SCHOOLKIDS USING E-BOOKS

"Beginning this fall, fifth- and sixth-grade students in a school district outside Dallas, Texas, will begin using laptops instead of textbooks.

The initiative of the Forney Independent School District is the latest in a series of projects aimed at replacing printed versions of texts with electronic ones. The laptops in Forney will be loaded with electronic versions of textbooks, works of art, and literature.

The district will spend about $1,000 per computer and another $500 per student for wireless access and support. Similar projects are under way at other schools, including colleges such as Wake Forest University. Institutions working to replace some or all printed texts with electronic versions face a number of challenges, including copyright, technology, and pricing. According to Jay Dominick, chief information officer at Wake Forest University, electronic books remain generally more expensive than used, printed texts, leading most students to buy used books when available."