- Things to ponder over #dinner - 38% of us want smart #appliances, including a fridge that orders #food http://t.co/48QSl4Ww #NextisNow
Back-to-school contest: Win a new laptop with Rocket built-in, a Rocket mobile hotspot or a BlackBerry prize pack
August 30th, 2010 a 10:06am
With back to school season in full swing and the first day of classes around the corner, it’s never been easier or more affordable to stay connected, productive and entertained.
While you can check out our back to school products and services here or URmagazine’s latest gift guide here, some must-haves from our fall lineup include:
- Social View smartphones that let you stay on top of every tweet, status update, text and email in one easy-to-use timeline.
- Rocket mobile internet sticks, hotspots, hub, and laptops that provide online access for work or play anywhere on the Rogers wireless network – perfect for updating your profile in between classes or the impromptu coffee-shop study session
- Rogers On Demand Online gives you instant access to a variety of primetime and web-exclusive TV, sports and movies so you can watch The Bachelor while your roommates are watching the hockey game.
It’s contest time
Now listen up, class. We here at RedBoard hope we can make going back to school a little bit easier by giving away five prizes that will make you the envy of your study group or staff lounge:
- One new HP laptop with Rocket built-in – one of the coolest additions to our 2010 lineup that has an 11.6-inch high-definition LED display, an HDMI port to easily connect to an HDTV, up to 6.5 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n plus Rocket mobile internet built right in so you can stay connected even when you’re not in an internet café.
- Two Rocket mobile hotspots so you can create your own password-protected hotspot for five, when and where you need it – and small enough to fit in your pocket.
- Two BlackBerry prize packs that include a backpack, USB key, tshirt and $100 Rogers gift card.
How the contest works
- In 100 words or less, tell us how winning the prizes above would change the school year for the student or teacher in your life. Or, if you are a student or teacher, the impact they’d have.
- You must submit your entries via the comments field below.
- The contest is open as of right now and will run until Thursday, Sept 2 at noon ET.
- The RedBoard team will narrow down the entries to our favourite five submissions and publish them on the blog Thursday afternoon along with details of the prize each won.
Consider this your first homework assignment of the year. Marks will be given for creativity…and spit out that gum.
Richard Bloom is a regular contributor to RedBoard.
Contest closes at 12:00 noon on September 2, 2010. Open to residents of Canada, excluding residents of Quebec. Tell us in 100 words or less, on the Rogers Redboard blog how winning the contest’s prizes would change the school year for the student or teacher in your life. Or, if you are a student or teacher, the impact they’d have. One (1) HP Laptop with Rocket Hub built-in(TM) valued at $549.99 to be won as the grand prize. Second and Third place winners will win one (1) of two (2) Rocket Mobile Hotspots™ each valued at $249.99 . Fourth and fifth place winners will win one (1) of two (2) BlackBerry® prize packs each valued at $175. One entry/person. Odds of winning depend on the quality of the post and the number of eligible entries. Mathematical skill-testing question to be correctly answered to win. No Purchase Necessary. Full Rules at http://redboard.rogers.com/2010/redboard-back-to-school-contest
Update (September 2, 2:03 p.m.): The entry period for our Back-to-school contest has closed – and we’re thrilled by all the submissions. From poems to heart-felt stories, the quality was fantastic and certainly creative. Well done. You each get an A for effort — but we had to narrow it down to five.
Here are the winning submissions and each winner’s prize from our random draw (we will get in touch with each of you via email to arrange delivery):
Chris G (Prize: Rocket mobile hotspot):
Winning the laptop for my cousin would be awesome, between work playing for the basketball team and in class he’s constantly on the move. Simply finding wifi isn’t possible, especially during the long road trips during away games. Overall it gives him an added advantage to succeed in all that he does. I think he would take the mobile hotspot and let his teammates jump on to catch up on school, or connect with friends and family while on the road. The $100 gift card will come into play when he inevitably loses his phone (happens once a year).
Kim S (Prize: BlackBerry prize pack):
Winning any one of the prizes would make school much easier for my sister. She has 4 kids, and is doing her masters online. She spends all her money on her kids, so her computer and cell phone are older, slower models with limited features. It would be awesome to help her out if I could.
