New, rugged school laptops for young users

MICROSOFT’S Moreno and daughter Ina demo the laptop.

If you were a student in the 1990s, you must have spent countless hours in the library doing research, scanning references and writing down information you needed in a notebook.

Today’s students do not have to exert as much effort at schoolwork because of all kinds of devices and innovations. In fact, information technology research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. says there are now more devices than people on the planet.

FELTA’S Unite Value school laptop doubles as a tablet when taken off its keyboard dock.

Felta Multimedia Inc. has just added to the world’s list of devices. It partnered with Intel Education and Microsoft Philippines and recently launched the Unite Value 2-in-1 (32 gigabytes) laptop, which will be offered to Felta partner schools only.

Powered by the Intel Bay Trail Quad-Core processor, the handy laptop runs on Windows 8.1 with Bing and comes preloaded with Microsoft Office, which is purposely designed to help students cope with 21st century learning.

Besides its kid-friendly handle that is ideal for toting around, the device may be used as a tablet when separated from its keyboard dock. With a 10-inch touch-screen display, a macro lens, a thermal scanner and a stylus, it is perfect for school use. It also comes equipped with rear and front cameras.

The Unite Value 2-in-1 is built tougher so as to be dust- and water-resistant. Adults who like to child-proof the world for their kids will appreciate its rugged, compact body, which protects it from breaking when it drops from clumsy little hands, or from an overloaded desk.

Felta president and chief executive officer Mylene Abiva said that their company, which has been in the education field for 49 years, was “honored to partner with global technology giants Intel and Microsoft to come up with devices that are school-centric to make learning engaging, efficient, exciting and interactive.”

PARTNERS for education transformation: Felta’s Mylene Abiva, Intel’s Sanjiv Sharma, Carlo Subido and Microsoft’s David Tapang

She said their mission was to make technology solutions that would have a positive impact on Philippine education and turn out students who would be totally competent and competitive in the modern world.

Intel Technologies regional manager Sanjiv Sharma said that technology could play a huge part in learning by giving students the right ecosystem. “Devices can be used in learning not only in schools but in all kinds of spheres,” he said.

Mae Rivera-Moreno, Microsoft Philippines Windows Business group lead, said Microsoft’s programs for education promoted effective, immersive learning experiences.

“Our job is to inspire the kids,” she said. Her Exhibit A was her 5-year-old daughter Ina who showed the grown-ups, mostly from the media, how to use the Endless Reader app.

De La Salle University-Dasmariñas math teacher Edwin S. Bunag, who is also a Microsoft educator ambassador, demonstrated how he uses Microsoft Office and OneNote in the classroom.

Abiva said Felta’s partnership with Intel and Microsoft aimed to spur technological transformation for education in the country.