4 ms·

As it stands, this is not great. The cost of an iPad is $500. It'll probably need replacing every couple of years, and that's assuming your kid doesn't break it

by fredley 15y ago

As it stands, this is not great. The cost of an iPad is $500. It'll probably need replacing every couple of years, and that's assuming your kid doesn't break it all the time (if I'd had one of these at school it would have been smashed up constantly). Each textbook is a minimum of $15. Over the course of a high school education, this is going to cost each child ('s parents) thousands of dollars. This will only benefit kids at the richest schools, which will not fix America's education problem.

keeran 15y ago
"We wanted to get started with partners early, so we're starting with high school textbooks priced at $14.99 or less. " edit: source http://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/19/live-coverage-of-apples-education-focused-media-event/ http://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/19/live-coverage-of-apples-...
omfg 15y ago
That's one assumption. The other is that over the course of a 4 year high school or college run. The cost of a 499 iPad + 15 dollar books is significantly cheaper than say 6-7 60+ dollar books per semester. Schools can loan out iPads that they get at a discount from Apple, or colleges can even include them in the cost of tuition. I know quite a few people in college right now that receive a Macbook Pro as part of their college tuition (with no option to decline it and save on tuition). So an iPad would be significantly cheaper than that, and arguably just as useful for most college curriculums.
- streptomycin 15y ago
  > That's one assumption. The other is that over the course of a 4 year high school or college run. The cost of a 499 iPad + 15 dollar books is significantly cheaper than say 6-7 60+ dollar books per semester. Only if you assume that iPads never break, all textbooks will be published with iPad versions (otherwise you'd need an iPad and some normal textbooks), you can't buy used textbooks, and you can't sell your textbooks when you're done with them.
  - omfg 15y ago
    I'm not sure the need to re-sell a 15 dollar eBook. Damaging the iPad is a concern, so is theft. But there are too many scenarios there to analyze the economics of each. For instance, say an iPad + eBooks replaces a laptop with textbooks, the iPad is cheaper to replace than a laptop. What if you lose your book bag full of 5 new 80 dollar text books, then it's a wash. The cost of 8 semesters worth of textbooks might be more expensive than the cost of 3 499 iPads + eBooks. So forth. Textbooks + iPad versions. More of a problem in college than high school where the schools often have long term contracts with the publishers. All in all, it seems like a step in the right direction. Also, one can imagine that Apple is going to keep the iPad 2 on the market at a reduced cost when the iPad 3 comes out, similarly to what they've done with the iPhone. So over time it'll become even more cost effective.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
johnnyn 15y ago
iBooks Author gives teachers the opportunity to create and update their own textbooks, which has been a common desire for teachers. They'll finally be able have their textbooks match the curriculum they have in mind. It might not fix America's education problem, but it's a step in the right direction.
- fredley 15y ago
  For those that can afford it.
  - smspence 15y ago
    I don't understand the point of this comment. Can you elaborate?
saturdaysaint 15y ago
I'll be surprised if the iPad doesn't dip to $400 this year, and I'd be shocked if schools don't get bulk discounts on top of that. And there's no reason to assume that $15 is the absolute minimum price - we'll see free alternatives in the near future. I'm jealous of the kids - I remember lugging around 30 pounds of books and a bulky binder everywhere, and even then making frequent locker runs. And I have few fond memories of textbooks in technical subjects, where a few simple demonstrations (now embedable!) could often go further than a mountain of diagrams and words.
- drumdance 15y ago
  On that note, is the iPad + keyboard close enough to a laptop that it can replace it for students in college? Obviously not for engineering students, but possibly good enough for liberal arts?
  - ChrisLTD 15y ago
    Writing a paper would be an enormous pain. Typing text is fine, but editing is frustrating. Selecting text with your finger is imprecise, pasting is finicky, and jumping around a document quickly is pretty tough.
    - dunham 15y ago
      I've had the same experience with editing text, it gets really frustrating at times. I often find it's faster to delete chunks of text and rewrite them rather than edit. (I type reasonably quickly on the iPad.) But now that I think about it, if you actually have a keyboard attached to the device this is a solved problem. Just port emacs or vi.
      - schrieaj 15y ago
        Why port? Just ssh to a terminal somewhere in your university. Pop open emacs/vim and typset with TeX. I did this with my netbook a couple times. Even let me print the paper.
maercsrats 15y ago
I just moved to IN so I need to double check the school system here but I do know about the TN system. My knowledge will vary county to county but in general I think this is true. I also made a comment above but will reprint some of it here. I'm sorry but, what the hell are you talking about? Many schools require students to have laptops in high school now. Teachers are constantly being told that then need to use more and more technology in their classrooms to better engage their students. If there aren't students who can afford machines then they are given one in class. My mom is a 7th grade reading/writing teacher in a small (around 18K in the county) west-TN town. Her little school has an ipad cart. Every student does their writing (typing really) on an ipad. Both kids and teachers love it. The news today will probably thrill all of them.
smspence 15y ago
Where did anyone say that kids' parents will have to buy these? And where are you getting this "thousands of dollars" figure from? Most high school students don't have to buy textbooks at all. The school provides them. And nowadays, most schools already have iPads and laptops (school-owned, the parents do not buy them) that the students use in the class room. I imagine this is something that the schools will be interested in buying. A close friend of mine is a 4th grade teacher, and it is amazing how much technology they have in the class room now. Laptops and iPads for almost every single student. This is not a school for "rich kids" either. It is an elementary school in a small town in Iowa, and not a "rich" area in any way. I just laugh and roll my eyes when I read all the comments here that act like someone is going to hold a gun to a poor parent's head and force them to go without buying food because they have to buy iPads and "thousands of dollars" worth of books. Where is this coming from?
- jonhohle 15y ago
  The licensing and economics isn't clear to me. Can a school district buy 1,000 iPads ($500,000) and purchase one iBook to put on all devices ($15)? (total $500,015). The original cost of those books, which would last about a decade, is about $100, so the textbook investment seems a lot cheaper ($100,000). Or are kids supposed to bring their own iPads ($500 is a lot for some families expecting "free" eduction) and the district provides licenses for the books ($15,000 for one subject per year for the above example, $150,000 over 10 years). That's still more expensive than paper books.
  - smspence 15y ago
    I started typing a response, and then I realized that there is absolutely no point to this discussion. Are we really going to speculate on the financial situation of every school in the United States? We have no idea what the financial / licensing situation is, so all we are doing is just speculating. Here is the main take-away from today's event: Apple made some cool tools to enable people to use really neat educational materials, and also simplifies the process of producing said material. Why are we going off on all these other tangents?
TheFuture 15y ago
The richest kids? No way, this is far more beneficial to the poorest kids in the worst school districts in the US (and world)! The richest kids can already go to private schools and get a great prep education. The poorest kids are stuck in terrible public school districts because of their zipcode, yet the per pupil spending can be as high as private schools. Now if these kids are given a choice, say, here's a voucher for $10k, enroll in a virtual school, get an $500 iPad loaded with $100 worth of material. That's a BARGAIN! And it will only get cheaper. The future of education is choice and private schools. It can still be public in terms of it being funded by public funds, but there's no reason to have the government running schools. They're doing a terrible job, and it has to stop because it's so important that we have good schools.

