We’ve seen all sorts of vending machines before, but this vending machine installed in Drexel University might take the cake. In case it’s hard to tell from the image above, this vending machine actually dispenses Macbooks to students for free! Of course this doesn’t mean students get to take them home, but we can imagine that these will come in handy for students whose laptop runs out of battery mid-study or assignment and they don’t have a charger handy, or if they need a computer but forgot to bring one that day. There is also the safety angle which allows students to use computers in the library late at night and who don’t want to bring their own for fear of getting robbed.
This vending machine was installed last December and at the moment dispenses only 12 Macbooks. Like we said earlier, the renting of these laptops are free and students can borrow them for up to five hours at a time, after which students will be charged a late fee. To rent one of these laptops, students will need to go to the machine, sign in with their student card and they’re good to go. In between borrowings, the vending machine will actually charge the laptops for the next use and at the same time completely wipe the hard drive to prevent it from being cluttered with random files from students. At the moment this vending machine is a trial and depending on how well-received it is, and how well the University’s finances are, additional vending machines could be installed around the campus.
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