handy not to have to use a HDMI to VGA adaptor (the ASUS X200CA also has VGA). The unit also has a full complement of sockets, with 1 USB 3, 2 x USB 2, Ethernet, and an SD card slot. In contrast many of the new slim notebooks have touch-screens and origami hinges to run them into clumsy tablet computers, but lack VGA and Ethernet sockets. The 220 looks similar to Chromebooks, such as the ASUS 11.6" Chromebook (C200MA-KX002), but with more ports and a hard disk.

The 220 has a plastic case with the top painted silver. It is slimmer than the HP DM1 and looks elegant. The "Leader" brand on the outside is hard to see which is good). The unit has the same footprint as a sheet of A4 paper and so fits easily in a portfolio. One problem the 200 shares with other notebooks is that the bezel and screen are both very glossy, resulting in reflections which make the screen hard to see.

The 220 comes with 2GB RAM, but Ian Chase at Leader Computers Pty Ltd advised the it can take a 4GB or 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz SODIMM Module (in place of the 2GB module). The computer is a bit sluggish with only the supplied 2GB of RAM when running the supplied Windows 8.1, but is fast enough for everyday use with Linux Mint 17 (Qiana) 64-bit with the  MATE desktop.

I tried the computer first booting Linux from a flash card (after dealing with UEFI firmware and Secure Boot). Even running Linux just from the flash drive it was faster than Windows 8.1 (I simply had the Linux ISO image on the flash drive without any permanent memory allocated). After finding Linux worked from the USB drive, I made the Windows 8.1 partition smaller and then installed Linux on the hard disk, which ran much better than Windows 8.1 (but retaining the ability to boot  Windows).

The 220 is sold in other countries as a Clevo W510TU and I found a user manual and service manual for it under this name. The 200 has an Intel Celeron Dual Core N2807 2.16GHz Processor, whereas other, presumably more expensive, models have an Intel N3530 2.58GHz processor.

The 220 came with a Toshiba 2.5" 500GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive. What is more interesting is that there is an empty mSATA slot for a second Solid State Disk (SSD) drive. So to increase performance it would be possible to install a small capacity SSD drive for the operating system and keep the hard disk for data. But the 220 has only a small battery (48.84WH) good for 4 hours, so I decided to remove the hard disk and replace it with a 64GB SSD (more than enough for Linux and some data files, as my current computer has only about 32 GB of its storage used). So I purchased a Plextor M5M PX-64M5M 64GB mSATA III Solid State Drive (SSD) for AU$50.00.

Curious about the relative speed of different disks, I ran the Benchmark utility which comes with Linux Mint:

Disk	Interface	Average Read Rate MB/s	Average Access Time msec
Plextor 64GB M5M PX-64M5M SSD	mSATA	275	0.1
Patriot 60 GB Pyro SSD	SATA	192	0.3
Patriot 60 GB Pyro SSD	USB 3	109	0.4
Toshiba 500GB MQ01 ABF050	USB 3	90	17
Toshiba 500GB MQ01 ABF050	SATA	91	17
Western Digital 160 GB WD1600BEVT	USB 3	56	17
Western Digital 160 GB WD1600BEVT	SATA	57	17
EMTEC 8GB Flash USB	USB 3	26	0.7

What this suggests to me is that the SSDs are much faster than the mechanical disks. That is no surprise, but it is interesting that the mechanical disks are not much slower on the USB 3 interface than SATA. So I might as well leave the Toshiba 500GB disk which came with the Leader as an external USB connected device for backup, there is no great speed improvement installing it in the laptop with the SATA interface.

One problem with the 220 is that it is very difficult to disassemble, even with the instructions in the  service manual. First the keyboard has to be removed, depressing four small tabs and removing a delicate ribbon cable. Then five  screws are removed from under the keyboard and five from the back. With that done the back can be prised off, showing the hard disk (which is not otherwise secured), the empty mSATA slot and one memory slot.

Once I worked out how to get the back off the 220, removing the hard disk was easy (it just pulls out). Adding the mSATA SSD required unscrewing one screw, inserting the card and replacing the screw to hold the card in place. Rebooting with the Linix on USB showed the mSATA card and I was able to install Linux in a few minutes.

