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Laptops vs. Desktops in the Classroom

Experimenters at Stanford University tested a new kind of classroom and used "portable computers with wireless networking capabilities, a single fixed computer display station, and movable furniture." The classroom, not the laptops, is the focus of the page here--which is actually titled "Exploratory Studies of a Flexible Classroom." Still, the page offers some interesting observations on portables in class. I myself think we need a TeleRead program to help bring down the cost of good, reliable hardware that would be excellent for both regular classrooms and computer labs. A pen-style interface, moreover, would be better for many users than the touchpads used on the Powerbooks at Stanford. What's more, for reading books, a tablet-style machine would be preferable to a laptop; yes, students could use a detachable keyboard for writing and other purposes.