This Vending Machine Gives Students More Than Snacks

Candy bars, chips, and … computers? While Japan has made a name for itself by creating machines that dispense everything from pizzas to underwear, a community college in Michigan might just have topped them all. As David Murray reports in Community College Daily, at Grand Rapids Community College, students can actually find laptops in a vending machine.
The machine, which is housed in the student community center, dispenses laptops with just the swipe of a college ID card. Yep, they’re free. When the students are done, they simply insert the laptop back into the machine for someone else to use.
“We know that not everyone has a computer at home or can afford a laptop, David Anderson, the head of GRCC’s information technology department told Community College Daily. “We looked at this as a way to help those students in particular, but also anyone who needs to check one out and get some work done.”
There are 12 laptops in the machine, and so far this year, more than 500 students have used it. Privacy is protected by wiping all information and charging the battery each time a computer is used.
The best part? Unlike computer labs with set hours, students can use the computers whenever they want. Late-night study session, anyone?