Apple Offers to Replace iPads With MacBooks in Maine State Classrooms

[tennisproha]

The problem is, IMO, iPads are so hard to type on. Without a physical keyboard, it's slower, difficult, and tiring than typing on a MacBook. Plus formatting something on any iOS device is a disaster. Even typing this post on my iPhone, if I ever need to highlight, copy, or paste something it's just too cumbersome and buggy.

 

[Wildkraut]

The better choice overall, but some have gone with Chromebooks.

Well i put the Chromebooks into the *a bit harsh* "toys" category, too. It doesn't have a decent OS yet and is mainly web driven. In addition to this, many software missing.

 

[Deuce on the Clock]

iPads should have been used as a way to get rid of hard copy books. All of your course material on one device. A keyboard and mouse would be a huge plus as well. Add in better APP development for each grade/course and training for educators would have been good too. Lastly, a better way to lock down the device so it cannot be used for video, games, messaging etc.

 

[thermodynamic]

"At no cost?" That remains to actually be seen... For-profit companies don't live on altruism, which Ayn Rand called "evil". They exist to profit and to engineer a need to get people to spend, thus to satiate the need for monetary profit. If they did, then - for one example - we wouldn't have a student loan crisis because colleges wouldn't bleed people dry with cost, nor would companies demand potential employees have college degrees (or actually hire people to train, especially since the company then gets responsibility instead of getting to scapegoat excuse after excuse...)

Why do people prefer laptops? The chiclet keyboard design is admittedly better than tapping on glass, but isn't the same as a full sized keyboard. Maybe it's easier for the kiddies to hide behind the part of the laptop that sticks up and blocking teacher's view? Remember how it was Tim Cook who was blaming America's educational system as to why he won't hire here.

Oh, while iThings have "reinvented reading" (with animated imagery, which isn't reinvention but elimination), developing countries have managed to put out so many more people without the need for them. Granted, there are legitimate reasons but back in Debate class the first lesson was to never appease opposing viewpoints... which makes sense, depending...

 

[Night Spring]

posting on this forum even instant messaging with friends is not something I find it is a good device for.

I do all my forum posting and text messaging on my iPad. It might not work for you, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work for everybody else.

As for a home NAS, how do you get the video off the iPad into the NAS and vice versa? It's so complicated I don't even know of a way to do that which iMovie would even support.

There are apps, like FileBrowser and GoodReader, that you can use to transfer files between iPads and home NAS. Not sure I'd want to transfer large video files this way, as that'll take a lot of time, but the process isn't complicated. Well, I don't know about iMovie, so it may have some ridiculous limitation like not supporting "open in..." But in general, file transfer over wifi network, including to a home NAS, is simple to do, and I sometimes find myself using FileBrowser on my iPad to transfer files from a computer to another computer, rather than getting up and walking to the computer to do it.

And, unlike desktops, the only way significant threat is a kid trying to root the Chromebook to load a Linux Distro... something I doubt any 6th, 7th or 8th grader is going to do.

Why do you say that? I can understand not many middle school students might be interested in Linux, but if a kid that age happened to be motivated to do such a thing, I wouldn't put it past them to figure out how to do it.

 

[MartiNZ]

Apple realises that the iPad is too much fun for schools standards

Maybe they can bring back the "funnest ever" slogan.

I've never been able to take the iPad seriously as for anything other than games, and there are enough other devices for that that I have never felt the need for one. My Surface Pro -can- do games, but with a full OS it is much easier to do things with files, and work things, so I fully agree with what is happening with this case.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

And Chromebooks are just a web browser.

Oh they'll someday be able to run Android apps... but those will just be blown up phone apps.

I'm curious... are Chromebooks good because they are shaped like a laptop? Because from a software standpoint... Chromebooks don't seem to offer as much as an iPad.

I'd be interested to know what software is available for Chromebooks but not for iPads.

Chromebooks have a keyboard and a trackpad. The have full Google Drive capabilities, while iPads have the crummy apps. Those three things actually make a much more serious machine than an iPad. Also, chromebooks wouldnt work in many classrooms where a serious word processor, video editor, etc is needed.

 

[PizzaBoxStyle]

When Apple decides to make iPad Pro's truly professional and offer more of an OS X experience then I'll listen...until then quit BS'g us Cook

That's my biggest problem with Cook. He lies, and lies and lies. The dishonesty coming from Apple over the last two years or is completely out of line, and is well beyond "just hype" or exaggeration.

What we see in this article is those lies finally catching up with them. And I think that once the general public has figured out how much they've been lied to and taken advantage of, Apple won't be able to give away thier goods, let alone sell them. It'll be like 1995 all over again, even if the Apple product is better, it won't matter because people will only care about the competition.

As for the "post-pc era," good riddance you bastard.
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Chromebooks have a keyboard and a trackpad. The have full Google Drive capabilities, while iPads have the crummy apps. Those three things actually make a much more serious machine than an iPad. Also, chromebooks wouldnt work in many classrooms where a serious word processor, video editor, etc is needed.

