A new laptop computer which gives access to the Internet and is especially designed for easy use in schools has been developed in Ireland, and has just gone into production. Called Dreamwriter IT, the computer is being manufactured in Shannon, Co Clare, by NTS Computer Systems (Ireland), a subsidiary of a Canadian company.

The Dreamwriter IT is the latest in a line of Dreamwriter computers, and the first to give email and Internet access. A science unit that can be used in conjunction with Dreamwriter IT for lab or field measurements is under development.

Around one million copies of an earlier version of Dreamwriter are in use throughout the world, and there is so much demand for the IT version that the first 11 weeks' output was sold before production began.

NTS focuses exclusively on the educational market. When the research and development activity was set up in Shannon, a pilot scheme with Irish schools was set up. St Patrick's Comprehensive School in Shannon has been using Dreamwriters for over a year.

The school was allocated a 30 computer version, the most usual set-up for classrooms. The 30 laptops are stored in a special trolley called Rol-A-Lab, which means that they can easily be moved from room to room. Another crucial advantage of the trolley is that it plugs into one socket so that the computers can be recharged overnight and then used all day without any wires or connections. The trolley also contains a printer.

"The beauty of the Dreamwriter is that you don't need a computer room, you just bring the computers around from class to class, " Martin Wallace, principal of St Patrick's told . "The students mainly use them for projects, and they can have their own passwords, so that they can go straight to their own work. Printing is very simple - it's a matter of coming to the console and pressing a key."

Wallace says that there are some useful packages on the computers, including a good touch-typing package. Until now, NTS has used its own operating system for the computers, but the Dreamwriter IT uses a Microsoft system called CE, which means access to a huge range of Microsoft software packages is now possible.

Because the computers are recharged overnight sufficiently for one day's full use, they can also be used on field trips. They are designed to be robust, and rigorously tested, according to Jim Tocher, president and CEO of NTS Computer Systems.

"You can stand on it, drop it, and it will still work," says Tocher. "It's made according to military specifications because it's being put into a hostile environment," he added with a smile. A 20-unit version of Dreamwriter IT will cost roughly £12,000 pounds.

The aim of the company is, not surprisingly, that every student at primary, second level or third level, should have a computer. "You don't make any fundamental impact with IT until every student has a computer," said David Marles, who is responsible for educational research at NTS.

The company is taking an active part in the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Irish schools. Its educational ICT research and consulting group works with teachers to help them to integrate ICT into traditional subject areas such as English, mathematics and science.