The ASUS EeePC is fairly popular, and is really a decent tool, overall. The nice folks at ASUS threw in some educational applications, which is really nice. But is it suitable for use in schools? Well, certainly not in its default state. Let's look at some of the more important limitations on the ASUS EeePC, in terms of school use, and how to work around the problems.

The ASUS could be a phenomenal educational tool. Granted, the small screen is kind of hard on the ole' eyes after awhile, but it can be hooked up to a normal monitor. The real challenge for school use is that there are only a limited number of educational applications to use. Because ASUS failed to provide a robust set of add-on tools (which should already be available as Free Software), educational institutions will need to remove the pre-installed Xandros system (not necessarily a bad thing) and replace it with (hopefully) a completely free system, with a larger repository of applications.

For example, the default "Language" programs consist of Hangman and Tux Typing. That's it. No KVocTrain, no Keduca - none of the other tools readily available for pretty much any KDE-capable system. At least users can still install new languages into Hangman. I applaud the inclusion of KStars and the Periodic Table, but there are still other interesting programs in addition to these. As I wrote before, adding new repositories can be a tricky deal. Despite following the instructions to the letter, I nevertheless managed to have to reformat my EeePC - Three times now. I finally have it back to a usable state, and am reluctant to bother adding any other repositories.

One of the best applications schools can use is gCompris. It includes a whole suite of applications that teach children art, math, reading, science and basic computer skills - all at the same time. While it is target more at younger children, there are activities for older children and the theme can be changed so it doesn't have the appearance of a pre-school application. It ran fine on the Xandros-based EeePC I tested, but beware of that repository thing. There are numerous simulation programs, typing tutors, games, and flashcard programs available - all as Free Software through nearly any distribution - except the ASUS' modified Xandros distro.

I think the best way to get the most use out of the ASUS EeePC - whether for educational or any other use - is to simply replace the default OS with something more useful. Thus, any educational institution is going to need to do exactly that. This way, you can avoid the whole repo-Hell deal. Replacing Xandros with BLAG or gNewSense should be do-able, depending on how these two distros approach the Atheros wi-fi drivers. The advantage of gNewSense here is that one can install the KDE-based distro, with it's educational capabilities, and be done with it. I'm not sure how to install BLAG with KDE instead of GNOME (not that GNOME isn't suitable, but KDE has the applications).

I really recommend reserving the EeePCs for older students. I fear the younger children might treat them more harshly than they can take. Yes, the older students will probably try to break theirs to avoid the work. Still, older students are generally more responsible and will be more likely to view them as both, an educational tool and a fun toy. And - whatever you do - make sure students can connect their EeePC to a normal monitor for day-long school sessions. It's one thing to use the small screen for a meeting or on the road, but it's generally much nicer to have a real screen to look at.

Finally, I agree with Richard Stallman that we ought to be teaching children to share, as well as about digital freedom. It is important to instill the values of digital freedom and sharing in our children while they are young. By requesting or mandating that only Free Software be installed on these computers, schools can help to reinforce that message. The default Xandros is a poor choice in this regard. Distributions like BLAG and gNewSense server better to convey the message that digital freedom is important. Seeing that some countries are mandating Free Software and open standards, schools and educational organizations should be able to do likewise.