Live Coverage of Apple's Education Event in Chicago

[CWallace]

I give you the display. However, if you compare with the 329 iPad and the older 9.7 inch iPad Pro... It shows that old iPad Pro is way overpriced.

The 9.7 iPad Pro is no longer in production and when they launched it two years ago, it was a significant upgrade across the board from the iPad Air 2 (which was the non-Pro model available at the same time) which was the same $599 for a 64GB model (compared to the 32GB in the Pro) but had a worse screen, a less-powerful and capable CPU/GPU/MCP, lacked a Smart Connector (so no Smart Keyboard) and didn't support the Apple Pencil. I'd argue the Air 2 was the overpriced model in comparison.

 

[macduke]

With this solid performing, yet well-priced cheaper iPad using the same-old iPad design we've known for years, I have to wonder if at WWDC we'll get that iPad X with all the new technology such as an edge to edge display with Face ID. Just as long as they keep the top and bottom bezel really thin and don't do a notch. The notch doesn't bother me much on the iPhone X but on an iPad it would be really annoying since many people use their iPads in different orientations all day, unlike the iPhone which is mostly used in landscape for video only where it's less noticeable unless you zoom in.

 

[LovingTeddy]

No. It's 2017's iPad 9.7, except for the chip and pencil support. iPad Pros have other differences, like the screen, thickness, keyboard connector, etc.

they must have changed the screen... As far as i know, Apple Penci is designed to work with iPad Pro’s screen. If Apple didn’t change the screen, does that means Apple Pencicl will work with the 2017 iPad, because screen didn’t change at all?

 

[dgdosen]

apple is playing catch up to google in the classroom. my kids school district has pretty much adopted google classroom (with docs, etc) as their standard. feels like apple is late to the game with "classroom". of course there is the question (which may be answered somewhere, so I apologize if I haven't looked for it yet) of whether classroom will only work with apple devices/ipads or will be cross platform. more choice is always good for the consumer (and in this case education), but it seems like the ship has sailed for some schools/districts unless the google suite fails miserably and they look to change.

This whole event boils down to:

- new iPads!
- Our silo is more siloed than ever - don't use the other guys.

If Apple really wanted to serve education, and if education entities leveraged their unified strength, they could insist on an environment that worked with both Apple and Google products (and MS/others) and online services (dropbox/khan academy/...) - because these silos don't help education. If I were a school administrator, I'd be wary of tying anything to one company.

 

[AppLearnStay]

to be honest this is DOA. now the chromebook tablet with stylus looks better.
they already work with g suites for education seamlessly. unlimited storage for google drive,gmail, photos, google docs etc.

 

[L-Viz]

MacRumors should really rethink the buyers guide:

Buy now
Neutral
Caution
Don't buy
Buy now cause Timmy is gonna kill it forever

 

[4jasontv]

So the 200 GB iCloud is for iPads activated with a school Apple ID and shared across all devices, or for students with their own device and Apple ID?

 

[yaxomoxay]

While you are correct that many districts are using Google, and Google definitely has a strong foothold on education right now, Google Classroom is nowhere near as extensive as what Apple is showing here. What Apple is showing is far more advanced as best I can tell from the presentation.

You might be right, but this event tells me that Apple has no clue about the legwork in School/Gov’t admin. It will be very difficult for any CIO or even Superintendent - let alone a principal - to request the necessary amount of money to make a difference in the district by implementing such a system. A superintendent would have to make the case - beforehand - that the district would save lots of money by investing beforehand. If not save, at least to mantain the cost point for a better value. Once the basic system is in place, and only then, you can grab the district/agency by the horns and ask for more money.

 

[gtg465x]

So to get an iPad with keyboard and pencil is basically $500. Google must be laughing right now.

Well, they just announced that third party styluses are now supported (Logitech Crayon for $50). So you could potentially get a third party keyboard and stylus for closer to $400.

 

[deanthedev]

Just annual routine iPad updates, just added pencil support. I don’t see how this is going to create a market strome.

In other hand, just tell you how over priced iPad Pro is

Lots of readers here said they'd buy a new iPad at $329 with Pencil support. Getting the A10 (which mops the floor with every single Android tablet on the planet) is an added bonus.

Both my daughters have iPad Pros. I don't consider them overpriced at all.

 

[Cashmonee]

This is frustrating. As a teacher in a one-to-one Chromebook school, I am desperate for someone to come in and compete with Google. The Chromebooks in most schools are not good devices and are not particularly good at anything more than word processing and searching the internet. Apple could really pose a challenge if they would put together an iOS device with Pencil and attached keyboard that was reasonably priced. All of the classroom management stuff they are showing looks far more advanced than what Google offers for teachers.

 

[MrBat]

So, pencil not included with iPad? Meh

 

[ScooterComputer]

Yeah, +$130 for LTE/GPS, according to Apple's official press release. What jerks. $459 for a tablet that a) knows where it is and b) can talk to the world while outside.

