laptops in class: learning tool or distracting toy?

From the Washington Post: Laptop vs. Learning.

The author points out the distracting potential of laptops used by students to take notes. There's interesting opportunity for more elaborate study here I suspect. ...are there different outcomes in students' level of engagement or academic success if they take traditional notes via pen and paper vs. the more transcript-like style of notes most common among their laptop-using peers? What about students using pen-enabled technology devices such as tablet pcs - perhaps they'd have the best of both worlds - the ability to jot with a pen, but have the option to type longer sections of text when necessary - and call up/manipulate notes more easily during follow-up study sessions.