Union kiosk provides laptop rental service

By Kyle Campbell | Originally Published: 09/21/10 9:24pm |Modified: 09/21/10 9:25pm | No comments

Michael Nyika was depositing his paycheck at the Union last Monday when he spotted a man working on a gray machine Nyika had never seen before. His curiosity was piqued.

The foreign machine was a Laptops Anytime kiosk, a station that holds eight 15.4 inch Dell laptops and six 10.1 inch Dell Netbooks that are available for students, staff or campus visitors to rent starting at $1 for the first half hour, and $3.95 for each additional hour for students and $7.95 for non-students.

“I just thought, ‘What a great idea,’” Nyika said. “There should be one of these at every university.”

Laptops Anytime provides students with an alternative to carrying their own laptops across campus, company co-founder Jonathan Ruttenberg said.

“It’s not that people don’t have their own computer or laptop. About 50 percent of students report they don’t like lugging their laptops around with them,” Ruttenberg said. “If you decide to take it with you, it’s great for you, but you have to take care of it for the next 10 or 12 hours.”

Each of the laptops comes equipped with an extended battery, PDF readers, Microsoft Office and web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Users also are allowed to download content most other public access computers do not allow, Ruttenberg said.

“When you return the laptop or the Netbook to the machine, everything is wiped clean,” Ruttenberg said. “We’re using reimaging software that’s very similar to what’s used in computer labs. This is something that’s very secure.”

Nyika, who is an MSU student, was impressed with Laptops Anytime. He began asking questions and making suggestions as to how the company could improve its product and marketing strategies. Because of his contributions, he was named student ambassador.

“I’m pretty much looking at places of interest where people converge, where they might want to use a laptop and so they don’t have to bring one with them,” Nyika said. “Personally, I’d like to make the kiosk almost as recognizable as the Red Box (movie rental kiosk).”

However, some students are not impressed with Laptops Anytime. Second-year graduate student Barry Garrett doesn’t think it’s worth paying to use the laptops.

“I have my own laptop,” Garrett said. “And if I didn’t have it on me, I would just use the computer lab in the basement (of the Union), because it’s free.”

Mike Dawisha, residence hall service chief technical officer, said most students would prefer to use the computer labs provided by the university, but the kiosk offers an additional option for students and visitors who don’t have access to university computers.

“It’s just adding another choice,” Dawisha said.

“I’m guessing most students would want to use the free labs available. (But) if students wanted another option or something that was portable, if students need to take something to take to classes or if they forget their laptop at home or if it dies and they’re in a pinch, they can take one of these.”