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iPads are fine machines but they’re not laptops. You can get stuff done with them, but if you need to consistently get real work done you are limiting yourself if you go with an iPad over a MacBook.

What is real work for you? I studied Law and 99% of my work was reading, writing and researching in databases and over the internet. You dont need anything more than an iPad with a keyboard. I guess there are many more example.
 
iPads are fine machines but they’re not laptops. You can get stuff done with them, but if you need to consistently get real work done you are limiting yourself if you go with an iPad over a MacBook.
I have a “real world” job and 90% of my real world work is done on an iPad Air 3.
 
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Well, that’s nice and is useful for certain majors that do a lot of note-taking, but for certain others (like computer science), it won’t be enough. A M1 MBA would’ve been a no-brainer device, though the ARM architecture and lack of bootcamp wouldn’t work for some IT majors. Maybe a choice between the M1 and intel MBA?

Not that I wouldn’t still happily accept the ipad if given it for free rofl.
 
I'm wondering if the thinking is that the students will end up buying a laptop anyway, the iPad just helps them take digital notes, be mobile, use AR w/ the camera and so forth - and the buying decision overhead is just removed now that the college is supplying these.
 
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I think it's a wonderful idea to give free iPads to grade schoolers, but college students and their majors are extremely diverse. And they're adults who can either acquire the tools they need on their own or adapt.

I've worked for colleges in Maryland for a decade and I've seen impoverished students get what they need through grants, scholarships, loans, and working part time.

Giving them an iPad, and not even a top tier one, doesn't seem like a good use of money.
 
Out of curiosity, what was your major? I know several business majors and the most they needed was an office suite that was MS Office compatible on their MacBook. They never did any serious computation, and if needed there was a computer lab they could use.

Now, for some majors, a laptop is a must if you are doing regression analysis, (partial) differential equations, serious financial analysis, etc.


I would say as long as most can navigate through an office suite they have the computational skills they need.



Yes. I never liked the iWorks moniker, since my first WP was AppleWorks on a ][+. AppleWorks, IMHO, has a nicer ring to it. Just me being cantankerous.

Now, get off my lawn...
Hahaha, makes sense. AppleWorks does carry a more classic feel to it. Maybe with Apple starting their products/software lately with "Apple" (such as the Apple Watch, Apple TV), they'll come full circle and call the iWorks software suite "AppleWorks" again. The "i" prefix is so early 2000s.
 
As if tuition wasn't expensive enough. Those iPads aren't free and someone is paying for them.

I couldn't imagine the frustration at doing my engineering degree on an iPad. I guess it makes sense if you are there to do some useless liberal arts degree.
 
It better come with TikTok disabled :p Surprised why my school did not participate though (CSULB). I knew plenty of peers that did not have any sort of computer device and spent full days in the labs trying to do online reading and homework.
 
The 11 in with pencil is great for note taking and pdf annotations. I would enjoy typing on it however. I’d still need a Mac or laptop.
 
It was hard work to be honest. Feel exhausted today.



California State University today announced the launch of a new CSUCCESS program that is designed to provide equitable opportunities to students through the use of technology.

csu-ipad-program.jpg

The first phase of the initiative will see CSU providing a 64GB iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio to all incoming first year and transfer students at eight participating campuses in Fall 2021. Students will need to register to participate, and the CSUCCESS website says that with a keyboard attachment and pencil, the iPad Air is "comparable to a laptop."

CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said that the initiative will "assure that students have immediate access to innovative, new mobile tools they need to support their learning," with the iPad Air serving as a "powerful tool" that will prepare students for their future careers.

Susan Prescott, Apple's Vice President of Education and Enterprise Marketing, said that Apple is "thrilled" about the iPad Air rollout at CSU campuses.Students at the CSU campuses located in Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Northridge and San Marcos will be participating in the first phase of the program.

Article Link: California State University Offering iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and Keyboard to 35,000 Incoming Students

IS this not what Steve Jobs was trying to accomplish with the iPad 2 yet was pulled? Even with K12 education schools???

iPads are fine machines but they’re not laptops. You can get stuff done with them, but if you need to consistently get real work done you are limiting yourself if you go with an iPad over a MacBook.
Solution - VPN + RDP to a full desktop PC on campus when required for full desktop apps. Done & Done. I've seen countless corporations do this - in fact I'm doing this right now.
aking as a recent graduate, I definitely wouldn't have been as productive as I would have with an actual lapto
^ even better solution - he knows first hand how productive the iPad can be for focused work. If you're getting 'stuff done' @darcyf then you're getting stuff/work done. That's all that matters.
 
iPads are fine machines but they’re not laptops. You can get stuff done with them, but if you need to consistently get real work done you are limiting yourself if you go with an iPad over a MacBook.
I don't disagree with your basic statement, and agree a laptop is capable of many tasks and workflows that the ipad OS is not. I'd suggest, however, that you try to have more of an open mind when it comes to what defines work as real. I do real work on an ipad that I can't do with a laptop. Maybe my work is just different than your work.
 
