We’re purchasing several mobile laptop labs. In addition to budgeting for carts where the laptop batteries can be stored and recharged, several committee members are suggesting we purchase a second battery for each computer. This will be expensive and seems like overkill to me. Should we make this extra investment?
While laptop batteries hold a charge longer than in the past, if you plan to have these laptops available for daily student use, then you should budget for two batteries per computer. Otherwise, batteries will be drained before the school day ends. And since few classrooms have enough electrical outlets to handle more than a few laptops, plugging in when the battery is low isn’t a realistic option.
You also need to work with staff to be sure a procedure is in plan for charging both sets of batteries every day. Otherwise you’ll have an abundance of uncharged batteries!
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
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