Intel Atom to Make 1:1 Computing Mainstream?

CIO reports that more than 25 low-cost laptops based on Intel’s Atom microprocessor are due on the market by mid-2008. As I’ve lamented before, I see the majority of laptops on the market today too expensive & too fragile to put into the hands of middle school & high school students without major planning & support. With the release of durable, low-low cost alternatives like the Asus Eee PC & the OLPC XO-1, I’ve seen signs of that changing. Now the trickle appears to be turning into a steady flow. With a range of options costing less than US $300, 2008 & 2009 may be the years when 1:1 computing in primary & secondary education becomes mainstream.