The Mercury News reports that 1,100 students at Gunderson High School in San Jose, California, were recently given Apple iBooks as part of a US$6 million program. “In education-speak, this is the first step of a ‘vertical slice’ program. The laptops cost the district about $1,360 each. The rest of the funds go to expenses like insurance, infrastructure, training and software — and eventually, more computers. Next year, laptops will be issued to students at Steinbeck Middle School, which feeds students to Gunderson.”