HP Inc. and Siemens are accelerating 3D printing for industrial production through the creation of a new HP-certified Additive Manufacturing (AM) software module from Siemens. The new software module, Siemens NX AM for HP Multi Jet Fusion, is now available from Siemens PLM Software as an extension to Siemens’ end-to-end design-to-production solution for additive manufacturing. The NX™ software module will allow customers to develop and manage parts in a single software environment for their HP 3D Printing projects, avoid costly and time-consuming data conversions and third-party tools, and improve their overall design-to-finished-part workflow efficiency.

Today HP announced its partnership with KiraKira3D, a foundation that is working to close the gender gap in STEM by teaching girls the technical skills needed to master 3D design, modeling, and printing skills.

HP and KiraKira3D will work together to develop a series of video lessons to teach 3D design skills using the Sprout Pro by HP 3D scanning and printing platform, and will allow students to print their designs using HP Multi Jet Fusion printers.

Founder and CEO Suz Somersall founded KiraKira3D with the ultimate goals being to get more STEM curricula into classrooms, and inspire girls to pursue careers in STEM careers by encouraging them to create sunglasses, designer jewelry, and household items using these 3D technologies.

Alive Studios will be introducing the Learning alive™ Plus Station for Sprout Pro by HP G2 at ISTE in San Antonio later this month. The Sprout Pro by HP G2 is an immersive learning station that features 2D and 3D capture capabilities, dual multi-touch displays, and hi-resolution cameras.

The Learning alive Plus Suite incorporates 3D augmented reality magic, allowing 26 animal characters (A to Z) to spring to life and interact with children.

Letters alive® Plus, the reading portion of the learning suite, teaches the foundations for reading English and is aligned to state standards for kindergarten.

A new alliance between the HP and Kennedy High School’s Information Technology Academy allows students to experience immersive learning environments.

The Sprout Pro by HP computers will be unveiled at a ribbon cutting on Thursday, April 27, at 1 p.m. at Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA.

Sprout consolidates the classroom PC, digital projector, 3D scanner, and more to allow users of any skill development to code and design network and program applications, create art projects, and collaborate with professionals and their peers.

Through the alliance, students will be mentored online and in person by HP employees, and take field trips to HP’s headquarters in Palo Alto.

HP Inc. today unveiled Sprout Pro by HP, designed for schools and professionals .

Sprout Pro consolidates the PC, document camera, 2D and 3D scanners, and more into an all-in-one solution for classrooms. It allows students and classrooms around the globe to collaborate together on projects and assignments in real time.

Features include:

· The Sprout Companion for Skype for Business enables remote sharing and collaboration including the ability to share a Sprout 2D capture during a Skype meeting, as well as annotate on the Skype whiteboard using the Sprout pen and mat.

· HP External Display Mixer allows users to share what's on the Sprout dual screen, video from the webcam, or the downward facing camera - or all at the same time.

· HP Scan provides added professional-level document scanning and optical character recognition with features like custom resolution, exposures, color or grayscale and scan destinations.

· HP Magnifier replaces a document camera and allows users to share live physical objects or documents with an audience, including zooming and capture.

The Sprout Ecosystem also continues to grow with several new 3D-oriented applications from Autodesk-Tinkercad, Sculpt+ and Print Studio that deliver tools tuned for Sprout.

www.hp.com/go/k12
Retail price: Starts at $415

By Ben Grey

With its magnesium-alloy case and anodized-aluminum display enclosure, the 5102 is an extremely solid netbook.

QUALITY AND EFFECTIVE-NESS: The 5102 is one of the bestmade netbooks on the market; it never once felt cheap or flimsy during the review (though the brushed aluminum display enclosure and the touch screen are absolute fingerprint magnets). The 95 percent full-size, spillresistant keyboard is simply the best I’ve ever used on a netbook.

The 10.1-inch (1,024 x 600), LED-backlit multitouch screen provides good image quality, but the multitouch aspect was not as useful as I had anticipated. Increasing the space between icons would be a big step toward making it more useful during standard navigation.

EASE OF USE: Because of a welcome change in the design of the mouse from previous HP netbooks and the incredible keyboard, the 5102 is a pleasure to use. Typing long passages and navigating through a multitude of applications and Web sites was both easy and efficient, and I seldom felt that a larger laptop was needed to complete a task. HP also included in the 5102 several intriguing tools, such as its QuickWeb feature, which initiates a 20-second booting up into a Linuxbased operating system that offers access to a Web browser.

CREATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY: The 5102’s sturdiness, available Webcam, keyboard design, long-lasting battery, optional handle, QuickWeb, and ability to play high-definition video make it a standout in the netbook market. These options certainly come at a cost, as a unit with all the features mentioned above would cost $600 to $700. This begins to approach the cost of a full-featured laptop.

SUITABILITY FOR USE IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: The unit is unquestionably well built, and its design will allow it to take the abuse prevalent in an educational environment. The price, however, may prove prohibitive to districts looking to enter the netbook market because of the units’ lower cost.

OVERALL RATING

The 5102 is one of the best-made, highest-performing netbooks available. Using the unit is enjoyable, and when performing most productivity tasks and surfing the Web, it’s easy to forget that one is using a lower-powered netbook. The touch screen is optional, and at this point I’d recommend simply going with the standard screen, as the new mouse pad works well in navigating and operating the unit. The nine-hour battery life is just outstanding. The only drawback of the 5102 is the price.

HP and Aruba Networks today announced a definitive agreement for HP to acquire Aruba, provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise, for $24.67 per share in cash.

This new combined organization will be led by Aruba’s Chief Executive Officer Dominic Orr, and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Keerti Melkote, reporting to Antonio Neri, leader of HP Enterprise Group.

“Enterprises are facing a mobile-first world and are looking for solutions that help them transition legacy investments to the new style of IT,” said Meg Whitman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of HP. “By combining Aruba’s world-class wireless mobility solutions with HP’s leading switching portfolio, HP will offer the simplest, most secure networking solutions to help enterprises easily deploy next-generation mobile networks.”

www8.hp.com • Retail Price: $379

The HP Slate 21 Pro All-in-One is a 21.5-inch touchscreen, Android-based PC with keyboard and mouse. It is supported with the Android 4.3 operating system and can access apps through Google Play.

Quality and Effectiveness: The quality of the screen, with its 1920x1080 resolution and 21.5-inch touchscreen, offers a large and sharp view that is great for student projects. With Google Play, this opens the door for numerous educational applications for students and teachers to use in the classroom. The device comes with the Kingsoft Office application, which is compatible with Microsoft Office. This compatibility will make transitioning to Word documents and spreadsheets fairly easy.

Ease of Use: The product is seamless. Just plug in, sign on, and go. With the keyboard and mouse, it functions as a general desktop with the added benefit of a touchscreen. With Google Drive, users can easily transfer information from different devices. Quick swiping on such a large screen and the ability to zoom in for more detailed imaging is a plus when working with artistic apps or maps.

Creative Use of Technology: With its large 21.5-inch touchscreen and keyboard, HP Slate 21 Pro All-in-One is ideal for libraries, student labs, or as a classroom PC. Students can easily manage the programs with simple touches and swipes. Research comes alive with the vibrant colors on a high-resolution screen. Students can begin a project in the library or lab, go home or to the classroom, and continue working on the projects while accessing local and cloud-based apps.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Given the quick “plug-and- play” atmosphere of the HP Slate 21 Pro and its low cost, schools can easily integrate the PCs into different instructional settings, such as libraries, computer labs, or classrooms. They could also be used as research kiosks in libraries. Students would be excited to use such a vibrant and fast PC that uses a Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor.

TOP FEATURES

• Low cost ($379)
• Large 21.5-inch touchscreen
• Compatible with multiple educational apps from Google Play, such as Kingsoft Office and other cloud-based applications

OVERALL RATING: With different types of computing devices being integrated into the classroom environment, the HP Slate 21 Pro All-in-One is an excellent product that will excite students. Students will not want to stop using it, because of the large touchscreen, quick access to Google Play, and the ability to view their own work through the cloud.

The Chromebook has quickly moved into prominent discussions among educators as a flexible Internet-based device in classrooms. Whether you are using the system as a cart or taking advantage of 10-second start-up times or optimizing it as a low-cost 1:1 device for utilizing Google Apps, the Chromebook is now a computer that schools must consider. Over the past year, several manufacturers have come into the marketplace, including Samsung, Acer, Lenovo, and HP. Since Chromebook’s operating system is the same across all of these platforms, we thought it would be interesting to take each model for a test drive and look at what makes them unique. Today we look at the HP 14-c010us Chromebook. Next up - the Samsung 550.

HP 14-c010us Chromebook
The HP 14-c010us Chromebook is the best device for a laptop replacement if the goal is to feel as close to a laptop as possible. However, it's too heavy and large for a student 1:1 device. Offering a larger screen than the others, it maintains the 1366 x 768 resolution. The keyboard, mouse, and sound are excellent.

