If you got to pick a computer model and OS for middle school students what would you pick?
I understand some of the reasons SO many schools choose chromebooks. Low cost, durability..
Drop a macbook it might break. The chromebook works just as well before and after being dropped. Which is to say they work like they have been dropped right out of the box.
Touch pads are unresponsive, touch screen is annoying. I kind of loathe them.
But, designing computers for children isn't glamourous.
Designing computers for children ought to be glamorous, celebrated, You will shape a generation. It's not fun, or easy at all.
Frankly, even more than the software the poor quality of the touch pad, and the jitteriness and hypersensitivity of the touch screens on most models made for school markets are making a whole generation hate laptops.
And when young people hate laptops they become phone only computer users. It's a dead end.
Say mean things about Apple all you want, their input devices have never caused me to notice them. And that is *success* I have never thought about the touch pad on my laptops ONCE.
@futurebird unfortunately in Germany most schools have the kids work with iPads straight off. So many terrible implications…
I'm so glad this idea was rejected at our school. They need to type! And those keyboard cases are NOT the same.
But worse, understanding the file system on an iPad is challenging for *me* it's designed to make you not think about it. I know I sound like an old lady but the youths need to know where their files are!
@futurebird @discoursology Most mobile devices work a little like this. I have been using Android for years now and the file system seems to be intentionally convoluted in modern devices, with every app creating their own directory tree rooted wherever the hell they want. There is no easy, straightforward way to download a podcast from your aggregator and then playing it with VLC, for instance. I don't know where the hell is anything anymore.
@Molondrongo @futurebird @discoursology I find this even on GrapheneOS, which is generally great. When I open the Files app, there's a sidebar item called "Documents." Is that the "Documents" directory on my phone? Nope! Does it show me all my document-type files in one place? Also nope! How does it decide what should be in there? Nobody knows!
@Molondrongo @futurebird @discoursology
The Total Commander app helps a bit with that on Android.
@billiglarper @futurebird @discoursology Noted. Thank you.
I mean, Total Commander is just a file browser with some thought behind it. Like browsing two folders at the same time, which makes copying files easy.
But it shows you the entire file tree, including device and SD card. And copying your mp3, books, images from your download folder to their proper places, and starting them from there, is straightforward.
@Molondrongo @futurebird @discoursology
if users can't figure out where their files are, they can't switch to an alternative app, can't protect themselves against the app deleting, modifying, or moving their files. Location obfuscation enables companies to have all the benefits of widely used interoperable file formats, but prevents users from using said benefits in ways which might not benefit the company. Whenever you see "intuitive", think about how that concept is used to manipulate people.
@llewelly @futurebird It also makes it hard for users to take effective backups when they don't know where their files are, or don't even understand the concept of files in the first place because it's all obscured. Usually you just have to trust the app/OS to backup things, usually to the cloud. But what exactly is being backed up and later restored? Often it's impossible to tell.
@llewelly @futurebird I think this leads to a lot of problems: You buy a new phone or computer, then immediately fill it with all the junk from the old one. It's like buying a new house, then digging up the old house and dumping it on top of the new house, instead of only moving what you need. You no longer have a new house, but a junk yard.