Netbooks, the smaller, sleeker cousins of the laptop computer, have arrived on campus at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School as part of a pilot program for two groups of students to try out the new technology before it's rolled out for the entire school.

About two dozen students in sophomore English and AP physics classes are using the netbooks this semester as part of their classroom curriculum.

"It's very compact, not heavy at all," says Emily Walters '12, who totes the netbook with her to English class. "The keyboard is a good size, though."

The administration chose the Asus Eee PC netbook because it has a long battery life of more than 10 hours and it is only 10.3 inches wide. It weighs 2.8 pounds- about the same as a kitten. The netbook is equipped with a wireless LAN antenna as well as stereo speakers, extra memory, a waterproof neoprene carrying case and an extended warranty.

SJND hopes to have the one-to-one netbook program instituted for the entire school in 18 months. The cost to families will be about $400, said Michael Loring, technology coordinator. Currently, the students in the pilot program are using the netbooks at no cost.

"What we're going to find out is how these things hold up in a backpack and what happens when they fall off a desk," said Loring. "And we'll be relying on feedback from teachers about the impact on curriculum."

Ed Chen, who teaches AP Physics, said his class will be able to provide hard data on how useful the netbooks are in class. "The reason you do a pilot is because you can work with issues with a small number of students. That way, when we roll it out on a large scale, we won't have problems."

All of the netbooks are blocked from social networking programs like Facebook, but they are loaded with Microsoft Office and a browser for Internet access. Most students said they also have computers or laptops at home, but they use their netbooks for homework and class work.

The students in the pilot program are overwhelmingly in favor of the netbooks. They are a good tool for doing school work and may have the effect of keeping more students engaged in class discussions.

"It's really helpful," said Nick DeGrano '12, who reviews his notes onscreen or sometimes prints them out on paper. "I use it in all of my classes for note taking, and I'm definitely taking more notes."