Michael Gossett remembers the tablet computer he got as an SIU freshman last year.

“I don’t use it at all because it sucks,” the sophomore psychology major Michael Gossett said.

His complaint was common among last year’s freshmen, the first SIU class to be given the Dell tablets, as part of a program known as Mobile Dawg. This year’s freshmen are getting a new version of the tablet, the Dell V 11 Pro.

While Gossett used his tablet to play games and to write in Microsoft Word, the new tablets include additional software such as Follett Brytewave allowing students to take notes and highlight and share ideas with other students or professors. The digital textbook platform typically has higher prices for textbooks than the SIU student bookstore.

Rob Craig, a manager in Information Technology, told students during training sessions in the Student Center last week that the tablets should be fun to use, but also should be treated as an organizational and academic tool.

“There’s a balance. Find that balance,” he said.

Craig said the new tablets simply reflect the constantly changing nature of technology.

“Technology is always moving, especially in mobile computing. We want to use the latest affordable technology that we can feasibly provide,” he said.

This year, students were required to attend a workshop before they could get their tablets.

Rishawnda Carson, a freshman from Joliet studying biochemistry, said she did not like the fact that some of the program was presented in a video.

“It was boring and I would’ve wanted a real person the whole presentation because it was hard to understand,” she said.

Carson said the tablet’s portability is convenient, though it makes the library and computer labs seem obsolete.

Still, Carson said she would use her tablet, most likely for putting together research papers.

She said sophomores should have had the option of getting their own upgraded tablets.

Nicole Tabor, a junior from Libertyville studying rehabilitation services, said she appreciates the convenience of tablets, which is why she uses an Apple iPad. She also said the tablets could provide an incentive for freshmen to stay at SIU and graduate.

“It could motivate students to stay because they have the tools to succeed,” Tabor said.

Tablets are paid for through the technology fee on their bursar bills. According to the Bursar’s Office, the student information technology fee is $105 per semester.