Key Features

• Cost: $329.00
• Battery: External, 4 hours life
• Weight: 3.8 lbs
• Weight Comparison to iPad: 2.64
• Size: 13.66 x 9.37 x 0.83 inches
• Processor: Intel® Celeron® 847 processor (1.1GHz)
• RAM: 2GB
• Keyboard: Largest keys and expansive keyboard. Full laptop feel.
• Touchpad: 3.5" x 2.5"; two button traditional mouse
• Screen: 14" LED 1366x768 - dim
• Ports: USB 2.0 (3), HDMI, SD, Ethernet
• Memory Card: 2 in 1
• Power Adapter: Full traditional HP
• Storage: 16GB Flash
• Durability: Laptop case. Firm screen and backing has limited flexing.
• Speakers: Excellent sound by Altec Lansing
• Coolness Factor (Would a kid want to carry this around?): 3

www.hp.com • Time Spent Reviewing this Product: Three weeks • Retail Price: $1,450

HP extends its business tablet portfolio with its next-generation convertible tablet, the HP EliteBook Revolve, a touch-enabled notebook that pivots to let users share their work and folds to go mobile as a tablet.

Quality and Effectiveness: The Revolve is a sturdy, sleek device that handled the rough treatment of many young hands over the course of the review. The LED-backlit display is bright and crisp.

Ease of Use: All of the power switches and control modules were intuitive to find and easy to use. The swivel function from notebook to tablet and vice versa took some getting used to for the students. Powering on and off was a cinch. Navigating Windows 8, however, was a different story!

Creative Use of Technology: The younger students gravitated towards using the Revolve in its tablet mode. The touchscreen was responsive even with multiple fingers touching at the same time. Older students liked the ability to transform the device back to a notebook to perform more serious writing tasks.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: The Revolve would be a great device for a classroom if you can afford it. It would most likely be overkill in a 1:1 environment for primary school, although it could be a good teacher device that occasionally gets handed to students in groups, for example.

TOP FEATURES

• Sturdy swivel from tablet to notebook and back
• Crisp, clear display
• Lightweight, considering its overall size

OVERALL RATING: This is a high performing, expensive device that is best suited for teachers and secondary-school students. If a school is married to a Windows environment, the Revolve should work admirably.

magcloud.com Retail Price: Free

In addition to other hardware announcements, HP showcased their four-year-old product, MagCloud, at ISTE. This free, online publishing tool lets anyone create professional-looking documents, such as student information, class notes, curriculum content, yearbooks, literary magazines, and even student-written stories. You can use any desktop publishing, word-processing, or design application to create a MagCloud-ready PDF. Then you can upload your PDF to the MagCloud Web site, set your publishing options, and you’ll be able to view and order the publication within minutes or get a free digital download.

Quality and Effectiveness: This online tool excels at what it is intended to do—help you create a professional-looking document that you can print, ship on demand, or view online or with an iPad app. It’s free to create your book and the cost of buying your book is essentially the cost of the paper and shipping. You can add to the price and earn a profit. (As with most e-publications, you can earn a profit with a 70-30 split. You earn the 70%.) This could be a great way to sell yearbooks or do fundraisers.

Ease of Use: Creating publications with the online software is easy. It loads and operates efficiently and quickly. Instructions and support materials are clear, concise, and easy to follow. However, preparing your publication before you use the software is the key to having great content. This software can make any content look beautiful.

Creative Use of Technology: If you want a professional-looking document, using the HP MagCloud is an easy and cost-effective way to achieve that result. You will have access to a URL that has a direct link to your publication. You can share your content and use the source code to promote your publication on a Web page, blog, or social media.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This software is great for educators and students who want to create, publish, print, or download their publications. If you want to encourage budding writers or hone your own writing abilities, you can achieve that goal with this tool. However, if you’re looking to place your book in an environment with other education publications, this site isn’t there yet. Similarly, this is not the place to go for great resources (other than your own) just yet.

Please note that you have to be a member to create, order a print publication, or download a digital copy on a PC. However, you can get a copy of any free eBook by using the app.

TOP FEATURES

• MagCloud provides a wonderful opportunity to create publications for any class, grade, subject, etc.
• It’s free to create and download the document.
• Any print-on-demand fees you incur are essentially the cost of printing (at 16 cents per page) and shipping (available through both USPS and FedEx).

