Not entirely true. I purchase eight-point beer at "The Beer Store" in SLC, which is run by a brewers co-op, every Friday.

While I appreciate your experience, I have to disagree.

I) I type consistently 80 WPM, I usually get most slides transcribed before the professor begins speaking about them
II) I DO keep a notebook around for things such as marginal notes, but in my line of study, that need is a rarity
III) My PowerBook has an iSkin protector on it, you can hardly hear me type
IV) My long-term retention of information has increased greatly since I started typing my notes

In short, my GPA went form a 3.2 to a 3.925 the semester I began taking my laptop to school. I am THE most interactive student in any of my classes and I have built good rapport and lasting relationships with all of my professors. As far as games are concerned, might I ask what the difference is between a game of Solitaire and someone just doodling on their paper? Nothing. Additionally, my laptop-note-taking friend and I have NEVER opened a game during class. This to me seems to be an issue of drive and maturity.

While I don't doubt that there are many who utilize laptops in an inappropriate fashion, there are even MORE who use the pen and pencil inappropriately. Do people really think that just because a student doesn't have an electronic distraction that they're actually paying attention, let alone processing the information?

Laptops at my school are still rare though I attend a large university of 30k students. Most of the generalizations presented here are not only negatively biased, but simply too broad. If a student is going to jerk around in class, they'll do it whether they have a laptop or not.