The Lenovo X131e Chromebook

For the past few weeks, I’ve been testing the Lenovo X131e Chromebook.  For the most part, when folks hear “Chromebook”, they think of the $249 Samsung Chromebook. We’ve bought some of the Samsung models for testing and I’m impressed with the price, but not really that impressed with the product.

Why wouldn’t we want the cheaper model? Wouldn’t it mean that we’d get more devices?  It’s true that we’d get more devices for our money, but my concern is durability.  The Samsung models are smaller and lighter…. in fact, light enough to present some issues to the screens when they are accidentally dropped.  Although the Lenovo model is thicker and heavier than the Samsung models, its strength is durability.  They’ve built the frame and corners to be rugged and durable.  Another area of concern on the Samsung model is the power adapter, which is an extremely narrow metal connector.  We’re seeing them get bent or even worse… bending while connected to the device which breaks the ability to recharge the laptop.

So what does all this mean? Are we returning the Samsung models?  We’re not returning the Samsung model that we have, we’re just at the point where we think it’s wise idea to buy several different models so that we can see how the durability pans with real student usage.

Why is the district even looking at Chromebooks? Do you expect that Chromebooks will replace all other computers?  No, Chromebooks won’t replace all other models. Instead, it’s another tool that’s available to help provide more affordable access to basic Internet browsing and word processing.  Here’s another great resource that explains the 6 reasons educators are choosing Chromebooks. 

Can I test a Chromebook?

Chromebooks have been all the talk lately… a $249 laptop that kids can log into in under 10 seconds to get basic access to the Internet and Google Apps.

Q1. What’s the district’s plan for the Chromebook?
A1. Our current thinking is that Chromebooks could be used to complement our existing laptop carts –  not to fully replace them.

Q2. I’ve heard that Chromebooks are popular with other school districts – and even heard that they are the item of choice for a 1:1?
A2. First, there is no decision by the district to proceed with 1:1 or even proceed with 1:1 piloting/testing – so there is no plan related to 1:1.  As for Chromebooks being the item of choice for 1:1, that also hasn’t been determined for us, as we don’t even have approval to continue 1:1 discussions. As of popularity, we know that other districts are proceeding with Chromebooks as their device (Norwalk, Carroll, Denison, and Council Bluffs) but there are also plenty of other districts proceeding with other types of devices.

Q3. What grade levels/areas will Chromebooks be most popular?
A3.  Since you need a Google Apps account to log into a Chromebook  – it will be most popular with classes that use Google Apps.  What we are hearing around the district so far is that 4th thru 12th grade will see the most usage, as they tend to do the most in Internet based research, word processing, and collaborative projects where groups of students are writing or creating slide shows together.

Q4.  Is there a Chromebook that I can checkout/test, to see what it can do…
A4. Yes, there’s at least one Chromebook in every school – so please see your building tech person and/or your teacher librarian to get help with locating the device.

Q5. After I’m done checking it out… who do I send my feedback to?
A5.  Send comments, questions, concerns to Brian Abeling.