Replacing the hard disk with SSD seems to have have added one hour to the computer's running time (from four to five hours). There is a fan in the 220, but with the SSD installed the computer is noticeably quieter (I have to put my ear to the case to hear the fan).

ps: The now surplus 500 GB Hard disk (worth about AU$50), I put into a Orico 2595US3-BK 2.5" SATA to USB 3.0 Aluminium External Enclosure  (AU$18.00), to backup data.

pps: 26 March 2020, the laptop is still working. Needed a new power supply and found it takes the same as a Leader laptop takes a DC 4.8x1.7mm Male 18.5V 3.5A Adapter as for a Compaq NC6220 or  HP: 530. Mat also be possible to run it from USB Type C (20 volts) to 18.5V 3.5A Adapter.

Hybrid Tablet/laptop Computer

The HP Pavilion x360 hybrid tablet/laptop looks an interesting combination. This is a relatively low cost (less than $700) laptop with a 11.6 in screen. The screen is touch sensitive and the keyboard hinges 360 degrees, so the unit will convert to a tablet computer. The 11.6 inch screen is my favourite size as the computer is then small enough to fit in a bag designed for a pad of A4 paper.

I tried out the unit briefly and it worked okay as a laptop, but made a cumbersome tablet. The 360 degree hinge works, but the process of bending the keyboard all the way around is a difficult process. When folded the keyboard does not fit neatly under the screen, with one edge sticking out. The unit is hard to hold when in tablet mode.

HP's designers appear to have placed an emphasis on the laptop look of the HP Pavilion x360, making it look conventional in that mode. They could have given the unit a bulkier hinge and the keyboard a rubber coating, to provide a better grip in tablet mode.

Apple Wins Technology War in Software Engineering Classroom

Greeting from the famous Computer Sciecne room N101 at the Research School of Computer Science at the Australian National University in Canberra. I am helping teach software engineering to a room full of students. Almost every student had a laptop in front of them. The most common are Apple laptops, followed by Dell. The typical screens are 13 to 15 inches. I can see no Apple iPads and just one Microsoft Surface. My preference is for a 11 to 13 inch laptop, but I have a larger desktop LCD to use. I suspect some students like a large screen to hide behind in the classroom, just as lecturers hide behind the lectern. ;-)

Power for Traveling in Singaport and Sri Lanka

On a recent visit to Singapore and Sri Lanka I had the problem of how to recharge my laptop and phone. Both Singapore and Sri Lanka, being former British colonies, use UK power plugs, with large square pins. But Sri Lanka also uses a round pin plug. So I purchased Australian to UK and Australian to European power adapters.

The UK (BS 1363 Type G) adapter worked fine until I left it behind in a hotel. The problem was that the adapter, like most, was the same off-white color as a power point, thus easy to forget. I suggest buying a black one, so it looks like part of your computer power cable.

The next problem was the two different power plugs in Sri Lanka. The capital city, Colombo, seemed to use the UK plug, whereas the rest of the country had a three pin round unit. This looks a little like the European power plug but is not quite compatible. The three pin round sockets are not European ones, but a derivative of an old UK standard (BS 546 or Indian IS 1293).

I found I had to buy a local power adapter for Sri Lanka. There are adapters readily available for about $US2, but these are of questionable safety. The adapters are designed to take UK, European, US and Australian plugs. They have so many and so large holes in them that the plugs are not held firmly and large sparks can be seen when contact is lost.

In Singapore I purchased a Lifetrons 10.5W Travel Adaptor FG-2102PD. This is almost a cube with a US/UK,European and Australian socket on one side  and plugs for the same folding or retracting into the other sides. It is bulky and cumbersome looking but works okay. The unit is black and when plugged into my laptop cable it looks neat. It also has one high power USB socket and so can be used to charge a phone at the same time.

Classroom Laptop Stand

It is difficult to find a small, economical desktop computer suitable for classrooms. Mini-tower PCs are available for a reasonable price but take up a lot of desk space, or have to be located on a shelf underneath or knockabout on the floor. Large desktop screens can be difficult to see the teacher around. One option is a low cost laptop computer (15 Inch screens seem to be the sweet spot at present). These can be secured with a locking cable (with a cable tidy wrapping it with the low voltage power cable and Ethernet, for neatness). When not needed the laptop can be closed, making it easy to see the teacher.

