Laptops, Laptops....

It's apparent the kid will be needing a laptop....
It's also apparent the kid is a kid in a school with many other kids making the risks to the laptop more than standard risks.

So do you go for a relatively inexpensive new machine or a rugged machine?

I'm tempted to go rugged, but my initial look around at the rugged variety (toughbook, durabook, etc) seem to indicate that they are quite pricey.

Maybe a used rugged is the way to go. After all, all the kid really needs it for is word processing, it's not a gaming machine, it's a tool to help him get around the challenges his dysgraphia causes.

Perhaps the learning disability groups need to get together with the organizations that use rugged laptops and make some arrangement where when the organization upgrades its system it donates the machines to kids with LD's like dysgraphia who need the machines, and need something a bit more 'rough and tumble' than the run of the mill but less pricey. A laptops for learning campaign...