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Follow us on FacebookWhen every student has a laptop, why run computer labs?
@ 2009/03/27What's the point of running a university computer lab when all the students bring laptops anyway? That's a question that schools have been asking themselves as computer ownership rates among incoming freshmen routinely top 90 percent. Schools like the University of Virginia have concluded that the time has come to dismantle the community computer labs and put that money to more productive uses.
According to the school's Information Technology & Communication department, 3,117 freshmen enrolled in 2007, and 3,113 of them owned their own computer. Nearly all of the machines were laptops, with 72 percent running Windows and 26 percent running Mac OS X (six hardy souls ran Linux).
According to the school's Information Technology & Communication department, 3,117 freshmen enrolled in 2007, and 3,113 of them owned their own computer. Nearly all of the machines were laptops, with 72 percent running Windows and 26 percent running Mac OS X (six hardy souls ran Linux).
1) software licensing is less complex (all managed by one person) and you don't have to force your students to buy software they'll only use for school purposes
2) Not everyone runs windows ...
3) wired lan is still beter as wifi (especialy at school where they cap us at 23kBps
4) Not everyone wants to bring their laptop to school everyday (people who have to drive 12km on their bicycle know that laptops are back killers)
5) security and management; lab computers can be restricted in the software that can run, things students can do, etc ... if you have to prefer 20 laptops without virusscanners and filled with warez over 1 safe, managed lab computer students have to fight for, well, I'd know the answer