I see what you're getting at, but in the context of computers and computer labs, again: it's the environment of a preconfigured lab that's valuable, not so much the physical medium of the computer itself.

Likewise, a library, a bookstore, and a bookshelf are specific environments that could never be replaced by e-books ---even if / when society collectively concludes that e-books are a superior and preferred medium for consuming book-like content.

Is the preconfigured lab really that valuable in today's workplace? I would think that a greater value would be in students receiving recommendations on software and configurations and then letting them discover what truly works for them.