E-Devices: Print’s Frenemy

The younger the student, it stands to reason, the less practical it would be to introduce an electronic device, be it a laptop, iPad or e-reader, for use on an individual basis. The cost of a lost textbook would pale in comparison to replacing an electronic device. A new iPad2 starts at $499, for example. But, considering the cost to outfit a student with books for a year's worth of classes, Romano believes it's not out of the question that subsequent, less-expensive generations of such devices could, within the next 10 years, make the electronic classroom viable.