Derek (Prize: Rocket mobile hotspot):
Generation X teaching Generation Z – how do we keep up? If you can’t beat them, join them! When I was a student, I communicated with phone calls and notes being passed back and forth in class when the teacher wasn’t looking (and walked uphill both ways of course!) Generation Z is always connected. More and more is being done online – handouts, discussion forums and student-teacher evaluations. This mobile pack will help me work and teach anywhere from field trips to the library dead zones. So class, let’s get out of the classroom this year!
Jessica Straus (Prize: HP laptop computer):
I thought I would express how much these prizes will help me through a limerick.
There once was a girl from Brock
Who’s computer was more like a rock.
She tries to be cool
When she brings it to school.
But that dang things works worse than a clock.
If that doesn’t convince you… here is a hiaku.
To be the winner,
There could be nothing better,
A sweet new laptop!
Lynn G. (Prize: BlackBerry prize pack):
I am a Gr. 5/6 teacher who does everything in her power to add technology into her classroom (students gets very motivated with computers, cameras and the Internet). Finally, I get access to my own Smartboard this year! But the problem is there is no Wi-Fi at my school and using the short cord to reach the wall is such a pain. And the sign-out list for the “teacher laptop” is brutal. Therefore, having my own laptop would make my Smartboard a permanent fixture in our classroom. Which will help motivate my students to become more engaged lifelong learners!
Categories: 
Tags: 147 Comments
@RogersBuzz
RedBoard Biz
Rogers on YouTube
Rogers on Facebook
©2012 Rogers Communications Inc.
Home |
About |
Talk to Us |
Comments Policy |
Privacy Policy |
Terms of Use |
Rogers.com
Any of these prizes would drastically change the life for the student in my life by making them both completely accessible by friends and family, as well in the case of the laptop, allow them to access the entire world, wherever they are. In this day and age information is power and winning that laptop would give my student all the power they would need to succeed. Even the blackberry pack would be amazing because every student needs a backpack and they could use the giftcard to get themselves a new phone which I’m sure they would love.
My nephew is about to start university. He stutters very badly, and uses his Blackberry for most of his communications. His parents are divorced and his stuttering makes it difficult for him to apply for jobs. Any of these prizes would be useful to him, but a Rocket connected laptop would make communication, homework and the future so much brighter for him. Thank you!
My sister (in University in Ottawa) could finally have a laptop that she can use anywhere instead of only where there’s wifi! Being connected to the Internet wherever/whenever is CRUCIAL for hitting those tight deadlines on research papers these days. Also, the LED screen will make it easy to do schoolwork outside, enjoying Mother Nature, all while STILL accessing the Internet! What more could a student ask for? Oh–a really fast computer as well, you say? CHECK–blazing speed included!!! And when she needs a little downtime, the HDMI hookup The complete package.
Winning the prizes would just make the start of the school year so much better the thrill and excitement during a busy and sometimes scary time. It would be a pleasure to start the school year with the ability to make my sisters year. Winning this would help me help her start with her best foot forward, and with the power of Rogers at her side!!! Rogers is always there for students, I want her to be able to start her year right The Rogers way
Winning the HP Laptop with Rocket built in would make my school life amazing!
Currently I am chained to my desk at home, using my desktop PC and home internet. On campus I am without a computer, taking notes by hand and accessing the internet through campus computer labs. A laptop would give me the gift of mobility, and one with Rogers service built in would be great – because I could be connected everywhere!
This computer would make my life easier, more mobile, and allow me to get things done much faster!
How would a prize like this change my school year? Honestly, I think that it would become a life saver. I’ve heard some crazy rumors about how the student Wi-Fi network will sometimes stop working because of the fact that EVERYBODY in the building is using it. So winning this would pretty much ensure that I have one less thing to worry about when I’m in class. And trust me, when you’re in a room of 350 people who are freaking out because they don’t have any internet connection, it shows that Rocket devices are the best choice for students.
Winning the prize above would change my school year in many ways. I am a computer engineering major and the HP laptop has an HDMI port, which is sure to bring me out of the Stone Age of VGA ports. This will also mean more clarity and definition, meaning my electrical circuits will look amazing! The Rocket will allow me to browse the web and check my e-mails while i’m on the GO to and from Toronto. As I am already a Rogers customer, and a huge Blackberry fan, the BB prize sounds amazing! <3 BBM. Thanks!
