Access to books via computer is facile. Perhaps, but other factors must be considered. It's easy to replace the image of the student carrying 40 pounds of books in a backpack with one of a student carrying a handheld device that includes all textbooks, plus reference works. This is an exciting idea. To be able to read a social studies chapter about the Renaissance and then access a slide show of Leonardo da Vinci's works would be fabulous.
Convenient accessibility is costly.
Companies have spent large sums on development. It is easy to assume that these companies will charge large amounts to use this technology. The Strategis Group , a Washington, D.C-based market research and consulting firm surveyed the number of Internet households. The number increased from 14.9 million in 1995 to 46.5 million in 2000. The Strategis Group expects more than 90 million households to be on the Internet in four years.