The public looks at possible replacements with concern. Reading, today, as it was in Plymouth colony, is close to a sacred act. CDs are almost . . . Olde Deluder, Satan, lurks nearby. In addition, there is the problem of sunk costs.
Computer technology changes so fast that today's novelty is tomorrow's obsolescence.
A computer bought this week is a loss of funds for a purchase next month. Schools, even wealthy ones, cannot keep up with the cutting edge. They cannot, as businesses do, write off or depreciate old equipment. Textbooks last as long as much multimedia equipment, cost less to replace, don't require technical assistance to install, or mandate learning new operating systems. Technology cannot usefully be imported into schools without staff development.