Use of Non-Classmate At Regionals Legal ???

[de_]

Just wondering if anyone knows for certain if the usage of laptop or netbooks other than the Classmate is legal in competitions this coming year ?

Would be nice to know for certain if they are before the Christmas boxing day sales!

Also, can anyone confirm there were uses of non-Classmates at the competition fields in 2011 ?

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by de_

Just wondering if anyone knows for certain if the usage of laptop or netbooks other than the Classmate is legal in competitions this coming year ?

Would be nice to know for certain if they are before the Christmas boxing day sales!

Not knowing the 2012 rules we can't say for sure. But most likely, yes.

[Mk.32]

Well we can tell you Jan 7.

But chances are, you can use any laptop.

[Tommy F.]

Since they let you use them last season, I don't see why they wouldn't let you this season.

[Mark McLeod]

Legal per http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/2011...ugh-woods.html

Originally Posted by Bill's Blog

• Teams will not be restricted to using the Classmate as their Driver Station as long as certain criteria are met and all relevant rules are followed. More details to follow in the 2012 Game Manual when it is released.

[jeleser]

Originally Posted by Bill's Blog, 11-22-11

Teams will not be restricted to using the Classmate as their Driver Station as long as certain criteria are met and all relevant rules are followed. More details to follow in the 2012 Game Manual when it is released.

From Bill's "Over the River and Through the Woods" post, but I'd wait until the seventh to confirm officially.

[Chexposito]

i think they will allow more powerful computers, especially with the kinect

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by jeleser

From Bill's "Over the River and Through the Woods" post, but I'd wait until the seventh to confirm officially.

Bill's blog is an official source of information from FIRST. This is confirmed.

[plnyyanks]

And instructions for setting up a non classmate driver station (from last season) can be found here - I'd expect them to be similar for the upcoming season.

[Chris Fultz]

Unless you have very specific reasons for not using the classmate, there are benefits to using the classmate. Mainly, the FTCs know the computer and the set-up and it can help if there are problems.

I saw many teams with connection issues that were laptop driven.

[Joe Ross]

It would be nice if some indication as to what the "certain criteria" is. Is it just a matter of creating the right account like last year, or do they plan further restrictions? Since Bill thought it was worth mentioning, it seems to me that it indicates something more restrictive then last year.

[apalrd]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

It would be nice if some indication as to what the "certain criteria" is.

I would guess the Kinect requirement for Windows 7 is one of those "certain criteria", although he probably could have mentioned it then.

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by apalrd

I would guess the Kinect requirement for Windows 7 is one of those "certain criteria", although he probably could have mentioned it then.

All the classmates were upgraded to Windows 7 last year.

[O'Sancheski]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

All the classmates were upgraded to Windows 7 last year.

Didn't all the classmates come with Windows 7 Basic in 2010?

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Is it just a matter of creating the right account like last year...?

The need to run the DS using an account named "Driver" is supposed to be gone for the 2012 season.