Granted, geography books that are 17 years out of date are a problem but the solution is cheap: the teacher can photocopy a modern map, pass it out to the class and simply say "the book is outdated, here are the countries you'll be tested on."
Schoolbooks may be ridiculously expensive, but given their longevity they pale in comparison to laptops. Even if a laptop is well-treated by students, the maintenance required for an average-sized school is ridiculous. And that's assuming that operating systems don't have to be replaced or licenses have to be renewed....
The photocopied map workaround sucks, but at least it works. A broken laptop doesn't.
Schoolbooks may be ridiculously expensive, but given their longevity they pale in comparison to laptops. Even if a laptop is well-treated by students, the maintenance required for an average-sized school is ridiculous. And that's assuming that operating systems don't have to be replaced or licenses have to be renewed....
The photocopied map workaround sucks, but at least it works. A broken laptop doesn't.