there will be no need for students to make a transition from a mini
keyboard to a standard one, i.e., from a netbook to a laptop, because
netbooks will have replaced laptops in schools that have adopted or are
thinking about adopting laptops.
I say this because I see netbooks as solving what I still regard as one of
the peskiest issues with traditional laptops: their relatively hefty size
and weight. If the trend in netbooks continues, their weight will
eventually be measured in ounces rather than pounds. This will be huge.
This could finally allow all students to carry the thing comfortably and
be able to put it in a locker comfortably. I see this as huge. There are
already netbooks out there that fit in a large pocket and weigh barely
more than a pound.
Yes, the ever-shrinking keyboard will not be ideal, but I suspect that
students will have larger computers at home and the tradeoff of size for
extreme portability will be too hard to resist. What I don't know is
whether netbooks will be just another stop on the road to even smaller
devices that students will routinely use.
But as David said, everyone adapts.
Ross Lenet
Sidwell Friends School
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