What might help is a laptop stand: not the complicated and fragile adjustable sort, but a sheet of molded plastic, or perforated steel, bent to create a platform at about 12 degrees. The stand would need to be 500 mm wide, by 350 mm deep for a 15 inch laptop. This would raise the screen of the laptop about 100 mm above the table, for better viewing. The stand would extend each side of the laptop, so that cables could be plugged in and then secured in place by a cable tie through the holes in the stand (this would not stop a determined thief but would deter those who like to fiddle with computer plugs). A keyboard and mouse could be permanently secured and placed under the stand when not needed.

The closest commercial product I could find is the Cooler Master NotePal U3 Notebook Cooling Stand. But this has three fans, powered by a USB plug, which are not really necessary.

Net for Safety When Setting Out on a Jet

Anthony Noack wrote of the problems of being without his computer when traveling in "Jet-setting with no safety net" (Sydney Morning Herald, December 29, 2011). It is curious to see someone discussing how to travel without a computer and Internet access. In 1994 I wrote about the novelty of travelling around Europe with a pocket computer and the Internet.

Anthony's Sony Ericsson netbook disk drive crashed and he found it was an uncommon model. One solution to this is to buy a low cost laptop which uses commonly available parts, rather than a high end model. When the disk in my Kogan Agora crashed (after I dropped it on a stone floor) I just had to remove one screw from the back, slide out the disk drive and slide in a new one (I chose a solid state unit for reliability).

With a new disk Anthony points out you will have no software. So he suggests carrying a USB flash drive with a boot-able Linux distribution, in your computer bag. But it is a good idea not to carry your backup in your computer bag, as if the bag is lost or stolen, you will have lost your backup as well as your computer. Put keep the backup in a bag separate form the computer. Also it is a good idea not to carry a computer bag when traveling, as it is a sign to thieves you have something worth stealing. Instead put the laptop in a padded sleeve and put that in your normal bag.

Instead of using Linux as a backup, it is easier to use it all the time. I gave up using Microsoft Windows several years ago and have found that the Linux open source alternative works well. For some functions, such as accounting, I now use web cloud based applications. As a result when my computer disk failed, I used the cloud versions of applications until I could get a new disk. Then I installed a new copy of Linux on the disk and copied the data back from the cloud (but I also keep a copy of my data on a removable device, just in case the on-line version and the laptop is lost).

Anthony's camera then failed, due to water. He pointed out that travelers might have their whole trip's photos stored on the camera. But the photos would normally be stored on a flash drive and you can have several of these and so loss of the camera should not result in loss of all your photos. Also you can upload the photos to an on-line site from a cyber cafe.

Anthony contemplated doing without gadgets so he would not need to carry power cords and battery chargers. But I find things are much simpler now as many gadgets now use USB for charging. So I can carry just one power supply for my laptop and use its three USB sockets as a plug-board for recharging the phone and other gadgets.

Anthony points out that Internet access makes travel easier for bookings on route. One solution would be a smart phone, rather than a laptop, which could also be used for taking photos (I used my old 2G phone for photos).

As Anthony points out, hard copies of critical documents are important. I put my passport, ID and credit cards down on a photocopier before I travel and make a couple of copies to take with me. It also helps to use an on-line travel planner, which has your itinerary and booking details (then print a copy to take with you). A neat printed itinerary can also help with suspicious immigration officials: if the see you have worked out where you are going and have booked, they are more likely to let you into their country.

A4 Size Netbook for Queensland Schools

Media reports indicate that the Queensland Department of Education and Training has ordered 65,000 Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T laptops for students. These have a 11.6 inch screen and an A4 form factor (A4FF). The Acer laptop is 11.2 x 8 inches, smaller than an A4 sheet of paper at 11.66 x 8.27 inches. It has a larger screen and keyboard than the 10 inch net-books the NSW Education Department purchased, but will still fit in a schoolbag designed for A4 paper. This is the same form factor as the Kogan Agora Laptop I have been using for the last six months and the size I have suggested for students.

While tablet computers have been receiving considerable press for education, laptops still have advantages. The real keyboard is much more convenient for typing on and the later screen makes for easier viewing. In practice many tablet computer users buy an add-on keyboard and case which allows the screen to be propped up making it a laptop. The laptops are cheaper than netbooks, due to the omission of the touch screen and the use of less miniaturized components. But laptops do have disadvantages, being larger, less easy to operate standing up and having less battery life.

