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Apple Offers to Replace iPads With MacBooks in Maine State Classrooms

Lancetx said:
Did you actually read the linked story? It's obviously not "rubbish" as it was just done at a major PGA golf tournament... :rolleyes:
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The article practically came out and said that the only real advantage of the iPhone was to allow him camera access to places he wouldn't usually have access to. A compact camera allows essentially the same benefits, including editing and quick sharing as new models have touch screens and wireless connections.

He can't do action photography, quality of the photos is lower, there is no zoom and there is a reduced level of flexibility with an iPhone. I could sure see an iPhone being adopted specifically for the type of photos that the article talks about, but it would be in addition to other cameras to fulfil other roles.
 
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Are those ethernet cables hanging down from the ceiling in the background? If so, that school's IT department should be fired. That's really tacky.
 
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urtules said:
Interesting but at the same time iPad has better screen quality. Latests iPad devices even adjust screen temperature depending on lights outside, it is more comfortable.
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And at three times cheaper than an iPad Pro, I don't think the screen quality jump is that important, or the true tone display. The Chromebook also has a keyboard built in, usually better than Apple's smart keyboard. I also like the idea that the Chromebook is probably less breakable than that very easy to smash iPad Screen.

Its all swings and roundabouts, for schools it will depend on available funds and needs.
 
I'm from Maine, and I agree that laptops are going to be more useful. When I was in the 7th grade I had to type up my science fair report on a typewriter because we could not afford a computer, and the public library's few computers were always in use. It made things a lot harder because I couldn't use the school's computers in the evening or weekends, and there was no public transportation to go elsewhere.

Especially in public schools, having a access to a laptop will be a huge boost for families who otherwise would not be able to afford to set their kids up with a computer. These things can be expensive and having a uniform computer for all the students allows them to have equal opportunities.

Glad that they get a boost because they're going to need it.
 
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Abazigal said:
You know, reading the comments here, I can't help but wonder just how much of the problem is due to the limitations of the iPad, and how much is due to the close-mindedness of the people using them and their unwillingness / inability to change their usage patterns.

I mean, we have people maintaining entire websites using their iPad, like Macstories. Sure, it's more the exception than the norm for now, but it also shows what is possible if the user cares enough to want to master the iPad in its entirety.
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You kinda sorta hit the nail on the head. There has to be teacher, student, parent buy-in with an effective usable infrastructure in place.

Real event (names changed): Ms. Smith is teacher of the year. Her students rated above the curve and scored there. She pushes interaction and peer integration. She comes into a training class during the summer and is informed that she must now do it all via an iPad and can no longer use her successful tools. What are the odds she is still teacher of the year and her students continue to do as well?
 
sunapple said:
My sister has used the iPad in class for two years now (she's 14 now) and I think the excellent games for iPad are the main reason why the iPad is not a great idea for education. It ignited a school-wide addiction to Minecraft and YouTube and some kids are even watching Netflix in class from what I've been hearing.

I'm 21 and in my time (damn, I'm old) we weren't even allowed to use our phones anywhere in school in the first years of smartphones (2007-2009). Now they all have iPads and they're watching Netflix; seriously? Teachers back in 2007 sure were on to something.

Easy to see why Chromebooks are doing so great in the US.
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No chance of students watching Netflix and Gaming there...
 
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Lancetx said:
Did you actually read the linked story? It's obviously not "rubbish" as it was just done at a major PGA golf tournament... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I read the story and the benefit of the iphone was it was small so it could be taken in places where cameras were not allowed. The photographer also had to use weird work flows like having to go into airplane mode before editing pictures. The photographer also mentioned a BIG limitation for sports pictures while using the iphone, the iphone takes bad action shots. Not very good for sports with people moving around fast, which is why this guy was using the iphone to take pictures of golfers (not a lot of action).
 
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M. Gustave said:
+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.
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Agree wholeheartedly. I teach a writing class and we do zero devices in class. People are more engaged and present in discussions because their faces are not buried in screens. What notes people do have to take are easily jotted down with (gasp) a pen.
 
