Technical Support Do not assume that there will be few technical problems just because equipment is new. G. Phillip Cartwright observes that early adopters of computers in schools expected training and support to be short-term problems that would go away as computers became widespread. 3 Computers and their peripherals are much more sophisticated than such educational technology predecessors as record players and televisions, and teachers should not be expected to solve complicated equipment malfunctions or maintenance problems. Schools and/or districts must provide maintenance, either in-house or through outside contracts. Equipment downtime can cause frustration, leading some teachers to avoid technology use. Your hardware investment is only as good as the software you use, and software presents its own support issues. Increasing the number of software applications you use increases the need for support. Factors that can impact your support costs include the number of operating systems across your school or district and the number of applications for the same or similar purposes, such as multiple word-processing applications. It can be expensive to get these different programs "talking" to one another, and you need to purchase licensing rights and service options that include every piece of hardware. Something as minor as the lack of toner cartridges for printers can have major impact on teachers who plan activities dependent on them. The difficulty of anticipating the need for consumable technology supplies—such as toner cartridges, paper, storage materials, and software upgrades—makes it hard to project these costs at the beginning of new technology initiatives. Remember, as new technologies are adopted, the quantity and variety of these supplies increases. 4