OVERALL RATING: MagCloud is easy to use. The hard part is preparation, but once you have everything prepared, producing a professional document is easy, inexpensive, and rewarding.

magcloud.com Retail Price: Free

In addition to other hardware announcements, HP showcased their four-year-old product, MagCloud, at ISTE. This free, online publishing tool lets anyone create professional-looking documents, such as student information, class notes, curriculum content, yearbooks, literary magazines, and even student-written stories. You can use any desktop publishing, word-processing, or design application to create a MagCloud-ready PDF. Then you can upload your PDF to the MagCloud Web site, set your publishing options, and you’ll be able to view and order the publication within minutes or get a free digital download.

Quality and Effectiveness: This online tool excels at what it is intended to do—help you create a professional-looking document that you can print, ship on demand, or view online or with an iPad app. It’s free to create your book and the cost of buying your book is essentially the cost of the paper and shipping. You can add to the price and earn a profit. (As with most e-publications, you can earn a profit with a 70-30 split. You earn the 70%.) This could be a great way to sell yearbooks or do fundraisers.

Ease of Use: Creating publications with the online software is easy. It loads and operates efficiently and quickly. Instructions and support materials are clear, concise, and easy to follow. However, preparing your publication before you use the software is the key to having great content. This software can make any content look beautiful.

Creative Use of Technology: If you want a professional-looking document, using the HP MagCloud is an easy and cost-effective way to achieve that result. You will have access to a URL that has a direct link to your publication. You can share your content and use the source code to promote your publication on a Web page, blog, or social media.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This software is great for educators and students who want to create, publish, print, or download their publications. If you want to encourage budding writers or hone your own writing abilities, you can achieve that goal with this tool. However, if you’re looking to place your book in an environment with other education publications, this site isn’t there yet. Similarly, this is not the place to go for great resources (other than your own) just yet.

Please note that you have to be a member to create, order a print publication, or download a digital copy on a PC. However, you can get a copy of any free ebook by using the app.

TOP FEATURES

• MagCloud provides a wonderful opportunity to create publications for any class, grade, subject, etc.
• It’s free to create and download the document.
• Any print-on-demand fees you incur are essentially the cost of printing (at $.16 per page) and shipping (available through both USPS and FedEx).

OVERALL RATING: MagCloud is easy to use. The hard part is preparation, but once you have everything prepared, producing a professional document is easy, inexpensive, and rewarding.

PRODUCT: HP MagCloud (magcloud.com)

Retail Price: Free

By Gwen Solomon

With MagCloud, HP’s free online publishing tool, anyone can create professional-looking documents--student information, class notes, curriculum content, yearbooks, literary magazines, or even student-written stories. You can use any desktop publishing, word-processing, or design application to create a MagCloud-ready PDF. Then, upload your PDF to the MagCloud Web site, set your publishing options, and you’ll be able to view and order the publication within minutes or get a free digital download.

Quality and Effectiveness
This online tool excels at what it is intended to do--help you create a professional-looking document that you can print and ship on demand or view online or with an iPad app. (Yes, HP has an iPhone app for that.) It’s free to create your book and the cost of buying it is a very little (essentially the cost of the paper and shipping). You can add to the price and earn a profit (as with most epublications, with a 70-30 split. You get the 70%.) This could be a great way to sell yearbooks or do fund raisers.

Ease of Use
Creating with the online software is easy. It loads and operates efficiently and quickly. Instructions and support materials are clear, concise, and easy to follow. However, the preparation (writing and editing) you do before using the software is the key to having great content. This software can make any content look beautiful.

The instructions are easy and there are only five steps: create, upload, preview, distribute, promote. The hardest part is pre-production. Before you get to step one, you have to think about the end result. You should choose a font style and size that’s easy to read online; add and size your images; format the pages carefully (this is the key to great looking docs) by downloading and using HP’s template or following their directions and advice to design your document.

Creative Use of Technology
If you want a professional-looking document, this is an easy and cost-effective way to get it. It’s an innovative use of technology--putting the means of generating professional-looking publications in the hands of anyone who wants to create.

You get a URL that’s a direct link to your work that you can share, and you can copy the source code for a badge to place on a Web page, blog, or anything you’re using to promote the book. By the way, this is a perfect way to publish your own novel, short story or poetry collection without the usual costs of self-publishing or the hassle.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment
This is great for educators and students to create, publish, and print on demand or download their professional-looking publications. Any teacher who wants to encourage budding writers (or become a writer him/herself) can do it with this tool. However, if you’re looking to place your book in an environment with many other education publications, this site isn’t there yet. Similarly, this is not the place to go for great resources (other than your own, of course,) just yet.

