• Tweet
• Email

Netbooks are small, light, and cheap. And that makes them excellent devices for consumers and professionals on the go. But those same features also make the netbooks interesting to educators. The OLPC XO Laptop, arguably the first netbook, was designed specifically for students. But any low cost laptop with a smaller than average screen and keyboard could hold some advantages for teachers and students.

Channel Insider reports that Acer has been offering 30 day free trials of its netbooks to schools since November. About 1200 schools have taken Acer up on the offer so far, and around two thirds of them eventually decided to purchase Acer Aspire One laptops.

Teachers say the laptops offer performance that’s good enough for their needs, and their low profile means they don’t take up much space on a students’ desk. You can also buy several netbooks for the price of one full sized Apple computer.