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Having an ipad AND a laptop is anachronistic in today's era IMO, although that's what most ipad users do out of necessity and because Apple's coffers like it that way just fine.

We sort of agree on this..... but I view it as most people fall into an either / or but not both category depending on use case for the device. Most people will have an (smartphone AND a laptop) OR (smartphone AND a tablet) but not (smartphone AND laptop AND tablet). If my primary usage of a device is consumption then I would likely just have a tablet (slimmest lightest that meets my needs). I know plenty of people that just have a large phone because that is all they need. If my primary usage is actually doing work I want a solid laptop that does not feel like unbalanced and the keyboard an afterthought.... If I have a full laptop, I will rely on my phone for any tablet functionality of consumption.
 
And this is where we differ, I would never advocate putting OS X on an iPad since the form factor and kludging of add on keyboard technology is not great. OS X user interface and all the applications written on it are not developed with the user interface of touch being part of the equation and snapping it on after the fact just becomes annoying for a general computer user (controls too small, not organizing information to allow for bigger buttons for fat fingers, drop downs). Different device, different use case. One device does not suit every need perfectly and trying to force it only alienates people more than anything else. This is why forcing Windows 8.1 as the answer to everything on people that used their computers for productivity was widely rejected by most existing users and they refused to upgrade. It is also why businesses widely rejected any move and will stay with Windows 7, because it better meets their use case.
You're assuming Apple only does what Microsoft has done with Windows 8.

What if a iPad Pro device could run OSX and have a full desktop experience using USB-C and Bluetooth for attached mice, keyboard, and monitor? And then you could detach it and launch existing iPad apps on the go with a full touch experience? I would pay $1000 or more for such a device.
 
And this is where we differ, I would never advocate putting OS X on an iPad since the form factor and kludging of add on keyboard technology is not great. OS X user interface and all the applications written on it are not developed with the user interface of touch being part of the equation and snapping it on after the fact just becomes annoying for a general computer user (controls too small, not organizing information to allow for bigger buttons for fat fingers, drop downs). Different device, different use case. One device does not suit every need perfectly and trying to force it only alienates people more than anything else. This is why forcing Windows 8.1 as the answer to everything on people that used their computers for productivity was widely rejected by most existing users and they refused to upgrade. It is also why businesses widely rejected any move and will stay with Windows 7, because it better meets their use case.

Businesses would have stayed with XP if MS didn't EOL it, it's more of an issue with cost than anything and the fact that superficially windows 8 really didn't offer much over windows 7 for desktop users. Windows 8.1 didn't have any desktop issues beyond the start button/menu IMO, I think the media just likes something to pounce on. The only tangible difference in win 8.1 was the start menu/button which was what 99% of complainers complained about, and I agree with them. A simple 3 minutes downloading and installing the free Classic Shell solves that issue 100%. This isn't an excuse for Microsoft mangling the start button and decreasing desktop functionality though.

We definitely think differently, but that's ok :) we are just discussing viewpoints. I could never see carrying around a laptop and an iPad, then getting home and having yet another desktop there, and getting to work and having another desktop to connect to. I really like this new paradigm where I only have one device to rule them all. Windows 10 has continuum which switches you from tablet to desktop use intelligently, for example it will switch the size of taskbar buttons and such on the fly. Obviously a work in progress, but at least someone is advancing this.

The iPad was great for it's time, it was phenomenal and I'll remember it with fond memories. I'll also remember my Sony Walkman and corded telephone fondly, but there is no reason to limit myself anymore when better solutions have arrived.

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We sort of agree on this..... but I view it as most people fall into an either / or but not both category depending on use case for the device. Most people will have an (smartphone AND a laptop) OR (smartphone AND a tablet) but not (smartphone AND laptop AND tablet). If my primary usage of a device is consumption then I would likely just have a tablet (slimmest lightest that meets my needs). I know plenty of people that just have a large phone because that is all they need. If my primary usage is actually doing work I want a solid laptop that does not feel like unbalanced and the keyboard an afterthought.... If I have a full laptop, I will rely on my phone for any tablet functionality of consumption.

