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| Free computers with a | ||||
| catch - that little ad in | ||||
| the corner of the screen | ||||
| IT WAS A TEMPTING DEAL | ||||
| for a school in constant | ||||
| need of money: 15 new | ||||
| computers, a powerful server, | ||||
| on-location teacher training | has put new PCs into about 70 | Frank Vigil is not [id:3368]: | ||
| and a speedy satellite | schools and plans to be in 200 | "There is a large gap between | ||
| connection to the Internet, all | by the end of the year. But the | what the schools need and | ||
| free. But Tom Wilson, the | computers can be used only | their resources. We are trying | ||
| technology coordinator at | with the ZapMe Netspace, a | to provide a practical solu- | ||
| Clayton Valley High School | blue-bordered Web browser | tion." He also points out that | ||
| outside Oakland, knew there | with tempting [id:3366] that | students are going to find ads | ||
| had to be a catch. There was! | rotate in a two-by-four-inch | all over the Web anyway. | ||
| In return for all the valuable | "dynamic billboard" in the | And ZapMe isn't the only | ||
| equipment, services and tech- | lower left-hand corner of the | company putting ads in | ||
| nical support offered by the | screen. ZapMe requires that | classrooms, though it is the | ||
| ZapMe Corporation of San | the service be used by students | most ambitious. Boston school | ||
| Ramon, in California, the | four hours a day in order to | administrators considered it | ||
| [id:3364] agreed to accept ads in | reach its goal. [id:3367], on a | and recently announced co- | ||
| a corner of the screen. | recent Monday morning at | operation with other compa- | ||
| Once upon a time, | Clayton Valley High School, | nies. Steve Gagg, technology | ||
| the classroom was a [id:3365]. But | students didn't even seem to | adviser to Boston's mayor, | ||
| that high principle may soon | notice the ads from GTE and | says the commercial aspect | ||
| disappear as more and more | Compaq. They were too busy | still [id:3369] him. "We need to | ||
| schools rush to get wired. | e-mailing pen pals in Berlin. | take a step back and ask, is | ||
| Computers are big-ticket | Still, Gary Ruskin, director | this what we want for our | ||
| items, and many districts are | of the watchdog group | students? Is there any way | ||
| struggling just to provide the | Commercial Alert, says: "I | around it?" Without an easy | ||
| basics: books and desks. | think it's outrageous | answer to that question, look | ||
| That's where new businesses | that parents should have this | for more billboards among the | ||
| like ZapMe come in. | shoved down their kids' | blackboards. | ||
| ZapMe, which was official- | throats." But ZapMe president | |||
| ly launched last month, | Brad Stone in'Newsweek' | |||