That last point... That's why it's important for schools to keep thier shared labs.

 

[amegicfox]

An award needs to be give to Tim Kardashian and Phil Schiller for their keynote "iPad is a perfect replacement for your laptop". They don't have a clue and obviously can't lead. They can only take order from a smart CEO. Left alone they are a mess and they are destroying Apple.

Tim is so out of touch with consumers, he thinks the plane needs to replace the train, the train needs to replace the bus, the bus needs to replace the car, the car needs to replace the motorcycle and the motorcycle needs to replace the bicycle.

Tim and Phil, you will not be able to kill either the laptop or desktop, they are here to stay for many, many years to come.

If you force kill them, it will be the end for Apple once for good.

Please I beg the Apple board to fire both of them today.

 

[neutralguy]

+1!!

This whole story is about the question of devices in the classroom, not iPad vs laptop. Kids simply do not need "technology" in the classroom to learn. A laptop is equally pointless and unnecessary.

And the dumb teacher quotes show that the staff had zero training or understanding of iOS and iPads, because honestly you can count on one hand the tasks that a legacy laptop is still superior at.

I thought Apple products need zero training!
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Apple has an uphill battle with trying to establish themselves in the education sector. With tight budgets, it makes little sense for public schools to spend so much money on iPads (or MacBooks) when you can get Chromebooks for a lot less.

My kid's school system has done that and I know more school systems in my vicinity that uses Chromebooks over iPads

Another thing to realize that iPad is not good for the kids fingers. Typing on a hard surface is not good idea for a long period of times.

 

[3568378]

+1!!

This whole story is about the question of devices in the classroom, not iPad vs laptop. Kids simply do not need "technology" in the classroom to learn. A laptop is equally pointless and unnecessary.

And the dumb teacher quotes show that the staff had zero training or understanding of iOS and iPads, because honestly you can count on one hand the tasks that a legacy laptop is still superior at.

Couldn't agree more. I could barely stay focused in high school algebra with Snake hack loaded by the class nerd onto my Ti-83. What I would have had to overcome with an iPad (aka toy) in front of my face would have been unbearable. Thankful I was a class of 1999 and didn't have to worry about such nonsense...as well as Facebook.

 

[Regbial]

Damn... I was thinking of getting a new iMac and an iPad to be it's companion for university. That way I get the best of both worlds: a powerful machine and a lighter portable one that syncs with it with iCloud. Is this just a bad idea? This article is giving me doubts.

I could get another bluetooth keyboard and use it with the iPad, practically turning it into a laptop, no?

 

[RootBeerMan]

Both of my kids use iPads as part of their daily school work. Plenty of apps for education out there and the teachers in the schools here took the time to get educated on how to use them. They're not having to carry tons of textbooks around and have access to distractions blocked at the Middle School level. High School will be getting more stuff blocked next year. All in all the iPad environment has been a rousing success in our local school system. (2 Middle Schools and a High School, grades 6-12). While I could see some advantages to a laptop, the iPad more than meets their needs.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

iPads won't replace MacBook Pros? Does Tim know that yet?

Tim: An iPad will NEVER replace a MacBook Pro for nearly 50% of people, so STOP planning to wipe out the notebook line. STOP making them with non-upgradeable storage. STOP making them with 'crap' graphics...

Just sayin'...

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Isn't it obvious? Those students and teachers...they're wrong. And the people on the Apple fan board...they're right.

basically. Or they are Ipad users are using remote applications to talk to another system that actually does a fair amount of work. Saw that in the IPP threads....the big one its great for remote desktop it seems. My stance is if you are remoting a more full blown computer often...you haven't replaced it. You have added a step as to how you enter it.


Educational needs can also vary. Maybe an English major type of student can run ipad fine. Cool for them. But not an indicator of it can be for everyone basically. I know from science realms I use a fair number of tools that are Linux based, usually CLI run and just ported over to mac os and windows. They can't come to iOS, its too restrictive.

 

[sexiewasd]

One of my favorite apps for iPad is onshape, it's a really powerful CAD program, but still less powerful than it's desktop counterpart. That's the problem, almost all developers release light version apps for touch devices, and more powerful siblings on the desktop. In onshape's case it's entirely cloud based with a subscription, so there isn't a good reason for it, but still iOS and android versions are stripped down, you can't even export from iOS. Yes you can do the same things on iOS as OS X for the most part, but to pretend that it is a smooth workflow is delusional. It's not really Apple, or google's fault, but rather developers aren't willing to take the plunge.

I really do believe that MacBooks are overkill for up to high school, but we really need education courses designed with the iPad and android devices in mind. All homework and text could be distributed, and graded digitally, with interactive activities.

Btw I survived the Maine school system myself. I was in 3rd grade when my school (larger than the school discussed) got our first computer, a Macintosh SE.