But that's not what the research says. A very high percentage (like almost all) of iPad owners also have a laptop. I assume the vast majority of them also have a phone, with a high percentage of that being a smartphone.

Now to your point about having the slimmest/lightest why not the surface 3? It's almost as thin and light as the iPad air, and the larger screen explains the small difference in volume.

It's all good though, I think we are just nitpicking at each of our ways of using our devices, but we are not clones of each other. It's an interesting discussion and boils down to whether consumers act more like you, or me, or somewhere in between. I'm curious as to how surface 3 sales do as they have a humongous mountain to climb versus Apple.
 
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But that's not what the research says. A very high percentage (like almost all) of iPad owners also have a laptop. I assume the vast majority of them also have a phone, with a high percentage of that being a smartphone.

Now to your point about having the slimmest/lightest why not the surface 3? It's almost as thin and light as the iPad air, and the larger screen explains the small difference in volume.

It's all good though, I think we are just nitpicking at each of our ways of using our devices, but we are not clones of each other. It's an interesting discussion and boils down to whether consumers act more like you, or me, or somewhere in between. I'm curious as to how surface 3 sales do as they have a humongous mountain to climb versus Apple.

The 96-percent figure, which Microsoft says is "proprietary research," seems a bit high compared to similar available figures. A study from last fall found that 58.5 percent of people buying tablets did so to use in addition to their laptop, not to try to replace it. That leaves another 42 percent who either don't use a laptop as a computer, have never owned a computer, or who were trying to replace a laptop with a tablet. But if we reconcile Microsoft's 96-percent figure with the 58.5 percent one, we see that the grand majority of people intend their tablet and laptop for distinct purposes, to be used in tandem.


What Microsoft gets wrong about the tablet-laptop redundancy


Assuming Microsofts (or even the other research) is correct, if I were Microsoft I would be worried..... That would mean a very tiny percentage of iPad owners own an "Apple laptop" (since iPad sales top 200 million in total and 60 million last year)..... That would give Apple a possibility of up selling them to get an Apple laptop in addition to their iPad which they already own :eek:

I guess my family is the exception. Eldest sister has an iPad and an iMac. My youngest sister has a Macbook pro. I own my iPad and a Mac Pro (2008). (none of us owned any Apple products before 2007)
 
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I don't know a single person who has just an iPad and not a laptop/desktop to complement it. Not anyone I know personally or professionally.
 
I don't know a single person who has just an iPad and not a laptop/desktop to complement it. Not anyone I know personally or professionally.

I exclude desktops since they are really a completely different beast.... desktops probably mean they work in one location most of the time and only need an ultralight device on the odd occasion. I have a desktop because I want 4 monitors (40", 24", 24", 23") hooked up to two video cards.... and a total of 50TB of disk space (combined). Not something I can squeeze in any portable device :eek:
 
I exclude desktops since they are really a completely different beast.... desktops probably mean they work in one location most of the time and only need an ultralight device on the odd occasion. I have a desktop because I want 4 monitors (40", 24", 24", 23") hooked up to two video cards.... and a total of 50TB of disk space (combined). Not something I can squeeze in any portable device :eek:

If I exclude desktop from my post, it would still hold true.
 
Probably very few to none for anything of significance.

Reality is iPad is the most restrictive. I can't even install Popcorn Time IO without jailbreak that I can do on Android. Even better on the fanless Core M Windows tablet is I can stream 1080p content wirelessly to Chromecast, say for someone else, while concurrently playing 1080p YouTube locally for me that neither of the other ecosystems can do. This is just one of many many examples but the biggest one is you can run all the full professional desktop software. Why mess around with paying for mobile wanna be Office app with questionable compatibility, stability and document size limitations when you can run the real Office or even LibreOffice which is significantly better than any mobile app.