The Acer runs the Windows 7 operating system and conventional desktop applications. This is an advantage for running a wide range of software. However, it creates a maintenance and security burden and requires a conventional hard disk. An alternative is to use a lightweight operating system and "Apps". Kogan offered a version of their laptop with a small solid state disk running Google's Chromium OS, with web based applications and data stored in "The Cloud". This would work well where schools provided educational materials on-line, but has its own security and maintenance problems. A midway point would be to use a version of the Linux operating system and some conventional and some web-based applications.

Netbook for students

A friend recently asked me for advice on what portable computer to buy. They are doing postgraduate studies and need a computer they can use at home on the kitchen table and carry to the university. It has to run the usual office suite of applications and the SPSS statistical analysis package. This is now well within the range of just about any consumer level PC or laptop. I suggested the major criterion to decide on was screen and keyboard size.

The computer I use is a netbook with a wide format 10 inch screen (similar to those issued to NSW school students). This is very portable, but the screen can display only about half an A4 page. The keyboard is also cramped. At my university and home offices I have a large external monitor, keyboard and mouse, so only use the netbook's screen and keyboard when at a seminar.

The 10 inch screen netbook is too small to recommend to upper secondary school or adult students. At the other extreme I see people daily struggle with 15 inch laptops. These are good as replacements for desktop computers, but are not very portable. These will not fit in a reasonably sized satchel, so you have to have a second, special, large computer bag. This is something you will have to make a conscious effort to take with you. Also a 15 inch computer will not fit on a lecture theatre desk (or an economy airline seat tray table).

For my friend I suggested an 11.6 inch or 13.3 inch laptop. The 11.6 inch screen is large enough to display the contents of an A4 page (minus the 20 mm margin usually around a printed page) and the 13.3 inch screen a whole A4 page. With the larger screens you also get a full size QWERTY keyboard.

The 11.6 inch screen would be my preference, as this size computer will fit in a small shoulder bag designed for A4 size paperwork, with just a soft slip case to protect it. You can leave the notebook computer in your bag all the time and not have to remember to take it with you. Or you can take the computer with its slip case out and carry it on its own.

In terms of brand and model of computer, I suggested buying whatever friends and colleagues have. It does not matter how superior the computer you buy is, if everyone around you has something else you will have difficulties. If you have the same brand you can ask for help.

In buying a notebook the first issue is the operating system: Apple Mac person, Microsoft Windows or Linux? In theory it is possible to run Microsoft Windows on an Apple Mac computer, but if all around you are using Windows software, why make things difficult for yourself? In this case my friend's workplace used Windows computers, so that was the natural choice.

The next issue is the brand of computer. My advice was, as with operating system, buy what your friends and colleagues have. In this case the workplace had Dell computers and there was a discount scheme for staff to buy them. So I suggested a Dell, much like buying a standard fleet car: not exciting, but easy to live with.

Dell has an "Inspiron" range would do for a student:

1. Inspiron M101z Netbook: This has a 11.6 inch screen, which some might find a bit small (this is the size of the small Apple laptops). About $750. Review.
2. Inspiron M301z Netbook: Larger 13.3 inch screen. About $850. Review.

Neither of these have a DVD drive built in. The Dell external DVD drive is about $169, but you can get a third party one from your local computer store for under $100, if you need one. As an alternative Dell offer online backup storage. If set up properly, this could save a student a lot of trouble (I have seen a Professor in a panic when the draft of their new textbook was deleted).

University Students have Laptop Computers

The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 is available from EDUCAUSE. This is the results of a survey of 30,000 students at 103 US universities. As well as Australian universities, this has some interesting implications for secondary schools.

The study found that almost all students have computers, mostly laptops. Almost all students were using course management systems at their university and most were happy with these.

Less than half of the students thought their teachers had adequate IT skills, nor provided adequate IT training for the students. Just over half the students had an Internet capable mobile phone and of those two thirds had used the Internt on their phone. For those not using the Internet on the phone, cost was the most common reason. Few were using the mobile phone for course related purposes and the phones were see as largely a distraction from study. One use favoured by students was to use the SMS function of phones for emergency messages from the unviersity.