by fredley 15y ago

keeran 15y ago

"We wanted to get started with partners early, so we're starting with high school textbooks priced at $14.99 or less. " edit: source http://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/19/live-coverage-of-apples-education-focused-media-event/ http://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/19/live-coverage-of-apples-...

omfg 15y ago

That's one assumption. The other is that over the course of a 4 year high school or college run. The cost of a 499 iPad + 15 dollar books is significantly cheaper than say 6-7 60+ dollar books per semester. Schools can loan out iPads that they get at a discount from Apple, or colleges can even include them in the cost of tuition. I know quite a few people in college right now that receive a Macbook Pro as part of their college tuition (with no option to decline it and save on tuition). So an iPad would be significantly cheaper than that, and arguably just as useful for most college curriculums.

streptomycin 15y ago
> That's one assumption. The other is that over the course of a 4 year high school or college run. The cost of a 499 iPad + 15 dollar books is significantly cheaper than say 6-7 60+ dollar books per semester. Only if you assume that iPads never break, all textbooks will be published with iPad versions (otherwise you'd need an iPad and some normal textbooks), you can't buy used textbooks, and you can't sell your textbooks when you're done with them.
- omfg 15y ago
  I'm not sure the need to re-sell a 15 dollar eBook. Damaging the iPad is a concern, so is theft. But there are too many scenarios there to analyze the economics of each. For instance, say an iPad + eBooks replaces a laptop with textbooks, the iPad is cheaper to replace than a laptop. What if you lose your book bag full of 5 new 80 dollar text books, then it's a wash. The cost of 8 semesters worth of textbooks might be more expensive than the cost of 3 499 iPads + eBooks. So forth. Textbooks + iPad versions. More of a problem in college than high school where the schools often have long term contracts with the publishers. All in all, it seems like a step in the right direction. Also, one can imagine that Apple is going to keep the iPad 2 on the market at a reduced cost when the iPad 3 comes out, similarly to what they've done with the iPhone. So over time it'll become even more cost effective.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

johnnyn 15y ago

iBooks Author gives teachers the opportunity to create and update their own textbooks, which has been a common desire for teachers. They'll finally be able have their textbooks match the curriculum they have in mind. It might not fix America's education problem, but it's a step in the right direction.

