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New York City
September 2003

Product Review: Booq Powersleeve
by Mitchell Levine

Industry experts, sophisticated journalists, and intelligent laypeople agree: the largest deployment of education technology resources in the history of our school system will occur when the New York City Department of Education completes its stated goal of finally reaching the “one-to-one computing standard” in the hopefully near future.

That lofty ambition will involve outfitting each student, teacher, and administrator in the five boroughs with access to some type of mobile technology. Of course, the most versatile product class for the market would be the same laptops that were distributed to middle school teachers last year, about 15,000 in total, following their deployment to all the fourth graders in ‘02/’03.

But to provide the benefits these instruments have to offer to many children whom would not receive access to techno-literacy otherwise, a number of problems need to be addressed. One major one is the issue of transport. The students who most need access to technology, because they’re least likely to have available in the home, are the ones that live in areas most likely to create a security risk for a child taking even an inexpensive laptop home with them, both to the child and the laptop.

On the other hand, can we honestly say that a child whom only has the use of a computer in class gets an equal opportunity to develop critical relevant skills? Of course not! What conceivable solution could bridge this logistical contretemps, you ask? The Booq Powersleeve 16, I daresay!

Less obtrusive and more easily concealed than a hardshell case, yet more protective than a simple nylon tote, the Powersleeve provides convenient travel aid for a wide variety of popular notebook models, including several of those currently used in the New York schools. Made from tough 1680D ballistic nylon and sharp-looking nylon ripstop fabrics, with 1/2” high-density foam padding and seatbelt nylon shoulder straps, it’s practical, convenient, and affordable. Actually, with its top-loading design, it can even accommodate the latest 16” active-matrix wide screens, for those administrators that are considering purchasing a desktop replacement system.

According to the manufacturer, the tough nylon construction is not only highly weather-resistant, but “virtually indestructible,” an important consideration for anyone who’s ever had to plan for the most ruggedized deployment scenario of all – students! The cases also feature auxiliary compartments good for carrying CDs, floppies, and ZIP disks, as well as room for folders, texts, and notebooks.

For under $60 dollars retail – without applying potential discounts for institutional volume purchases – it’s difficult to see how a technology buyer planning for fall laptop usage could go wrong. For more information, or online purchases, log on to the manufacturer’s site at www.booqbags.com#

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Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 1588, New York, NY 10159.
Tel: (212) 477-5600. Fax: (212) 477-5893. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2003.


 

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