I sit down in a damp room, in walks this gypsy like woman, who sits down at the table across from me. She grabs my hands as she prepares to read my fortune.
“Interesting” she whispers. “I see you embarking on a new chapter in your life. It starts on the morning of September 7″.
After an awkward pause, she says “You are not properly prepared for back to school”.
“However do you mean?” I ask.
“Silence”. she bellows. “Your wireless provider is no good. I see too many dropped calls in future. You must change at once, for your school year to be fruitful.
As I left, she said “don’t forget to return your Rogers video rental within 7 days”.
When my mother died of Lung Cancer I had to drop out of High School. Now I’m trying to go through Adult Education but it’s difficult due to being out of school for so long. Any prize here would greatly benefit my education by helping providing me the skills necessary to complete my education. Being connected to my family, friends and others for support during this school year would greatly benefit my education by giving me the confidence needed to succeed in the real world. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this contest!
This laptop/Rocket stick would be a HUGE help to me as a student. As a law student I have to take extensive notes very quickly, and writing by hand just isn’t good enough. Having the Rocket technology built in means that I can work from anywhere. I can be at the office, in class or in court and be able to access my notes and cases. Besides making my life easier, it would make me more efficient and productive.
Winning the laptop for my cousin would be awesome, between work playing for the basketball team and in class he’s constantly on the move. Simply finding wifi isn’t possible, especially during the long road trips during away games. Overall it gives him an added advantage to succeed in all that he does. I think he would take the mobile hotspot and let his teammates jump on to catch up on school, or connect with friends and family while on the road. The $100 gift card will come into play when he inevitably loses his phone (happens once a year).
Winning any one of the prizes would make school much easier for my sister. She has 4 kids, and is doing her masters online. She spends all her money on her kids, so her computer and cell phone are older, slower models with limited features. It would be awesome to help her out if I could.
I have just retired and have decided to return to school. This laptop would be of great assistance to me. I am anticipating some integration issues after being out of school for over a half century. I would imagine things have changed considerably and I am looking forward to the challenge. It would be less of a challenge with a new laptop however.
Being over 30 and going back to college after 7 years away, the laptop, especially with a built in Rocket, would greatly help me in the classroom and not date myself with my home computer. As I’m going back to school to take some business courses for my husband’s business, it would certainly help to have the information on a computer that’s easily movable!
Otherwise, I think the $100 Rogers gift card will also come in very handy as my husband and I need to badly upgrade our Rogers cell phones and plans!
Having the contest ends on September 2nd which consequently is also my birthday. That is why you can image that most of my birthday present has to do with back to school stuff. But if I were able to win any of the listed prize will definitely trump any birthday present I have ever received.
Then I will be able to say to everyone who has ever gotten me a backpack or a pencil case that they aren’t what I ever wanted for birthday and stop being so cheap by buying me stuff from the back to school sale.
This will be my 4th year of University. Four years ago, I bought a laptop and ever since it has been giving me one big headache. I bought it to make my life easier but it has done the opposite. After having to replace the power cord 4 times and the hard drive once and getting the blue screen of death a hundred times, I am very close to tossing my laptop out the window. Winning one of these prizes would be a great help, as I am definitely in need of an upgrade.
I am a student who commutes a long long time to get to school. During this time it would be good to have access to the Internet to check email,do assignments,etc .Thanks.
First off, if I get my first phone. I would start texting and calling my peers during class, I never gotten that sneaky feeling and if I get caught It would be my first time being caught with a phone in class. The new experience would give me the full experience of a student from nagging my teachers to bugging my friends and getting them into trouble. That would be a great way to start my school off…getting in trouble hahaha.
We are always both students & teachers. Always something new to learn for ourselves & always something relevant to teach to others.
A HP laptop with a built-in Rocket stick would be a great aid; for example, when I play
table tennis with groups of people at my nearby community centre I could record their
play, show on the large screen TV in the same room, have the group(s) analyze and
review their play. Confirm with YouTube coaching videos, etc… to debate individual
techniques for our playing styles.
So many more applications for teacher/student use with this HP laptop …..
I teach both in class and distance education courses at a local college and university – these tools, particularly with “rocket” connectivity, would enable me to connect to internet content to enhance class discussions and the instructor wikis for marks and group discussions – seamlessly – without having to find a wired internet port or wifi spot!