 

[MacAddict1978]

I bought my iPad for my senior studies and it was Great! I had been taking my MacBook to school but got sick of it. Better than a Laptop for battery life, better for textbooks, lighter, great for in class research for tasks, annotating books and textbooks. Did most of my writing in books as doing it all on a computer isn't the greatest idea. It was very good and that was under iOS 5 and 6 - many advances have been made since then.

I also had the self control to ensure I didn't waste my time on it. Surely with the iOS 9.3 education update, keeping a class on track would be much easier.

I think the problem is that plenty of schools will introduce technology for the heck of it. Money is dumped on iPads but no thought is put into making them work in schools, not to mention that technology is not even needed in many of the situations that it is shoehorned into. Teachers need to be trained and good workflows and integration need to be identified and taught.

Honestly, I think this gives more cause for why a surface like device is best. What you used the ipad for is great... ebooks are great on tablets.... the rest.... not so much (writing papers, projects, note taking, etc).

I wish apple would do a surface like macbook. Why must they be so stubborn? I don't doubt it will happen someday, but doubt it's anytime soon. They need spanked more with sales shifting to hybrids.
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Good for you, I do wonder if handwriting will be a dying skill? So many parts of life are typed now.
Although an Apple Pencil would help of course.
Do you have an iPad Pro or regular iPad?

Many schools have stopped teaching cursive. I do not understand this.

 

[Night Spring]

Damn... I was thinking of getting a new iMac and an iPad to be it's companion for university. That way I get the best of both worlds: a powerful machine and a lighter portable one that syncs with it with iCloud. Is this just a bad idea? This article is giving me doubts.

It's not like the school system tried giving their students iMac + iPad, so I don't understand why you think their experience is in any way relevant to your planned setup.

For what it's worth, I think iMac + iPad would be an excellent setup for university students, even more so if you get an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard.

 

[sirozha]

Cost. If the base price is at 2k US or higher it would be a no-go.
Still, a very good idea. Still far tougher than it sounds. A totally new OS

This doesn't have to be a totally new OS. This can be the same kernel with two different GUI layers, perhaps running as VMs. Apple actually seems to be working toward that end, having created OS X Hypervisor.Framework last year. There's already a hypervisor on the Mac app store called Veertu, which is utilizing OS X Hypervisor.Framework. This is their blog: http://veertu.com/uncovering-os-x-hypervisor-framework/

I cannot believe that Apple is not looking into merging OS X and iOS. In fact, that new thing that everyone will feel they must have, which Tim Cook mentioned recently, may very well be this new fusion device. I would even suggest a name for it - MacFusion running FusionOS.

 

[kazmac]

I'd love it if my university supplied us with MacBooks.

As some have said, the teachers had little to no training so how could they help the students get the most of out the iPads? It's just a shame the teachers weren't taught how to use these or work out a viable plan. Still, if Apple is cutting them that much of a deal, I can understand they would switch back to something more comfortable.

As I've said elsewhere, I think it's terrific people are using their iPads and now iPad Pros as their primary computing device.

 

[ITGuy]

Apple is basically running the iPad product line into the ground. iOS is severely lacking, not to mention the absurdly glacial iOS incremental feature enhancements for it. It's so sad to see, but Apple deserves to be panned. The iPad form factor is almost perfect, but there's no way I would consider it substitute for a PC or laptop without major enhancements to iOS. People are sticking with their iPad 2 devices as the product has not evolved enough after all these years.

 

[bretm]

Love it when 21 year olds call themselves old lol

Back in my day, people didn't even have cell phones. Not even basic flip phones. If you wanted to get a call, you needed to be at home. Tech these days...kids are incredibly spoiled

When everyone has a cell phone it's not spoiled, it's just keeping up. If they had a car phone in our day, they'd have been spoiled. Yeah, before cell phones we just had just car phones. If you had that little antenna you were cool. People bought false ones and stuck them on their car!

 

[I7guy]

Apple is basically running the iPad product line into the ground. iOS is severely lacking, not to mention the absurdly glacial iOS incremental feature enhancements for it. It's so sad to see, but Apple deserves to be panned. The iPad form factor is almost perfect, but there's no way I would consider it substitute for a PC or laptop without major enhancements to iOS. People are sticking with their iPad 2 devices as the product has not evolved enough after all these years.

I see your point as we have two iPad 2s in the house. What gets updated are the phones and one could say functionally there is little you could do on a 6s that you couldn't do on a 4s. FaceTime, iMessage, maps, etc. Sure hardware is updated, same as iPad Pro as compared to ipad 2.

 

[patohi]

iPads in schools are an absolute headache to manage.
Apple recently released some better tools, but it's just too late.
And of course price. You can get 2 chromebooks for the price of 1 iPad....

 

[chukronos]

a three year old iPad is definitely not as useful as a three year old laptop. This is the case, simply because of iOS updates. a three year old iPad is ridiculously slow. Not surprised by this at all.