Update 06/23/2009: Tom Hoffman (TuttleSVC) points out that the Wimax is NOT the same version as the Wifi being considered (read comment). However, IMHO, this does not invalidate the point that school districts have to invest in a completely new handheld device running an OS that is not currently supported. Remove the reference to the Wimax device mentioned in this blog post, and that point remains.
While I personally believe that the Nokia N810 is a great device, asking districts to support yet another device in mass quantities (one per teacher for handheld reading assessments) is obviously met with resistance from districts. Kudos to Wireless Generation (check comments) for announcing a new version of their product for netbooks.
Original Entry:
In previous blog entries (here, here, here, here, here), I’ve shared the challenges school districts face as they are forced to upgrade from one technology to another to keep up with a vendor who has created a product to work ONLY on a specific platform.
One excellent example of an awesome product stuck on a handheld technology is Wireless Generation, which has been forced to abandon the Palm–albeit, slowly, as it has bought up enough Palms to re-sell to education customers–and announced a transition to the Nokia N810, a device I did a write-up on previously.
Our sources have informed us that Nokia has discontinued its N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition, effective immediately. Distributors have apparently been asked to send any remaining stock back to Nokia. The abrupt cancellation is reportedly due to the slow WiMAX roll out in the USA as well as an issue with the current WiMAX switches in use not offering optimal performance.
While Nokia has confirmed that the N810 WiMAX Edition has reached its “end of life” state, the company rep that we spoke with did not wish to comment on any impact that the condition of the nation’s young WiMAX network might have had on that decision….
Source: Mobile Burn, January 7, 2009
Late breaking reports from a Texas school district technology yield the following unconfirmed information:
Hmmmm…A couple of months ago, there was some discussion on Wireless Generation moving from Palms to the Nokia n810 tablets. Today, when I tried to get a quote on the Nokias, I was told that they had also been discontinued (still some available). This apparently happened in January, two months before Wireless Generation announced the move to the Nokia. Wireless Generation now says that there is no currently produced handheld with which they work.
The school district representative above ends the post to a Texas-wide list of educational technology directors with a simple question, “What does this say about Wireless Generation?”
Simply that companies, like school districts, face the challenge of keeping up with rapidly changing technologies. And, school districts, like companies, need to build for flexibility and adaptability.
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Hi Miguel,I am confirming that Wireless Generation has stockpiled Palm devices and Nokia Internet Tablets to meet customers’ immediate needs. Regarding the Nokia n810, we have had good reason to believe that there will be a clear migratory path to a new model within the same product line — just as with so many versions of the Palm, iPod and nearly every other successful piece of electronic hardware. We have been awaiting specific details before making any public announcement. Please also keep in mind that in building for the n810, we aren’t building only for Nokia devices; the same applications will port easily to other Linux and Windows-based mobile devices.We believe, as you do, in the importance of flexibility for our customers. I’ll share some big news not yet announced: mCLASS solutions will be available on netbooks for the 2010-2011 school year! An earlier release date is possible, since we have engineered our solutions so that they port to new operating systems and devices rapidly, and I’ll be in touch with you if that’s the case. What we will not do is rush out half-baked, lower quality solutions for customers on hardware platforms ill-suited to their needs. The next generation of devices is extremely exciting to us, and mCLASS customers will have more choices than ever! We welcome Bonham ISD and other districts to contact us directly to discuss their needs. Thanks as always for your interest in Wireless Generation!
Hi Miguel,I am confirming that Wireless Generation has stockpiled Palm devices and Nokia Internet Tablets to meet customers’ immediate needs. Regarding the Nokia n810, we have had good reason to believe that there will be a clear migratory path to a new model within the same product line — just as with so many versions of the Palm, iPod and nearly every other successful piece of electronic hardware. We have been awaiting specific details before making any public announcement. Please also keep in mind that in building for the n810, we aren’t building only for Nokia devices; the same applications will port easily to other Linux and Windows-based mobile devices.We believe, as you do, in the importance of flexibility for our customers. I’ll share some big news not yet announced: mCLASS solutions will be available on netbooks for the 2010-2011 school year! An earlier release date is possible, since we have engineered our solutions so that they port to new operating systems and devices rapidly, and I’ll be in touch with you if that’s the case. What we will not do is rush out half-baked, lower quality solutions for customers on hardware platforms ill-suited to their needs. The next generation of devices is extremely exciting to us, and mCLASS customers will have more choices than ever! We welcome Bonham ISD and other districts to contact us directly to discuss their needs. Thanks as always for your interest in Wireless Generation!