Are you seriously complaining about not being able to install an illegal torrenting service app on an iPad?
 
I don't know a single person who has just an iPad and not a laptop/desktop to complement it. Not anyone I know personally or professionally.

If Apple offered one device that integrates the functionality of tablet, laptop and pen devices people would buy it instead. Apple won't, though, because it's more profitable to sell more devices. The smarter consumers, for example Los Angeles school district, will switch brands like dropping iPad for Yoga, Surface, etc.
 
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If Apple offered one device that integrates the functionality of tablet, laptop and pen devices people would buy it instead. Apple won't, though, because it's more profitable to sell more devices. The smarter consumers, for example Los Angeles school district, will switch brands like dropping iPad for Yoga, Surface, etc.

If Apple were worried about cannibalizing existing markets they would have never come out with the iPad in the first place. When it first came out it was resisted as a platform to compete with partially because of it's threat to cannibalizing the growing laptop market.... which to a certain extent it did... it just affected other manufactures much more than Apple. The new Macbook will cannibalize a certain portion of iPad sales going forward (my estimate is maybe 10 million iPad units -- between those that decide on the new Macbook instead of the a newer iPad, and a percentage that would have gone for the iPad but will now be drawn back to a laptop a that is a mere few ounces more than the iPad 3 (and less than the iPad 3 + 3rd party keyboard).

It is a different viewpoint. Apple has been declared dead or dying so many times since 2000 it is actually quite funny.

The Surface 3 will have a market, not sure how much it will get.... time will tell
 

What Microsoft gets wrong about the tablet-laptop redundancy


Assuming Microsofts (or even the other research) is correct, if I were Microsoft I would be worried..... That would mean a very tiny percentage of iPad owners own an "Apple laptop" (since iPad sales top 200 million in total and 60 million last year)..... That would give Apple a possibility of up selling them to get an Apple laptop in addition to their iPad which they already own :eek:

I guess my family is the exception. Eldest sister has an iPad and an iMac. My youngest sister has a Macbook pro. I own my iPad and a Mac Pro (2008). (none of us owned any Apple products before 2007)

Meh, one study says 96% another says 58%, take the middle ground at 77% is still easily a majority, it's a very flimsy article. I do agree that MS should be worried that those laptop users would convert to an Apple laptop, but that's been a concern for a long time now. MS doesn't sell their own laptop, instead they sell the OS that goes on the laptops that Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, HP, etc etc sell. I don't have that figure, but I'd be willing to bet windows laptops sell in a MUCH higher quantity than apple laptops. Still, it's a valid point and I don't disagree, especially for those iPad owners who are in the apple ecosystem. But what better way to fight it than replacing their tablet and taking away the need for a laptop.

EDIT: Wait a second, I just read through that study you linked and I think you read it wrong. It didn't say that only 58% of iPad owners owned a laptop. Rather it said "...survey by IDC found that 58.5% of respondents bought a tablet to use in addition to a laptop, and not as a replacement.". That study actually supports my argument that the majority of iPad users also have a laptop. Same study says that only 8.7% of users choose to only have an iPad and no laptop.

Brand loyalty seems to be alive at both apple and Microsoft as well: "The survey also asked tablet owners if they had a chance to buy a tablet again, would they buy one with the same OS. The iOS owners were most likely to say yes (80.2%), followed closely by Windows owners (78.9%)"

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If Apple were worried about cannibalizing existing markets they would have never come out with the iPad in the first place. When it first came out it was resisted as a platform to compete with partially because of it's threat to cannibalizing the growing laptop market.... which to a certain extent it did... it just affected other manufactures much more than Apple. The new Macbook will cannibalize a certain portion of iPad sales going forward (my estimate is maybe 10 million iPad units -- between those that decide on the new Macbook instead of the a newer iPad, and a percentage that would have gone for the iPad but will now be drawn back to a laptop a that is a mere few ounces more than the iPad 3 (and less than the iPad 3 + 3rd party keyboard).