fredley 15y ago
For those that can afford it.
- smspence 15y ago
  I don't understand the point of this comment. Can you elaborate?

saturdaysaint 15y ago

I'll be surprised if the iPad doesn't dip to $400 this year, and I'd be shocked if schools don't get bulk discounts on top of that. And there's no reason to assume that $15 is the absolute minimum price - we'll see free alternatives in the near future. I'm jealous of the kids - I remember lugging around 30 pounds of books and a bulky binder everywhere, and even then making frequent locker runs. And I have few fond memories of textbooks in technical subjects, where a few simple demonstrations (now embedable!) could often go further than a mountain of diagrams and words.

drumdance 15y ago
On that note, is the iPad + keyboard close enough to a laptop that it can replace it for students in college? Obviously not for engineering students, but possibly good enough for liberal arts?
- ChrisLTD 15y ago
  Writing a paper would be an enormous pain. Typing text is fine, but editing is frustrating. Selecting text with your finger is imprecise, pasting is finicky, and jumping around a document quickly is pretty tough.
  - dunham 15y ago
    I've had the same experience with editing text, it gets really frustrating at times. I often find it's faster to delete chunks of text and rewrite them rather than edit. (I type reasonably quickly on the iPad.) But now that I think about it, if you actually have a keyboard attached to the device this is a solved problem. Just port emacs or vi.
    - schrieaj 15y ago
      Why port? Just ssh to a terminal somewhere in your university. Pop open emacs/vim and typset with TeX. I did this with my netbook a couple times. Even let me print the paper.

maercsrats 15y ago

I just moved to IN so I need to double check the school system here but I do know about the TN system. My knowledge will vary county to county but in general I think this is true. I also made a comment above but will reprint some of it here. I'm sorry but, what the hell are you talking about? Many schools require students to have laptops in high school now. Teachers are constantly being told that then need to use more and more technology in their classrooms to better engage their students. If there aren't students who can afford machines then they are given one in class. My mom is a 7th grade reading/writing teacher in a small (around 18K in the county) west-TN town. Her little school has an ipad cart. Every student does their writing (typing really) on an ipad. Both kids and teachers love it. The news today will probably thrill all of them.

smspence 15y ago

Where did anyone say that kids' parents will have to buy these? And where are you getting this "thousands of dollars" figure from? Most high school students don't have to buy textbooks at all. The school provides them. And nowadays, most schools already have iPads and laptops (school-owned, the parents do not buy them) that the students use in the class room. I imagine this is something that the schools will be interested in buying. A close friend of mine is a 4th grade teacher, and it is amazing how much technology they have in the class room now. Laptops and iPads for almost every single student. This is not a school for "rich kids" either. It is an elementary school in a small town in Iowa, and not a "rich" area in any way. I just laugh and roll my eyes when I read all the comments here that act like someone is going to hold a gun to a poor parent's head and force them to go without buying food because they have to buy iPads and "thousands of dollars" worth of books. Where is this coming from?

jonhohle 15y ago
The licensing and economics isn't clear to me. Can a school district buy 1,000 iPads ($500,000) and purchase one iBook to put on all devices ($15)? (total $500,015). The original cost of those books, which would last about a decade, is about $100, so the textbook investment seems a lot cheaper ($100,000). Or are kids supposed to bring their own iPads ($500 is a lot for some families expecting "free" eduction) and the district provides licenses for the books ($15,000 for one subject per year for the above example, $150,000 over 10 years). That's still more expensive than paper books.
- smspence 15y ago
  I started typing a response, and then I realized that there is absolutely no point to this discussion. Are we really going to speculate on the financial situation of every school in the United States? We have no idea what the financial / licensing situation is, so all we are doing is just speculating. Here is the main take-away from today's event: Apple made some cool tools to enable people to use really neat educational materials, and also simplifies the process of producing said material. Why are we going off on all these other tangents?

TheFuture 15y ago

The richest kids? No way, this is far more beneficial to the poorest kids in the worst school districts in the US (and world)! The richest kids can already go to private schools and get a great prep education. The poorest kids are stuck in terrible public school districts because of their zipcode, yet the per pupil spending can be as high as private schools. Now if these kids are given a choice, say, here's a voucher for $10k, enroll in a virtual school, get an $500 iPad loaded with $100 worth of material. That's a BARGAIN! And it will only get cheaper. The future of education is choice and private schools. It can still be public in terms of it being funded by public funds, but there's no reason to have the government running schools. They're doing a terrible job, and it has to stop because it's so important that we have good schools.