Nice idea but as someone who manages technology for a school I can say tablets just aren't there yet. A few things (that might not be apparent with 41 hand pic

Nice idea but as someone who manages technology for a school I can say tablets just aren't there yet. A few things (that might not be apparent with 41 hand picked kids)... ========== Damage: Understand that planning technology for a school is all about scale. It isn't about "Can we afford to buy this for each kid" its "can we afford to buy this for each kid and deal with a 30-40% damage rate". Because they're kids. Remember the way you treated your backpack in Jr High and High School? Now imagine how a $750 iPad would have done if you carried it around all day. Most hardware companies combat this by either (a) making devices durable or (b) making them easy to repair. The iPad is neither of those things. Control: The problem with an iPad right now is there's no way to lock it down. If a student decides to start browsing the Internet while you're giving a lecture there's little you can do about it (why do you think most schools ban Cell. Phones at this point). It's hard to focus a class when their text book can also be used as a Game machine and Internet browser. Software: The most obvious point is that Apple hasn't compensated for mass purchasing yet. I should be able to have a "Purchaser" account that allows me to log in to each system and install multiple copies of a given software package. At least the last time I investigated this option that process was a mess (At first it wouldn't let me pay for multiple copies of software because it said I'd already purchased it then it would lock me out because I'd installed it too many times and so on) ============ There were some other issues that are escaping me now but the bottom line is it's a great dream and a great opportunity for some startup. But just plain old stock iPads don't work. Edit: A few I forgot... - Power: You either have to find some way to power them during class (which requires rewiring the classroom) or limit their use. Plus kids forget the charger and use it as an excuse not to do homework or participate in class. - Eye Strain: You'd be amazed how parents who park their kids in front of a TV all day will come back at you complaining they read a report that said extended viewing of an LCD screen is bad for the eyes. - Updates: Since there are no over-the-air OS updates its a chore to update the things - Kids Content: Since there's no way to lock kids out of the administrative functions of an iPad a few will just change the account to their iTunes account and start downloading media on it which causes all kinds of problems - Theft: There's not much of a market for Jr High Text Books on ebay. The same can't be said for iPads.