thanks JerryB and brina1300 for you input yesterday

brina1300 - I agree that cost isn't everything, I can easily support 100 MacBooks even with a full teaching load

brina1300 mentioned cost of software for Windows that is included in OSX

I have MacBooks in schools that work fine and are 7-8 years old. How many peecee laptops can claim that?

JerryButler: We have found the same. Some of the first MacBooks we started our pilots with are still working, slow but working and they are 7-8 years old.

Considering these machines have been in the hands of elementary kids for that long and even gone home with them is amazing.

I bought my son an HP compact laptop that didn't make it a year. What is up with that?

Apple doesn't even make low cost cheapie equipment. Apples to apples, no pun, the cost is very close.