Philadelphia’s Drexel University has introduced a 24-hour vending machine that dispenses MacBooks instead of sugar water and snacks. But instead of selling the laptops to staff and students, the kiosk lends them out free of charge — with proper ID — for five-hour periods.
These days a laptop is a must-have accessory for anyone pursuing higher education, so the kiosk isn’t designed to be a cheap solution for those who can’t afford one. Instead, it lets students who are studying at the university’s library late into the night leave their own hardware at home, so they’re not a target for thieves on the streets of west Philadelphia. The machine holds 12 15-inch laptops in total, and while free, a $US5 late fee does apply for every extra hour of use. [DrexelNOW via VentureBeat]