This study examined the reasons why students choose to take laptop computers into college classes. The model involved the individual student choice involving opportunity, ability and motivation. The resulting model demonstrated how some (primary) factors, such as effective learning, directly impact the laptop usage choice, and other factors indirectly impact the choice, such as Internet activity and access to information. This study found that most students choose to bring computers to class for sound educational reasons, which contradicts what many instructors believe to be true.