It is a different viewpoint. Apple has been declared dead or dying so many times since 2000 it is actually quite funny.

The Surface 3 will have a market, not sure how much it will get.... time will tell

I disagree, I think Apple knew exactly what they were doing. They positioned the iPad as a consumption device, knowing the laptop would never do a good job of simple consumption and have the portability. Jobs is a complete genius and I respect the guy because of this. If anything (alluding to our other topic) Jobs knew that windows computer owners buying iPad would possibly defect to apple once the iPad caught them in its ecosystem. That's why everything is proprietary and much only runs on apple hardware.
 
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The smarter consumers, for example Los Angeles school district . . .

I'm sorry, that's just hysterically (and unintentionally) funny. The LA school district as a "smarter consumer?" A superb piece of irony.
 
Very cool product, and I know beggers can't be choosers, but this would be UBER competitive if it had a retina display and double the RAM at that price... But even though the entry level model competes with the iPad on price, I don't want a Windows machine with 2GB of RAM, and I think it should have a retina display.

It's pretty much retina in terms of resolution. Color and viewing angles do matter, but viewing angles are mostly irrelevant to most users, and color is generally 'good enough' on high end displays these days, especially at its 11" form factor where you won't be doing high-end photo editing where it really matters. (doesn't mean the colors and angles are bad btw, I just don't know about them).

But in resolution, it gets 214 pixels per inch, it's very sharp. The Macbook Pro retinas get 220 and 227 (15" and 13" respectively). iMac for example, retina, is 218 PPI. Beyond that point you don't really need or discern sharpness very well anyway. So I'd say screen wise I wouldn't consider this a non-retina display. It's just a bit small at 10.8 inches, but for others that's a benefit.

Ram is definitely a bit low. Can easily see it being plenty for my parents or girlfriend, and at $500 it's not a bad amount for sure, can't compare it to Macs around and over $1k. But yeah it's definitely not for me.
 
Hypocrite much? You don't seem to have an issue with the equivalent XMBC/Kodi. Plus your assumption is wrong.

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=191817&pid=1677596#pid1677596

Are you ****ing kidding me? You so badly want to make me look stupid you searched the internet for other posts by me? And you didn't even come up with anything good. XBMC is not a torrenting app, I used it as a front end PVR to LEGALLY record OTA shows. And for the record I didn't jailbreak my iPhone, I haven't done that since my first gen iPod Touch, I used File Browser to see and play files in my server. Since I have dumped XBMC for Plex and record with Windows Media Center and keep all my personal movies and pictures on Plex for easy sharing with family.

And please, do tell, how Popcorn Time isn't illegal.
 
XBMC is not a torrenting app, I used it as a front end PVR to LEGALLY record OTA shows. And for the record I didn't jailbreak my iPhone, I haven't done that since my first gen iPod Touch, I used File Browser to see and play files in my server. Since I have dumped XBMC for Plex and record with Windows Media Center and keep all my personal movies and pictures on Plex for easy sharing with family.

You're going to play ignorant and pretend torrent add-ons for XBMC/Kodi don't exist?

Are you sure you didn't switch from Plex to XBMC/Kodi?

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=191550

You don't seem to have an issue either discussing torrent downloads.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=20741433

So, you don't have an issue with using the equivalent XBMC/Kodi, jailbreaking, torrenting, etc. but selectively judge others. Can you say 'hypocrite'? You might also want to review your UCMJ.
 
Brand loyalty seems to be alive at both apple and Microsoft as well: "The survey also asked tablet owners if they had a chance to buy a tablet again, would they buy one with the same OS. The iOS owners were most likely to say yes (80.2%), followed closely by Windows owners (78.9%)"

Hence the danger for Windows..... iPad has typically outsold all macs 4x to 6x in unit sales. The majority of these were not previously an Apple laptop owner. If brand loyalty kicks in on the next upgrade cycle (Upgrade cycle is longer for computers, a little less long for tablets, and shorter for phones) then it could eat in to Windows dominance. This of course in addition to the other worrying sign where you walk into many major Universities and see a heck of a lot of Apple computers relative to the general public...... The future generation that will eventually make their way into industry.