Please note that you have to be a member to create or order a print publication or download a digital copy on a PC; however, you can get a copy of any free eBook by using the app.

OVERALL RATING
You should understand that you have to prepare before you use this software. That you have to write and edit the document is a given, but you also have to make sure that you’ve designed it to look good in Word or with a publishing or design program (following HP’s template or instructions) and then save it as a PDF to upload. You can’t change anything online.

Top Features:

1. The key feature – being able to publish and distribute professional-looking documents - is not usually available to teachers and students. MagCloud provides a wonderful opportunity to publish to any class, grade, subject, etc. Having such a beautiful product is great motivation to do the hard work involved in writing and editing and may inspire students to expend greater effort.

2. The costs are so low. It’s free to create and free to download the document. Print-on-demand is basically the cost of printing (low at 20 cents a page) and shipping (options for USPS and FedEx).

3. MagCloud is easy to use. The hard part is preparation, but once you have that down pat, getting a great-looking document is easy, inexpensive, and rewarding.

To view a sample created by this reviewer, visit http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/408128.

HP TouchPad tablet (webOS) Review

by David Andrade

I have used webOS (yes, the “w” is lowercase) since getting my Pre+ smartphone in February of 2010 and love it. webOS has always gotten great reviews from technology writers and reviewers, but Palm never marketed it correctly. HP bought Palm in April of 2010, mainly for webOS, and promised to go all out with the operating system. They just launched the Veer (a very small, but powerful, smartphone) and the TouchPad tablet and the Pre3 is on the way. They are heavily marketing webOS and the new devices and have even talked about using webOS on full computers.

I bought the TouchPad on the early launch day, July 1st and love it! I had a chance to use one at HP's booth at ISTE11 and loved it. Having been a webOS user for the last 2 years, using the TouchPad required almost no learning curve. It’s a little thicker and heavier than the iPad2, but not noticeable to me (I’ve used an iPad2 before and held one at the Best Buy store and compared them). It’s black and nice and shiny, which shows finger prints, but HP includes a nice cloth to wipe off the fingerprints that every touchscreen device gets. Currently there is only a WiFi version, but 3G versions are planned. You can also tether the TouchPad to your smartphone. The suggested retail price is 16GB for $499.99 and 32GB for $599.99, but most retailers are offering deals or lower prices. If you already own a webOS phone, you can get a $50 rebate when you purchase a TouchPad.

webOS is really easy to use and very intuitive, using cards (like windows or tabs) to do true multi-tasking. Setting up the device was a breeze, especially since it connected to my Palm (now HP) profile where my Pre+ data and settings was synced to and automatically brought in my apps and connections. The profile can be used on more than one device so a school could set up one profile to keep all of the devices set up the same.

webOS and the TouchPad have some very cool features that make them very easy to use and very useful.

• Technical Specs for the TouchPad:
• Virtual on-screen keyboard - easy to use, three sizes, and has a number row always visible.
• There are thousands of apps for webOS and you can use the smartphone apps on the TouchPad. More apps come out every day. I can do everything I need to do. Amazon Kindle, QuickOffice, Facebook, Spaz (Twitter - similar to Tweetdeck), calendar, email, memos, Acrobat reader, Maps (Bing), Music, HP Movie Store, HP Play Music app, TapNote, Angry Birds, Pandora, Evernote, and much more.
• Web browser supports Flash - and it works great. A huge number of website still use Flash and the browser lets you view these sites (unlike the iPad and iOS). This is important to me because many of the educational sites I use and virtual labs are Flash based. It’s also cool to watch YouTube videos on the YouTube page just like on your computer. It also allows you to watch Discovery Education Streaming videos right in your browser.
• Google works - all of the Google applications I use work great in the browser including Docs, Blogger and Google+. No need for any special apps.
• True Multi-tasking - webOS allows true multi-tasking using cards for each app (Iike a window). It’s extremely simple to view all open apps and select one or even close it using simple gestures. Apps run in the background just like on your PC. This makes it very easy to get work done and jump from app to app.
• webOS 3.0
• 16GB or 32GB built in storage
• 1.6 lbs, 0.54” thick x 9.45” long x 7.48” wide
• Display - 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 LCD capacitive touch (same as iPad2) - excellent viewing, even in sunlight
• 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor paired with 1GB of RAM
• 8-9 hours of battery life (continuous use - used mine on and off for three days without charging)
• Micro USB port (for syncing files in USB drive mode or music using HP Play) and charging through the included charger (the Touchstone is a must-have accessory)
• Front facing camera for video calls and video conferencing
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n radio, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR compatibility, a light sensor, accelerometer, compass, and gyro
• Stereo speakers, headphone jack, power button, home button (can use gesture to get to home also), and volume buttons.

