Looking at this #MudaXMDEC fiasco, i would like to give my 2 cents as someone who's on both the tech and the education side.

This will be a thread.

I do think given the costs, having raspberri pi (NOT the board but the full package) is not a bad idea. Hear me out.

Why not a used laptop? Arus has roughly 30 laptops, all second hand, Core2Duo (and a few i3s) powerful laptop, which we received from Motorola years ago. We really do appreciate having them around. And we've made we make best use of it thru our programs.

Over the years, we have had to do constant maintenance over the laptops to ensure that they are working at best capacity. And this takes time, skills and knowledge to do it. Do our students have the luxury of these? That's one.

Assume we've solved that. Next, license issue. If we are going for familiarity, then obviously we need to install windows - where do we get the windows license? And massive amount of license, nonetheless.

Windows is very resource heavy mind you. In fact, some of our used laptops are getting really slow, so much so that we are considering to boot them up with Linux instead of windows. If we are going with open source OS linux route, might as well raspberry pi right?

Thus, used laptops are not really the best way to go with. Not with the budget that they have. Cheapest i3 laptops goes for about RM650 online. Anything lesser, and you will run into performance issue with the latest version of windows.

Then you might ask, then just get a lower version of windows la - if you think like that, you have to remember also, if it isnt good enough for you, who are you to say if its good enough for the students, underprivileged nonetheless.

Next, lets talk about low cost computers / chromebooks - one word, MONEY problem. If you can find a low cost new chromebook (not second hand and not ChromeOS) that is on at least a i3 processor , below RM800. Please let me know, i'd like to buy one too.

Rpi computer (with all its accessories), consider its pricing, is actly quite good. U cant get similar performance of netbook or computer w/ this price. So performance, checked. It's new, so chances are u wont have much issue, so maintenance, checked. It's linux, free OS, checked

Because its linux, chances of getting any viruses or unwanted malwares is low, checked.

But there are 3 caveats to using Rpi. One, not portable. Unlike laptop, Rpi computers are nt portable. Unless you want to haul the monitors, keyboards &mouse around. It is pretty much a PC.

Two, need to relearn. It is not windows. So it takes smtime to get adjusted to it. But hey,so many twitter warriors r probably using mac as u type out ur tweet with ur macbook. You grow up using mac ah?No right, chances are you are probably a windows user until you switched over.

If you can learn to switch from Windows to Mac, what makes you think kids, with their amazing learning capabilities, can make the switch? Moreover, online learning, guna browser je pun. Bukannya susah. Nak Msft office, nah install open office. Apa lagi mau?

Downside of a rpi computer, x leh main game kot. Cuz no Steam on Rpi. And Linux by design, mmg x banyak games pun. Isnt that a good thing?

The third caveat of a Rpi computer is, well, it can only be used for learning and not other purpose (at least from kids point of view). Nak main game, xleh. Nak edit graphic pakai adobe, x leh. But hey, all these...can be done using online softwares right? Apa susah.

Using rpi to learn coding, that's the cherry on top. In fact, i would advocate for MudaXMdec to consider shipping out rpi WITHOUT monitor to further drive the costs down. There are kids who may already have TV at home - can make use of that. Probably.

Anywayy, that's my thoughts on all this #MUDAXMdec #RaspberryPi cerita. Of course, if got money, i will recommend getting a good laptop for the kids (OS is secondary lah), IF got money lah. MDEC kan agensi kerajaan right? Hmmmm.

Thanks for reading my mini TED talk haha!