If the results are applicable to Australia, which I suspect they are, then this would suggest:

1. Campuses should be equipped to accommodate laptops, with less provision for desktop computers. As an example, power points and network access for laptops would be desirable. Some way to provide a larger screen and keyboard interfaced to the student's laptop would be desirable (perhaps using a desktop or thin client computer)
   
2. Learning/Course Management Systems should be used for course administration, and where applicable, course delivery.
   
3. Mobile phone Internet access should not be assumed, unless the unviersity provides some sort of low cost or free access (for example WiFi for smart phones).

The federal government is funding the provision of computers for schools. However, it is being left to school systems as to if the students get laptops or desktops. The university research would seem to favour laptops. With the cost of netbook coming down, this suggests that some of what is happening in universities is now applicable to secondary schools.

Abstract

Since 2004, the annual ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology has sought to shed light on how information technology affects the college experience. We ask students about the technology they own and how they use it in and out of their academic world. We gather information about how skilled students believe they are with technologies; how they perceive technology is affecting their learning experience; and their preferences for IT in courses. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 studies. It is based on quantitative data from a spring 2009 survey of 30,616 freshmen and seniors at 103 four-year institutions and students at 12 two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 62 students at 4 institutions; and review of qualitative data from written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2009 study also includes a special focus on student ownership and use of Internet-capable handheld devices.

Table of Contents

Entire Study: The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009

Foreword

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Chapter 2: Introduction: Higher Education—A Moveable Feast?

Chapter 3: Methodology and Respondent Characteristics

Chapter 4: Ownership of, Use of, and Skill with IT

Chapter 5: IT and the Academic Experience

Chapter 6: Undergraduates and the Mobile Revolution

Appendix A: Acknowledgments

Appendix B: Students and Information Technology in Higher Education: 2009 Survey Questionnaire

Appendix C: Qualitative Interview Questions

Appendix D: Participating Institutions and Survey Response Rates

Appendix E: Bibliography

Online Supporting Materials: Key Findings: Roadmap & Survey Instrument

From: The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009, EDUCAUSE, 2009

NZ Laptops for Principals and Teachers scheme

The NZ Ministry of Education has issued a Request for Proposal to assist with the management of the “Laptops for Principals and Teachers scheme”:

The currently facilitate the supply of laptops to principals and teachers, through a schools’ leasing programme.

The provision of laptops to principals and teachers through the Laptop Scheme commenced in 2002. Currently there are over 40,000 principals and teachers, in over 2500 schools, leasing laptops under the scheme. There is the potential for this figure to increase over the next two years.

We are seeking proposals from suitable organisations to assist with the management of this scheme, for the period July 2008 to June 2010.

The successful contractor will be expected to:

• manage the tender and contract process, including all documentation, tender processing, and contract negotiations, with successful tenderers, for the variety of contracts under the Laptop Scheme.
• assist the Ministry to monitor and evaluate the performance of contractors and negotiate contract variations
• provide legal contract advice
• provide financial advice regarding contracts where applicable.
• report regularly to the Ministry

Responses to the RFP will be expected to cover the following:

• previous service to government organisations
• experience with managing large tenders
• experience with managing this type of process
• outline of management approach to provide the service
• legal and financial capability for providing quality advice
• cost structure per phase of the service

From: Principals and Teachers scheme, Request for Proposal , GETS Reference: 22318, NZ Ministry of Education

Wireless at the State Library of Victoria

Greetings from the reading room of the State Library of Victoria, in Melbourne. Like the National Library of Australia the SLV provides free wireless access for registered readers.

Signing up at SLV was even quicker than at the NLA: I showed identification and had a reader card about 30 seconds later (there is a 15 minute delay while the wireless access is authorized). This contrasts to about an hour to register with complex forms and an interview at the British Library (the facilities of the BL were far inferior to the NLA).

While at the SLV have a look at the La Trobe Reading Room, under the library's main dome. This has been subtly restored with what look like old fashioned desks with inkwells, but actually have power for laptops.

Wile in the Library you can read three publications with my name on them:

• Electronic commerce : net benefit for Australia?
  

• Net traveller : exploring the networked nation

• Universal service? : telecommunications policy in Australia and people with disabilities