adventures in going digital

Last year, I worked hard to obtain a pile of old iMac G3's.  It's hard to imagine them being useful in the classroom, given the fact that they have less memory than an up-to-date iPod.  Yet, it was the best I could muster up.  I've learned that if I want to use better technology, I have to build from the ground up with an eventual goal in mind. 

We already do many projects using technology.  My students designed the school website as well as our class website.  (www.thesocialvoice.com - we will put our newest issue up in the next few weeks) Students have created documentaries, videos and podcasts.  Yet, I want students learning some basic skills of keyboarding, blogging, interactive discussion boards, etc.  

Things are turning out to be more challenging than I thought.  For one, we don't have enough internet connections in the class and our school has a limit on bandwidth.  What this means is that when students go online, only one out of four computers can have the internet.  In a class of forty, that means I have only ten students online.  Also, I have been trying to switch operating systems from the OS 9 to xubuntu.  Again, I lack the technical expertise to do this. 

Our school is going wifi next month, which leaves me with a few options.  I won't be able to use the G3's, because I can't get a wireless internet card that will be compatible.

So, here are my options:

1. I can set up a server and buy $100 thin clients.  Yet, with forty computers, the server would have to be quite beefy. 

2. I can wait for the $200 laptops from OLPC to come out in 2008.  It's Linux-based and fairly powerful, yet I have a hunch that they won't be as readily available as they had said. 

3. We can fundraise and see if I can raise $16,000 and use lower-end laptops that run about $400 a piece.  My best idea there is that I can find forty couples who will donate their state tax credit money and we would qualify because IMPACT is an extracurricular activity. 

Any ideas on what I should do?  I'd really like your input.  I already feel like teacherlingo is becoming a true community for me and I value the feedback that you (should I use y'all, since so many of the teachers are from Texas?) offer.