• Synergy - syncs and brings together all your contacts from your email systems and even Facebook as well as your calendars.
• Box.net - 50GB of free storage on Box.net
• Messaging - natively supports Google Talk, AIM, Skype audio and video calls, Yahoo! Messenger and future third-party apps. TouchPad owners who also have a webOS smartphone can send and receive text messages from the application as well.
• QuickOffice - view and edit office documents using QuickOffice. Links directly to Dropbox also.
• Accessories
• case with cover that folds as a support (similar to the iPads)
• Touchstone charger - very cool - wireless charging - simply set your TouchPad (or webOS phone) on the Touchstone and it starts charging using inductive charging technology. It also automatically displays different things based on your selection, such as a clock or your agenda. I have it set as a clock on my desk

.

• Wireless keyboard - connect via Bluetooth to the TouchPad. Set your TouchPad on the TouchStone charger and use the keyboard or bring the keyboard with you.

• Email - allows multiple accounts, including Gmail and Exchange, and you can view all your inboxes together or separately.
• Print wirelessly to compatible HP Printers
• Large developer base and homebrew community. HP embraces “jailbreaking” which isn’t actually needed - and homebrew developers.
• Notifications - notifications are unobtrusive and appear at the top of the screen. They do not interrupt what you are doing. Email, Facebook notifications, Twitter, and many other apps use the notification system.

• Just Type - just type on the main screen and it will search your apps, contacts, web history and Google for what you are looking for. You can even start an email or open othe apps from it.
• Beats Audio - the TouchPad has Beats Audio which is a very impressive audio system. The built-in stereo speakers are excellent, but it sounds even better on your headphones.
• Entertainment - TV shows, movies, and more through Hulu, HBO on the Go and more.
• Connect to your webOS smartphone - the TouchPad can connect to your Veer or Pre3 (or other webOS smartphones) and you can access your text messages and even make phone calls on your TouchPad. Leave your phone on your charger and just use the TouchPad.
• Touch to Share - just touch the Veer or Pre3 to the Touchpad and transfer what you were doing from one device to the other. For instance, you are looking up directions or information on your TouchPad and then want to head out the door and leave the TouchPad at home. Just touch the phone to the TouchPad and transfer the website over to the phone.
• Butler Service - free 90-day HP webOS Butler Service to help you setup and use your device.

Educational Use:

webOS is easy to use and allows multitasking. The browser supports Flash and works great with Google and other web apps. The TouchPad is sturdy and well built. There are tons of apps. Updates are done over the air so you don’t need to plug it into a computer. It Works Like Nothing Else. I really is a great device for education.

Best Resource for Everything webOS: Precentral.net - resources, reviews, tips, community forum, and much more.

Conclusion - I love webOS and think it is truly the best mobile operating system around. The TouchPad is pretty awesome and allows me to do everything I need to do with a computer, whether work, school, or fun. I highly recommend it as a tablet and I highly recommend checking out the Veer and Pre3 as smartphones. (I wrote this article in Google Docs and then posted it on Blogger all from my TouchPad).

Check out this in-depth review of the TouchPad for more: http://www.precentral.net/review-hp-touchpad

Related Articles:

7 Ways the TouchPad burns the iPad

Most used Apps on my Palm Pre+ and What I use them for

Educational Apps for webOS

HP Announces three new webOS devices

Analysis of webOS vs. iOS (iPhone)

HP Buys Palm - What could that mean for education?

Review of Palm Pre+ and Pixi+

(Disclaimer - I did NOT receive any compensation from HP for this review).

Cross posted at Educational Technology Guy and via Twitter.

David Andrade is a Physics Teacher and Educational Technology Specialist in Connecticut. He is the author of the Educational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education.
He is also a professional development trainer and presenter at conferences, helping educators learn new and innovative ways to educate students. He is also a Discovery Education STAR Educator and member of the CT DEN Leadership Council.

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.

www.hp.com Retail price: sub-$300

By Ben Grey

The HP Mini 100e netbook features up to 9.5 hours of battery life and has no internal optical drive.

