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laptops for the masses 
02.10.2005, 4:16 PM
posted by ben vershbow
MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte is developing a line of laptop computers that will sell for less than $100 a piece. The textbook of the future?....
Posted by ben vershbow on February 10, 2005 4:16 PM
tags: Education, The Ideal Device?
comments (3):
dave munger on February 10, 2005 5:00 PM:A lot of kids are already using laptops as textbook replacements. My kids' school phases them in during the 9th grade. I actually spent some time a couple years ago working on open-source textbooks in anticipation of this trend. Perhaps as this becomes more of a reality, we'll see more movement towards open-source textbooks. Then the price of the book will simply depend on the price of the e-book viewing device.
ben vershbow on February 10, 2005 5:38 PM:Assuming reading devices will improve, do you see collaborative, open source textbooks becoming the norm, or will today's big publishers remain competitive?
Dave Munger on February 10, 2005 7:43 PM:In my dream scenario, the big publishers will embrace open source. They will become service companies, doing contract work to customize texts for particular markets.
I imagine what will really happen is that publishers will fight this tooth and nail, like Microsoft is doing with Linux. It will be an all-or-nothing battle, with one side winning and the other losing.
