Your eDGe definiely can't replace your laptop, but there are advantages to the eDGe that you won't have with your HP Pavilion or netbook: easy amrkup of ebooks. That's not a small thign for students. Question though: How much assistance do you get in the way of technology and ebooks will you get from your school's disability office? Typically, they provide students with PDF version of books and assistive reading software, and sometimes devices.