Quality and Effectiveness: The HP Mini 100e’s design and feature set clearly show HP’s intent to target the education market, and overall, the product proves a solid option for schools looking to equip K–6 classrooms with low-cost netbooks. The unit has an integrated handle that will allow students to carry the netbook safely from cart to desk, or even from classroom to classroom. The case is constructed of a durable plastic that will withstand rough handling by younger students, and HP has utilized its Mylar-film spill-resistant keyboard. The six-cell battery provides enough power to last eight hours between charges.

Ease of Use: Essentially, the Mini 100e provides many of the same functions that other netbooks on the market do. The 92 percent chiclet keyboard generally felt comfortable, and its smaller size may make it most beneficial for younger students, who have smaller hands. The trackpad is integrated into the housing using the same plastic as the case, though it is recessed and given a slightly bumpy texture to provide sensation. It isn’t HP’s best trackpad design, as the tactile user experience it afforded proved frustrating. The unit provides only the slower 1.66 GHz Atom process instead of the faster 1.83 GHz model available on other netbooks.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Teachers will appreciate several small touches, like the small LED located on the lid that will light up when the Mini 100e is connected with a network. The unit also has an integrated Webcam for recording and Web conferencing. The Mini 100e does not come with an option for Bluetooth or with a wireless-n connection (the unit does have wireless-g). Though its plastic case provides durability, its form factor is rather thick at 1.57 inches, and the unit is a bit heavy at 3.19 pounds. HP is setting a target sub-$300 price point, but the final price is to be determined by the size of a bulk purchase. HP does not sell the units individually.

Overall Rating
The unit is well built and integrates several features that will provide nice solutions for an elementary classroom, but the 100e seems to sacrifice other key features, the lack of which keeps it from being a truly compelling option for the elementary netbook space.

By Ben Grey

Product: HP 5102 Touchscreen

With its magnesium alloy case and anodized aluminum display enclosure, the 5102 is an extremely solid netbook.

Quality and Effectiveness
The 5102 quality is one of the best in the netbook market, and it never once felt cheap or flimsy during the review (though, the brushed aluminum display enclosure and the touchscreen are absolute fingerprint magnets).

The 95% full sized, spill resistant keyboard is simply the best keyboard I’ve ever used on a netbook, and it could easily rival many of the mushy keyboards found on too many of the full-sized laptops on the market today. The keys are coated with a wear-resistant application that HP claims make them 50 times more resistant to wear than typical keys.

The 10.1” (1024x600), LED-backlit multitouch screen provides good image quality, but the multitouch aspect was not as useful as I had anticipated. Given the small size of the screen, I found that many times I had trouble touching the correct icons (hitting minimize when I was trying to close a window), and HP maintains that they anticipate more developers will create applications that will maximize on the touchscreen capacity of the unit. Increasing the size between icons would be a big step toward making the touch a more useful feature during standard navigation. The multitouch does work well when simply touching the screen to scroll through web pages, or pinching the screen to zoom in and out when viewing images. The 5102 is also available with a higher resolution (1366x768) screen, but the better resolution does not come with a touchscreen option.

The 5102 handles video better than the typical netbook, and tests watching videos both online and from files loaded locally were mostly successful. There were still slight catches in the video periodically, but when watching standard definition content, the 5102 performed well. HP also offers a high definition Broadcomm decoder card that makes watching high definition content possible, though our review unit did not have that option present. The 6-cell battery life is incredibly impressive. The battery lasted nearly 9 uninterrupted hours during heavy use. The unit would have no issue lasting an entire school day for students without needing a charge. The 5102 also comes with an optional swingout handle located on the bottom of the unit that would likely be a welcome addition for students who carry the units from class to class in a 1:1 environment. The unit also comes equipped with a 2 MP webcam integrated into the bezel of the display. The unit runs on the most current Atom chipset, and is available with either an N450 Atom 1.66 GHz processor or an N470 1.83 GHz processor. The 5102 is also available in black, blue, and red for those seeking choice in colors.

Ease of Use
With a welcome change in the design of the mouse from previous HP netbooks, and with the incredible keyboard, the 5102 is a pleasure to use. Typing long passages and navigating through a multitude of applications and websites was both easy and efficient, and there was seldom a time when it felt like a larger laptop was needed to complete a task. Although the touchscreen offered additional options to navigate tasks, the operation of the unit without utilizing the touch capabillities was such a good experience that I often forgot that the touchscreen was even present.