What especially infuriates me is that Apple's "What's a computer?" iPad commercial with the girl shows her doing A LOT OF STUFF that would require cellular connectivity to work correctly. I didn't like the commercial because it basically was bait and switch, showing consumers, overtly, an experience only available at the time (Pencil) on a Pro model few students (none in Public School programs) were going to get, and when given the chance to make the FULL commercial a reality for all students, they still exact their $130 "tax". Good luck, kids! You now have Pencil support, but once you leave the classroom, forget about talking to the Library at Alexandria that is "the Internet".

 

[CWallace]

Apple was never going to seriously try and compete with Chromebooks on a direct initial-purchase-price basis. They're going to push the "overall value and cost of ownership" angle just as they do with all their other products. For those whom the initial price is most important, that means they will not buy iPads. Just as they do not buy Macs or iPhones.

With this solid performing, yet well-priced cheaper iPad using the same-old iPad design we've known for years, I have to wonder if at WWDC we'll get that iPad X with all the new technology such as an edge to edge display with Face ID.

iPad Pro updates would logically be done at WWDC.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Apple was never going to seriously try and compete with Chromebooks on a direct initial-purchase-price basis. They're going to push the "overall value and cost of ownership" angle just as they do with all their other products. For those whom the initial price is most important, that means they will not buy iPads. Just as they do not buy Macs or iPhones.

Then they will never succeed in their efforts with governments and school districts.

 

[Ries]

Lots of readers here said they'd buy a new iPad at $329 with Pencil support. Getting the A10 (which mops the floor with every single Android tablet on the planet) is an added bonus.

Both my daughters have iPad Pros. I don't consider them overpriced at all.

You're like the guy who bought a gold Apple Watch for his dog, he didn't think they're overpriced either...

 

[dgdosen]

This is frustrating. As a teacher in a one-to-one Chromebook school, I am desperate for someone to come in and compete with Google. The Chromebooks in most schools are not good devices and are not particularly good at anything more than word processing and searching the internet. Apple could really pose a challenge if they would put together an iOS device with Pencil and attached keyboard that was reasonably priced. All of the classroom management stuff they are showing looks far more advanced than what Google offers for teachers.

You're a power in a huge market. Get other educators united and demand better from your vendors! Make Apple and Google (and others) work on a platform that YOU want.

 

[Wondercow]

Joswiak says education apps on iPad "go way beyond browser-based apps," which infers that they are better than Chrome OS apps.

Imply and infer are not synonyms, guys

 

[mail4asim]

Call me crazy, but the iCloud drive doesn't have real sharing capabilities. Google drive is much better. Plus I rather use a chromebook that has a good built in keyboard than an iPad with tiny keyboard. With all the typing required for homework assignments, iPad is not for students like me.

 

[rtomyj]

If they offered a $199 iPad with an Apple Pencil then we’d be talking.

This ain’t an Android OEM, bud. Apple makes its margins on hardware unlike the other side where they sell info or don’t make a profit.

This isn’t bad. I’ve been getting used to my Pro (had an iPad years ago) and taking and reading notes is more engaging than on my Mac. Having said that, I prefer pencil and paper for school notes. If your into digital learning an iPad is the best bet (apps, support (both software and hardware), and its pretty decent hardware for the price.

 

[psymac]

So I have the 2017 iPad, I got it for $300 but am still in my return period, if I do not care about the apple pencil is there a good reason to return it for this?

Yes, several.

 

[rui no onna]

Lots of readers here said they'd buy a new iPad at $329 with Pencil support. Getting the A10 (which mops the floor with every single Android tablet on the planet) is an added bonus.

Both my daughters have iPad Pros. I don't consider them overpriced at all.

In fairness, this iPad is almost half the price of the Pro 10.5.

 

[Michael Goff]

Then they will never succeed in their efforts with governments and school districts.

I’d argue they have a chance in places that actually fund education.

 

[Kobayagi]

Loving the font they are using for this presentation.

 

[Cashmonee]

You might be right, but this event tells me that Apple has no clue about the legwork in School/Gov’t admin. It will be very difficult for any CIO or even Superintendent - let alone a principal - to request the necessary amount of money to make a difference in the district by implementing such a system. A superintendent would have to make the case - beforehand - that the district would save lots of money by investing beforehand. If not save, at least to mantain the cost point for a better value. Once the basic system is in place, and only then, you can grab the district/agency by the horns and ask for more money.

That's not exactly how the funding works. Schools could purchase these if they wanted to. The problem is that it is difficult to push an iPad without a keyboard at this price versus the $200 Lenovo Chromebook that integrates with the Google Apps that many (most?) have switched to. Apple's classroom tools look lightyears ahead of Google's, but the fact that Google has crippled their apps on tablets (especially iOS) make it a tough sell in the end.