Maine’s first-in-the-nation laptop program, providing middle school students with
computers, began in 2002. Now, Gov. Baldacci wants to expand it by leasing 100,000
more laptops for students. The governor argues that students take the devices home,
allowing families to access important resources, thereby helping the state’s economy. Is
this money well spent? Are laptops now as essential as pens and notebooks? Or are the
laptops a luxury that should be put on hold in these bad economic times?