By Nathan Grant ’16, Contributor.
I had the chance to use the new Q702 Fujitsu hybrid tablets that Country Day will distribute to freshman, fifth graders, new students and anyone else who is interested in buying one this year. The detachable screen functions just like an iPad with applications and a new feature called “Metro.” These computers arrived Friday, after a delay of several weeks, and will be distributed in mid-October. They will be exciting and well worth the wait!
I sat down with Mr. Robert Baker, Director of Technology, to find out more about these unique computers. “We continue to be the lab for the rest of the world in terms of preparing our students to be leaders in a world full of jobs that
do not yet exist,” explained Mr. Baker. These tablets “are basically just like our current models, except that the screen can be detached without any loss of functionality. Writing, annotating, sketching, and highlighting are such an important part of the teaching and learning process and I am so excited that we can have full access to the digital ink we have become accustomed to on a thin and light tablet.” Unfortunately, Fujitsu has missed their projected shipping date and has estimated that these computers will arrive within three to four weeks.
These tablets will function similarly to our current tablets, in addition to a few new and amazing programs. We will be able to take notes and work on Microsoft OneNote, Word, and Outlook. There will be a keyboard to use when we want to type, a mouse pad, a stylus for inking documents or writing notes, and a touch screen. The keyboard comes with an extra battery, so these computers will have an estimated 11 hours of battery life. Additionally, the computer screen can slide off and be used similarly like an Apple iPad. It has a touch screen, so you can zoom in and out by “pinching” the screen. There is a new feature called the “Modern,” or “Metro,” which has an app store like the one on an Apple device. Also, there are built-in front and rear facing cameras, which can be used as webcams for Skype and other similar programs. These computers are a little smaller and weigh a lot less, allowing us to easily carry them wherever we go. When we are done inking, we can slide the keyboard back on and start typing without any difficulty. Plus, turning the computer on and
off will take much less time, and we have the choice of a picture password instead of the usual 9-12 word password.
If you are interested in learning more about these computers, please see the video below. http://vimeo.com/album/2073481/video/49408147 (Password: ccds)
