There was a time when parents could feel comfortable telling their children they would have to wait to get a computer until the budget allowed it.  That was before schools relied so heavily on technology for learning.  Today children who can access student computers have a definite advantage. Not only is some classwork now done online, in the classrooms, but many projects and assignments require research which is much easier to locate on the Internet than in books. Fortunately most schools and libraries provide Internet access as well as computers; and the cost of buying personal laptops is now well within the reach of most households.