HP also included several intriguing tools on the 5102 unique in the netbook market, the first being their QuickWeb feature. When the 5102 is powered down, a user can press a quick launch button to launch into QuickWeb. This initiates a 20 second boot up into a Linux-based operating system that offers access to a web browser. This feature is intended for quick searches at times when a user doesn’t want to go through a full boot up. A similar feature, titled QuickLook, operates in a related fashion. By pressing another available button when the unit is shut down, the 5102 will launch into a basic interface that allows for quick access to email clients. QuickWeb might be more useful for the educational environment, but QuickLook is likely a more useful option for the business class user.

Creative Use of Technology
The build quality, available webcam, keyboard design, long-lasting battery, optional handle, QuickWeb, and ability to play high definition video make the 5102 a standout in the netbook market. These options certainly come at a cost, as a unit with all the features mentioned above would cost in the mid-$600 range. This begins to approach the cost of a fully-featured laptop.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment
The 5102 is clearly targeted for the business and education market. The quality of the unit is unquestionable, and the design would allow the unit to take the abuse imminent in an educational environment. Though the unit itself is extremely well-built and designed, the price may prove prohibitive to districts looking to enter the netbook market for the lower cost of the units.

Overall Rating
There is simply no doubt the 5102 is one of the best quality, highest performing netbooks available on the market today. The experience using the unit is absolutely enjoyable, and it’s easy to forget one is using a lower-powered netbook when performing the majority of productivity tasks and web surfing. Though the touchscreen is an innovative concept, it didn’t quite feel like it worked on a netbook with such a small screen. The touchscreen is optional, and at this point I’d recommend simply going with the standard screen as the new mouse pad works well navigating and operating the unit. The ability to watch video content on the netbook without major catching or hesitating is also a welcome feature as many districts have video subscriptions available for their students and teachers to make use of. These subscription services could certainly be viewed on the 5102. The only concern with the unit is the price. It is at the high range of the netbook market, and districts will want to weight the cost to benefit ratio closely when determining if this is the right unit for a larger netbook deployment. The 9-hour battery life is simply outstanding.

The HP TouchSmart Business PC is an all-in-one, touch-enabled desktop PC for businesses that could also be used in a number of classroom circumstances. The dx9000 model is a 22-inch widescreen, high-definition device with wireless keyboard and mouse that enables users to connect, select, and interact with each other. The PC would work well in a setting with small groups working on a collaborative project such as a science or multimedia laboratory.

Pros: Gorgeous all-in-one design supports a beautiful screen with easy to access peripheral ports. Touchsmart software is intuitive. Our students took right to it without so much as a tutorial. Scrolling, tapping, and flipping through files by touching the screen is fun. The student reviewers couldn’t keep their hands off of it (for better or worse!) Working with multimedia software and devices is a pleasure with so much display landscape. Works as a great presentation tool for small groups.

Cons: Using the touchcreen technology outside of the bundled product—surfing the Web or using a video software like Flipcam for instance—is not as effortless or effective as when working within the Touchsmart environment. However, this is mainly because most Web sites are not yet optimized for the touch technology. The display will also get smudged in an education setting. Groups working on just one computer may get chaotic, especially with younger children.

Overall evaluation: The HP TouchSmart Business PC is an elegant machine that holds great promise. May still be a bit pricey for the average school however.

Retail price: $1,400

HP and the National Basketball Association today tipped off the HP Digital Assist education grant competition. HP and NBA executives were joined by All-Star Antawn Jamison at Jefferson Junior High School in Washington, D.C., to launch the competition, which ends Nov. 20.

More than 5,000 students from approximately 100 selected Title 1 middle schools in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C., will compete for grants worth more than $80,000 in HP mobile digital classroom technology, NBA tickets and merchandise, visits from NBA stars and other awards.

The competition invites student teams to create projects that make classroom concepts real and relevant to the outside world by combining the power of technology and the excitement of NBA basketball. These projects will allow students to demonstrate how they learn best and – through a public competition website at www.hpdigitalassist.com – enable other students and teachers to benefit as well.

Participating schools will each receive two HP Tablet PCs and an HP PhotoSmart All-in-One Printer with which student teams will develop sports- or basketball-themed digital media projects that demonstrate their knowledge of math, science, or reading.

HP, NBA Cares, team representatives and education experts from the International Society for Technology in Education will announce the six regional winners of the HP mobile digital classroom grants including HP Tablet PCs, mobile storage cart, wireless and printing technology, and teacher professional development in December 2009.

For more information, visit www.hpdigitalassist.com.