Some of the advantages and disadvantages of laptop trolleys are as follows.
Advantages
- flexibility—the laptops are easily moved to the students
- security—trolleys can be locked and secured to wall mountings
- power management—laptops are recharged from mains power
- cost—a trolley is less expensive than a computer laboratory.
Disadvantages
- trolleys or laptops may be damaged when they are moved
- the theft of a trolley has a high impact
- manual handling—a laptop trolley is heavy if it holds a class set of full-sized laptops
- restricted mobility—use is restricted to one level within a building, as a trolley cannot easily be moved up or down steps or stairs.
Schools should consider the following questions:
- What sort of terrain would the trolley be expected to traverse? Select a trolley that is stable and safe.
- Will additional features be used? Some trolleys can have printers and wireless access points added.
- Do the teachers know how to use the trolley? Will training and ongoing support be needed?
- How many laptops are to be housed in the trolley?
- Is the trolley to hold a full class set, or will it supplement desktop computers already in the classroom?
- Will laptops be shared, or will each student use one?
The types of activities outlined in the school’s e-learning plan will be a guide to whether the student to laptop ratio will be 1:1 or 2:1 for a given lesson. The table below shows laptop trolley specifications according to the three standard types of laptop and according to paired or single use of the laptops.
The learning spaces page looks at some options for using trolleys for low-impact changes to traditional classrooms.
| Type of laptop |
One laptop per student (class set of 28) |
One laptop per pair of students (half-class set of 14) |
| Entry level |
Moving a trolley holding 28 laptops requires assistance |
Moving a trolley with 14 laptops is straightforward. |
| Performance laptop |
Moving a trolley holding 28 laptops requires assistance
This is the most expensive trolley. |
Trolley weight and manoeuvrability are good. |
| Ultra-mobile laptop |
28 UM-laptops weigh about the same as 14 ordinary laptops. |
Lowest cost for a fitted-out trolley. |
Before use, a trolley should be locked to the trolley mounting points.
Staff should ensure that a power point is close behind the trolley to prevent power to the unit being accidentally or intentionally disabled.
Turning on laptops progressively will reduce the risk of overloading a power circuit.
The trolley can also be used as a storage area for teachers’ materials and other items, with the top of the trolley serving as an additional workspace for the teacher.
Wireless access points can be attached to the trolley, providing wireless access in the classroom if there is at least one wired point. This reduces costs, as it is then not necessary to install wireless access across the whole school.
The school should:
- create an effective booking system for trolleys—a poor booking system can cause frustration and reduce usage
- have standby laptops for when breakdowns occur, to keep the class set operating.
- The school should consider having the wireless access point on an extension that can be hung up or raised on a pole attached to the trolley.
- The trolley must not block emergency exit routes.
- To minimise manual handling risks, trolleys should be stable and safe to manoeuvre when fully loaded.