Excellent comment. The laptop is definitely a tool to awaken them to a world outside of their own. If we can only get them to use if for good and not evil. :)

In general when you have more access through laptops to the information that the students need to be successful, is should show in their academic achievements. It is how you use the tools though through proper motivation, use, and creativity, that makes the real improvement of intelligence show. The laptop should be transparent to their education, and the student's intelligence that shows through.