laptops

[Michael Eisenstadt]

Frances,

did you read the NYTimes article i referenced? excellent article,
even Jim STrong said so.

a factor that contributes to the problem (described in the
article) is that schools have gotten rid of lockers because of
guns, terrorism, whatever. new schools are being built WITHOUT
any lockers. no lockers, no place to stash the books

Computers may never replace paper books. the recent campaign
to read books on a computer using software like E-books was
a failure according to an article i read somewhere. paper
books (except for huge textbooks at ripoff prices) are 
intrinsecally user friendly unlike computers and relatively 
cheap also unlike computers. they are yet another instance of 
KISS technology (Keep It Simple Stupid) like the classic 
bicycle (invented c.1880) and paintings on canvas stretched 
over wood stretchers (invented c.1400).

Mike

Frances Morey wrote:
> 
> I doubt that the textbook industry is about to lay down for the lap top
> proposal anytime soon. When I worked an election in one of the elementary
> schools it was painful to watch all the little kids packing bags full of
> books on their backs, like little turtles carrying around their shells. A
> few had them on wheels like stewardesses and they rolled behind them with an
> annoying clack-clack-clack, whenever the wheels crossed a joint in the tile
> floors. I don't know when all this book backpacking came about, homework is
> rare these days anyway, (as the teachers have little time to grade such
> assignments), but it could conceivably be that some chiropractic enabling
> act passed when no one was looking. Scoliosis, it's not just for adults
> anymore.
> Frances
> 
From: "Fontaine Maverick" <fmaverick@austin.rr.com>

> Here's something that may make this all moot:
> http://www.humanismus.com/publications/SektionIV/sld005.htm