(February 10, 2000) — They have no monitors, no CD-ROMS, no floppy drives and no Internet connections; it’s time to introduce the new AlphaSmarts! Commonly nicknamed laptops, the only thing even similar between the AlphaSmart and the laptop is the keyboard and the fact that it can be used on your lap. Though these green colored machines can do more than just sit on your lap, these machines are high-tech modern word processors and also have spell check. The AlphaSmart 2000 can be connected with IBM compatibles and Macintosh/Apples. Though the machine is small still its features are many. It even has an infrared censor for communicating with printers and computers. It doesn’t matter if the user has an IBM or Mac; the machine will connect with it. It’s not possible to do this with most laptops; laptops are either PC or Macintosh. The AlphaSmart’s word processing features are more advanced than laptops. It is able to save up to eight files. This machine has a spell check to make sure assignments are error-free. When files are cleared accidentally, the AlphaSmart has a data recovery option to bring back the lost file. It also has another word processing feature known as the “find” feature. You can use it to find exact text in any file. It is also possible to type Spanish or French text, since the AlphaSmart’s keyboard has an international character support. The AlphaSmart has a timer control so users can practice keyboarding. Compaq also made the AlphaSmart with special education needs like auto-repeat and sticky keys. You can password-protect your files from deletion by another user. And all of this can run with three AA batteries. Clark students can check out AlphaSmarts from library/media teacher Susan Newcomer in the library. Before a student can check one out, the parent and the student must sign an agreement to pay for damages; the replacement fee is $200. “The AlphaSmarts have been a big success this year at Clark. They have provided students a way to type assignments even if they don’t have a computer at home. And they have been used successfully in classrooms for students who are doing group projects,” Newcomer said. Sophomore Alfred Shaumyan said,“The AlphaSmart helped me a lot when computers were busy and I didn’t have one to type my assignments. Other schools should get them too.” Although the AlphaSmart might not exactly be laptops, the AlphaSmarts have been a big success for word processing solutions for the students of Clark.