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Comment by em500 | Hacker News Reader

I'm all for cheap devices, but I can't believe they're releasing a new model with a 1366x768 (probably non-IPS) display in 2022...

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These are meant for schools to hand out to students. Many of these screens will be smashed in creative ways. Better to go with the cheaper to replace component.

There are dialog boxes in Windows that won't even fit on the screen though. 768 is not enough pixels.

"768 is not enough pixels." Must say, as someone who did web design in the late 90's-early 00's this made me chuckle.

That's funny. For the intended classroom use I'd argue this is a feature. 1. Can't fuck with the settings if you can't click on the correct dialog box. 2. Harder for kids to be ahem "multitasking" if they can't fit two windows on the screen.

Starting at $249, though

Screen is pretty bad, but its s a very cheap device. At least its an 11.6" screen so PPI isn't crazy low. I still occasionally see new laptops with a 15.6" screen at that resolution which is bonkers.

This. Kids are expected to use these devices every day for years. If we doubled or tripled the prices, the entire cost of the device would be amortized to just 1-2 dollars a day, if that.

However as things currently, are, I'd bet these will be the crappiest computer kids will encounter in their everyday lives. I wonder if forcing people to use these devices for years will create an aversion in them to pursue computer-related careers in the future.

Not exactly an aspirational goal for an educator.

When you have warehouses full of them, it is better to use up the stock. If they are making new screens at that resolution I would completely agree. The price point is fairly low, but it is a very old spec from a technology standpoint.

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