The New York Times recently published an article on tablet PC's that suggested:
the most promising area so far is in the classroom, a setting in which portable devices with handwriting capabilities would seem to make sense.
While the classroom may seem to be an area of promise, considering the price differential and relatively similar functionality to handhelds, it is hard for me to see tablet PC's becoming a mainstream trend in education. The price is currently prohibitive to most schools running from $1350 to almost $2000 per device. Other than its handwriting capabilities, the tablet PC's offer few additional features compared to handhelds. Handhelds offer the same functions for taking notes, reading, integration into curricula, internet access, student polling and collaboration. While a handful of private schools are buying up tablet PCs, public schools and districts are exploring the handheld world more deeply.
If tablet PC technology really wants to take off in education, it will need to first make some major changes to its price point and functionality before mainstream educators choose it over handhelds.
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