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What is real work for you? I studied Law and 99% of my work was reading, writing and researching in databases and over the internet. You dont need anything more than an iPad with a keyboard. I guess there are many more example.
"reading, writing and researching in databases and over the internet" is much easier to do on a 27" monitor. Laptops work to a degree (better with a monitor). If one wants to teach students how to work/study inefficiently, the best way to do it is to give them a tablet.
 
iPads are fine machines but they’re not laptops. You can get stuff done with them, but if you need to consistently get real work done you are limiting yourself if you go with an iPad over a MacBook.

Ultimately depends on the nature of the work.

For example, when you are in a lecture or tutorial room, I see the value of having access to your notes in pdf format in notability, and being able to freely annotate on them with your Apple Pencil. And bonus - you are able to rest the ipad on your lap, rather than have that tiny auditorium desk taken over by a giant laptop.

I have been in numerous workshops and meetings and my ipad is easily the star of the show. It’s also great for presenting from, as well as storing and organising notes and teaching material.

In addition, I find that the best way to bring about a paradigm shift in how work gets done is to force change. Give people ipads, force them to adapt, and it will be interesting to see how people revise their workflows and work around limitations and constraints. You may just realise that a laptop wasn’t that integral to your work after all, and that an ipad brings with it its own share of strengths to the table.

I for one applaud any organisation who has the courage to try and break away from the “tried and tested” way of using PCs for “real work”, even if they do eventually fail.
 
I'm not sure why people think that an iPad works as a laptop. I mean, sure, you can use limited apps on it, but for whatever reason, the iPad OS is not made for advanced uses. That's not exactly how you prepare students for the future, unless you envision a future of professionals without advanced technical skills.
It all went downhill once people stopped using command line for everything. Kids today don’t even know how to compile Assembly.
 
A lucrative contract for Apple. And it keeps Chromebooks out of student’s hands. A win-win for Apple.
 
I have a “real world” job and 90% of my real world work is done on an iPad Air 3.
I have a "real world" job, and 99% of my real world work is done on a Mac, or on a Windows-emulating Mac :-D

Kudos to those who can actually make money with their tablet devices. It's impossible for me as a freelance translator—too many compromises, and the apps I need are not supported on iPadOS, unfortunately.

More than eleven years have passed since the iPad was first released, and the iPad is no more productive for me in my use case now in 2021 than it was when it was released.
 
In addition, I find that the best way to bring about a paradigm shift in how work gets done is to force change. Give people ipads, force them to adapt, and it will be interesting to see how people revise their workflows and work around limitations and constraints.
Forcing change is great, but when the change comes with too many constraints, then change alone is insufficient, I feel.

IMHO, technology (hardware) and software often change too quickly, to the point where great amounts of waste and unproductivity are generated.

Some changes are welcome and eventually result in lovely things. We just need to be careful of not forcing change for the sake of it. Sometimes, the devices and software solutions we had before would still work properly, if we only took the time to maintain them, rather than just casting them aside with every new product cycle as we chase after "the latest thing."
 
While some will no doubt dispute this statement, my experience is that for many students this will be true. Office or AppleWorks has more than enough power for most students needs; if you are going into a heavily computational field such as engineering then you'll need something more powerful, probably starting as a sophomore.

When you consider this saves ~1000$ out of pocket it's a pretty good idea.
Saves money for who?… not the tax payers.
 
I have a "real world" job, and 99% of my real world work is done on a Mac, or on a Windows-emulating Mac :-D

Kudos to those who can actually make money with their tablet devices. It's impossible for me as a freelance translator—too many compromises, and the apps I need are not supported on iPadOS, unfortunately.

More than eleven years have passed since the iPad was first released, and the iPad is no more productive for me in my use case now in 2021 than it was when it was released.
Yep. And it’s 11 years better for my work than it was when it came out. I’m thankful that I can carry 1# around.
 
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