State officials in Texas are seriously considering whether or not to drop their use of textbooks and give all public school students laptop computers, according to an article in the New York Times.

Dr. Jack Christie, chairman of the Texas Board of Education, said the idea is expected to close the technology gap between wealthy and lower-income students.

In fact, since the cost of computers has dramatically decreased in recent years, using the computers may prove cheaper than buying books with rising costs.

The article states that upgrading computer software would be cheaper than replacing textbooks that are out of date or obsolete.

Using laptops will give students the opportunity to experience computers at a younger age.

In addition, students will be more familiar with computer software systems which will help prepare them for the advanced world of technology today.

However, doing away with textbooks isn’t the best solution to curbing the high costs of education.

Even though technology is increasing every day, it is important that students still have the opportunity to learn from books in their classrooms.

Books are a more reliable source of information. All too often, computers tend to crash or have various malfunctions, causing headaches for many of its users.

In addition, studies show that staring at a computer screen for long periods of time everyday can handicap one’s vision or cause eyestrain.

Although using laptops could save the education systems across the United States money, the negative aspects concerning computers should be addressed more closely before a final decision is made.