Rapid advances in technology have resulted in laptop (mobile) computers with performance and features comparable to desktop (stationary) machines. Advances in rechargeable battery technology have failed to keep pace, decreasing the usefulness of mobile computers and portable wireless devices. Several methods of power management can be used to prolong the battery life of a mobile computer. We pr...

In the early 1990s many private (and some State) schools in Victoria, Australia, developed a laptop program. As a consequence, the main focus of computer use in schools became, “Do you have a laptop program?” For some time the question of computer use in the curriculum became a question of whether every student had access to a computer. Many schools, however chose not have a laptop program. How...

The use of laptop and handheld computers in educational environments has changed the nature of teaching, introducing new ways for students to interact with materials, teachers, and their classmates. Technological advances allow handheld devices to be equipped with faster processors and wireless interfaces, making the performance comparable to laptop computers. In this paper we propose a simple ...

Expert system technology has now matured so that task-oriented business programs can be rapidly prototyped, developed, coded, and deployed on desktop and laptop personal computers. This rapid development and deployment is especially true when the task is well defined, and the target user has little knowledge in the specified domain. This chapter sketches the successful implementation of an actu...

The rollout of laptop computers costing several thousands of dollars each to a work force is a major undertaking and investment. Some degree of corporate discipline and policy must be established for laptop computing. From the start, the entire rollout process should be shaped by a clear, specific set of goals directed to a quantified return on investment (ROI). The amount of dollars that can b...