You know what this says to me? You have no fracking idea of what you are talking about. They discontinued the WiMAX version because nobody uses WiMAX! However, the regular WiFi version is still very much around. Come on Miguel! Jeez.
You know what this says to me? You have no fracking idea of what you are talking about. They discontinued the WiMAX version because nobody uses WiMAX! However, the regular WiFi version is still very much around. Come on Miguel! Jeez.
Tom, thanks for the clarification! I was seeking corroboration from another information source and, you're right to point out that I didn't catch the Wimax vs WiFi reference. Fortunately, the openness of the blogosphere allows for public correction. However, that the Nokia N810 Wimax version is not exactly the same model referenced previously doesn't change the fact that Wireless Generation has proven responsive to school district needs.Kudos to Wireless Generation for adjusting to reflect the realities in schools.
Tom, thanks for the clarification! I was seeking corroboration from another information source and, you're right to point out that I didn't catch the Wimax vs WiFi reference. Fortunately, the openness of the blogosphere allows for public correction. However, that the Nokia N810 Wimax version is not exactly the same model referenced previously doesn't change the fact that Wireless Generation has proven responsive to school district needs.Kudos to Wireless Generation for adjusting to reflect the realities in schools.
What you've never seemed to grasp Miguel is that in developing for the Maemo/Moblin/GTK platform (on the N810), they were from the beginning designing a portable application. It should have been obvious from the beginning where this was going.
What you've never seemed to grasp Miguel is that in developing for the Maemo/Moblin/GTK platform (on the N810), they were from the beginning designing a portable application. It should have been obvious from the beginning where this was going.
Tom, while I am a FOSS advocate, when you consider the use of an unsupported operating system from a school district perspective, it is natural that districts will raise red flags.However, the most portable app is one that isn't built on an operating system but one that works via the Web on ANY operating system.Why lock a school district into a particular device and OS, even one that is free, open source, when a web app meets the need and conditions of schools?Again, these points are now moot. Wireless Generation has recognized the needs of its primary clients and is working to take appropriate action.Am I missing something, here? Maybe, the Maemo/Moblin/GTK works on any device via the Web?Is it possible that WGen is considering a Maemo OS running on a netbook? That wouldn't work for districts who are standardized on Windows XP.Again, I'd switch to UbuntuLinux on the desktop with only a few Macs for video editing and multimedia. However, we have to consider the "interdependence" of schools and how impossible it is to expect change in an interlocked technology program.Thanks again,Miguel
Tom, while I am a FOSS advocate, when you consider the use of an unsupported operating system from a school district perspective, it is natural that districts will raise red flags.However, the most portable app is one that isn't built on an operating system but one that works via the Web on ANY operating system.Why lock a school district into a particular device and OS, even one that is free, open source, when a web app meets the need and conditions of schools?Again, these points are now moot. Wireless Generation has recognized the needs of its primary clients and is working to take appropriate action.Am I missing something, here? Maybe, the Maemo/Moblin/GTK works on any device via the Web?Is it possible that WGen is considering a Maemo OS running on a netbook? That wouldn't work for districts who are standardized on Windows XP.Again, I'd switch to UbuntuLinux on the desktop with only a few Macs for video editing and multimedia. However, we have to consider the “interdependence” of schools and how impossible it is to expect change in an interlocked technology program.Thanks again,Miguel
My reading is that they will be providing client applications for other Linux distributions and Windows, which should be practical given the architecture of their software.
My reading is that they will be providing client applications for other Linux distributions and Windows, which should be practical given the architecture of their software.