This hand-held durable device has been built to withstand the classroom environment, compact and light-weight, whilst still powerful enough to provide students with software optimised for education.

Its 10.1 inch screen is large enough to display complex activities and its spinning functionality makes it simple to share content with others. With this in mind it was designed to pass a 50cm drop test, and has a water resistant keyboard, 4.5 hour battery life, surfaces resistant to reasonable damage and improved dust resistance.

10.1

I’ve become increasingly impressed with this latest version of the Fizzbook Spin 10.1 and thought I’d share my thoughts on the main advantages of it over a netbook or other small laptop in this expanding market.

Firstly, it’s just funky and fun to play with even before you switch it on. The 180 degree screen turn allows great angles and sharing with classmates. The clever fold over to create a tablet PC, increased battery life and integrated handle means, like an ipad, great mobility for use around the classroom, school or even school trip. Being water resistant and drop proof (to 50cm) offers a welcome and rare component and means that the obvious precautions that prevent laptops being really practical are eliminated to a huge degree.

Secondly, it comes with a genuinely impressive and useful pack of software that is not just thrown together but rather determined by teacher and students needs! Windows 7 (Pro version preferred), Art Rage 2, Evernote, Arcsoft Webcam and Microsoft Works 9 to name a few. But the real hero here for me is the SMART Classroom suite. I’ve trained and advised schools on child response systems and PC classroom control software now for years and the one thing stopping them being fully utilised has been either the practicality of getting the hardware out to students or the lack of a frequently used computer suite to use them. Solved! The Fizzbooks are on every desk ready for use and the teacher has complete control over what is seen, shared and active. A quick survey or a school term’s analysis of how one student has answered in class, is created at the teacher’s finger tip. It was amazing stuff before but now it’s easy to use as well – a great combination.

Finally, and counter intuitive is the price. Shop around but its great value for a laptop, let alone for one as so far ahead in its class as this one. Fizzbooks.co.uk are currently selling it at £339 for the starter edition but I wouldn’t be surprised if the SMART software becomes an add on in the New Year – so order whilst you can!

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