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> iPads have the lowest productivity to cost ratio of any computing device - probably up there with video game systems or burning bundles of money in large pile

by thearn4 11y ago

> iPads have the lowest productivity to cost ratio of any computing device - probably up there with video game systems or burning bundles of money in large piles. I've generally been feeling the same way about tablets in general. Yet I see so many schools around me using funds to procure them for the classroom. Is there some educational use case for ipads that I've been missing?

benbreen 11y ago
They were donated, more or less (purchased via a grant from a private charity). Completely agreed about their shortcomings, I'm not sure what the thought process was there unless the prison has some kind of restriction on laptops.
seanmcdirmid 11y ago
Textbook replacement. Turns out tablets are quite economical compared to dead trees that become outdated or worn out fairly quickly. Not to mention tablets are much easier on students' backs. Ignoring any computational aspect, tablets are still a big win.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- escherize 11y ago
  So, iPads are a physically lighter, and a better value than printed out text books. So what? Netbooks are a better value prop there hands down. They weight about the same, and obviously can display drm'd pdfs without a problem. My guess is the non-technical people involved with ordering them think iPads are sexy and cool.
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    Netbooks aren't designed for reading, and they aren't really good for anything (which is why that market is dead). Tablets are almost perfect, though I think we would prefer e-ink solutions if they were at the level of resolution and color as print, without the huge cost of that new Sony one. > My guess is the non-technical people involved with ordering them think iPads are sexy and cool. Must be stupid people tricked by shiny things? I don't think so. How many of us have gotten rid of all our books because we can just use our tablets now? Many! And no, we aren't reading books on our netbooks, and our laptops never tempted us to do that.
  - helen842000 11y ago
    Having supported thousands of netbooks across 50+ schools I can say they are an awful teaching tool. They require constant maintenance and updates and installing software is a nightmare. Remember these are being bought by schools where there probably isn't even a full time I.T Technician on site and there is rarely the infrastructure in place to automate any of the work. Getting young children to simply log into a netbook can sometimes take most of a lesson. After swapping out netbooks that have keys torn off, ones that haven't been charged and ones that don't have the software installed - the kids are frustrated and the lesson is over. Fleets of iPads are much easier to manage. It takes 5 minutes for a teacher to push out an app via an MDM platform to all iPads. The latest educational apps out there are being built for iOS first. Best of all they are relatively virus free. Also kids recognise them as being an expensive piece of equipment and treat them with more care and are more enthused to use them. iPads let you get straight into the content and the technology just gets out of your way.

by thearn4 11y ago

benbreen 11y ago

They were donated, more or less (purchased via a grant from a private charity). Completely agreed about their shortcomings, I'm not sure what the thought process was there unless the prison has some kind of restriction on laptops.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago

Textbook replacement. Turns out tablets are quite economical compared to dead trees that become outdated or worn out fairly quickly. Not to mention tablets are much easier on students' backs. Ignoring any computational aspect, tablets are still a big win.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
escherize 11y ago
So, iPads are a physically lighter, and a better value than printed out text books. So what? Netbooks are a better value prop there hands down. They weight about the same, and obviously can display drm'd pdfs without a problem. My guess is the non-technical people involved with ordering them think iPads are sexy and cool.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  Netbooks aren't designed for reading, and they aren't really good for anything (which is why that market is dead). Tablets are almost perfect, though I think we would prefer e-ink solutions if they were at the level of resolution and color as print, without the huge cost of that new Sony one. > My guess is the non-technical people involved with ordering them think iPads are sexy and cool. Must be stupid people tricked by shiny things? I don't think so. How many of us have gotten rid of all our books because we can just use our tablets now? Many! And no, we aren't reading books on our netbooks, and our laptops never tempted us to do that.
- helen842000 11y ago
  Having supported thousands of netbooks across 50+ schools I can say they are an awful teaching tool. They require constant maintenance and updates and installing software is a nightmare. Remember these are being bought by schools where there probably isn't even a full time I.T Technician on site and there is rarely the infrastructure in place to automate any of the work. Getting young children to simply log into a netbook can sometimes take most of a lesson. After swapping out netbooks that have keys torn off, ones that haven't been charged and ones that don't have the software installed - the kids are frustrated and the lesson is over. Fleets of iPads are much easier to manage. It takes 5 minutes for a teacher to push out an app via an MDM platform to all iPads. The latest educational apps out there are being built for iOS first. Best of all they are relatively virus free. Also kids recognise them as being an expensive piece of equipment and treat them with more care and are more enthused to use them. iPads let you get straight into the content and the technology just gets out of your way.