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sunapple said:
My sister has used the iPad in class for two years now (she's 14 now) and I think the excellent games for iPad are the main reason why the iPad is not a great idea for education. It ignited a school-wide addiction to Minecraft and YouTube and some kids are even watching Netflix in class from what I've been hearing.

I'm 21 and in my time (damn, I'm old) we weren't even allowed to use our phones anywhere in school in the first years of smartphones (2007-2009). Now they all have iPads and they're watching Netflix; seriously? Teachers back in 2007 sure were on to something.

Easy to see why Chromebooks are doing so great in the US.
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But it is not just iPads that kids are playing games on. MY son's middle school has adopted chrome books and he says many kids play games on their chrome books during class.
 
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Fancuku said:
That's what the ipad has always been. An expensive consumption device.
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I know that, you know that, most others do too - with the exception of apple it would seem.
Then again, they had to do something to stop the sliding sales.
 
Lancetx said:
I can totally relate. I have a 5K iMac at home for doing anything that requires any heavy lifting, but for absolutely everything else whether I'm at home or out somewhere, I use a 9.7" iPad Pro. I actually haven't had the need for a MacBook at all anymore ever since the first iPad Air with the A7 came out.
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Yep. When the Air came out my computer use was about 60/40ipad. Then the Air 2 came out and 99 percent of my home use was iPad. The Pro just amped it all up and made it that much better with the best screen to date in a mobile device. And the speakers still surprise me after two months. Really loving it outside of the occasional crashing from safari to Apple logo which hopefully gets resolved soon
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urtules said:
Interesting but at the same time iPad has better screen quality. Latests iPad devices even adjust screen temperature depending on lights outside, it is more comfortable.
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I would hope Apple brings true tone to all devices this year. It's amazing and all my other displays look so harsh in comparison.
 
Lancetx said:
Did you actually read the linked story? It's obviously not "rubbish" as it was just done at a major PGA golf tournament... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

And George RR Martin writes his novels on a DOS computer. My god, he's selling so many books and has a hit TV Show! we're all doing it wrong folks, throw your Macs in the trash and get that 386 out of the attic!

You see my point? One data point a trend does not make. Using a phone for that kind of work is idiotic.
 
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You don't say...

Of course the laptops are better, everything is better. A blown up cellphone iOS is not post-PC era device. As far as I am concerned, the current macbook is perfect for being as light as an iPad and as powerful as a real computer.

Although, reading is better on an iPad, like PDF or ebooks, but maybe you can hold the macbook vertically and the screen flips that way, who knows.
 
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The great thing about government is that nothing works, even when it does. You have to have done time in it to get that, especially in a support role. Or to put it another way, put an apple on your website and half the people will complain that it wasn't an orange.

This is an interesting story but not much more than that and it doesn't really tell us anything about the two platforms that we didn't know.

Me, I still dig the rMB size and keyboard but want the iOS functionality of touch to come with it. The damn 12.9 just isn't offering any solutions that isn't for all practical purposes a 13". So, I guess count me in with the guys who want the platforms merged.
 
They need to get Windows 95 desktop towers in these classrooms. Let kids use iPads at home, but make them use old tech that they have to take apart and fix in school... Otherwise who the heck is going to engineer the iPads of the future?

Obviously I am being absurd... But I do sometimes wonder how all of these locked down devices will affect the future.
 
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gotluck said:
god bless anyone who works in school IT
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I'm sure it's not the most fun environment but they shouldn't just hang ethernet cables from the drop ceiling like that. Looks like they need to set aside some of their IT budget for installing network jacks.
 
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oldmacs said:
The article practically came out and said that the only real advantage of the iPhone was to allow him camera access to places he wouldn't usually have access to. A compact camera allows essentially the same benefits, including editing and quick sharing as new models have touch screens and wireless connections.

He can't do action photography, quality of the photos is lower, there is no zoom and there is a reduced level of flexibility with an iPhone. I could sure see an iPhone being adopted specifically for the type of photos that the article talks about, but it would be in addition to other cameras to fulfil other roles.
Click to expand...

Chuckle. I have a wifi Rebel that can do so much better than any phone. ;)
 
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