Part of what has hurt Windows reputation to a certain extent is the volume of crap hardware vendors, which is why I think Microsoft should take a page out of Apple's playbook and focus not in competing in the low end of all the crap hardware, and not to worry about licensees complaining, and compete across the whole hardware spectrum in the premium end of hardware.

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You're going to play ignorant and pretend torrent add-ons for XBMC/Kodi don't exist?

Are you sure you didn't switch from Plex to XBMC/Kodi?

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=191550

You don't seem to have an issue either discussing torrent downloads.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=20741433

So, you don't have an issue with using the equivalent XBMC/Kodi, jailbreaking, torrenting, etc. but selectively judge others. Can you say 'hypocrite'?

This is getting silly, most people if given the opportunity will use pirate media - whether it is stopping at Pantip Plaza while on holiday here and picking up pirate DVDs or downloading it. The reasons why most people don't have less to do with morality and more to do with either ignorance or fear of their internet being monitored.

As far as I am concerned it is partly the fault of the media conglomerates anyway that have not embraced the new technology and tried to force people to be force-fed through over priced over packaged cable packages.

I never use pirated software, and never ever from small vendors... but it is more of a security issue and most software is priced reasonably for ordinary users..... BUT I pirate all of my English language television..... not many options for me not to.

It does not bother me not being able to install legally fringe software on my ipad.
 
Hence the danger for Windows..... iPad has typically outsold all macs 4x to 6x in unit sales. The majority of these were not previously an Apple laptop owner. If brand loyalty kicks in on the next upgrade cycle (Upgrade cycle is longer for computers, a little less long for tablets, and shorter for phones) then it could eat in to Windows dominance. This of course in addition to the other worrying sign where you walk into many major Universities and see a heck of a lot of Apple computers relative to the general public...... The future generation that will eventually make their way into industry.

Part of what has hurt Windows reputation to a certain extent is the volume of crap hardware vendors, which is why I think Microsoft should take a page out of Apple's playbook and focus not in competing in the low end of all the crap hardware, and not to worry about licensees complaining, and compete across the whole hardware spectrum in the premium end of hardware.

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This is getting silly, most people if given the opportunity will use pirate media - whether it is stopping at Pantip Plaza while on holiday here and picking up pirate DVDs or downloading it. The reasons why most people don't have less to do with morality and more to do with either ignorance or fear of their internet being monitored.

As far as I am concerned it is partly the fault of the media conglomerates anyway that have not embraced the new technology and tried to force people to be force-fed through over priced over packaged cable packages.

I never use pirated software, and never ever from small vendors... but it is more of a security issue and most software is priced reasonably for ordinary users..... BUT I pirate all of my English language television..... not many options for me not to.

It does not bother me not being able to install legally fringe software on my ipad.

The Surface was intended to stimulate other OEMs to explore more form factor and design options.

At university, using a non retina app with a retina screen makes me cry.
 
I'm sorry, that's just hysterically (and unintentionally) funny. The LA school district as a "smarter consumer?" A superb piece of irony.

Yes, it's funny that these kids get it but you don't. When not forced with a limited iPad they choose something better when given a choice. That's smart considering they're getting early exposure to Windows which will better prepare them for the real Windows dominated world.

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-lausd-laptops-20140630-story.html
 
Yes, it's funny that these kids get it but you don't. When not forced with a limited iPad they choose something better when given a choice. That's smart considering they're getting early exposure to Windows which will better prepare them for the real Windows dominated world.

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-lausd-laptops-20140630-story.html

And the side effect of being force fed their parents technology.... it will stay uncool :eek:

Schools should not be in the business of picking hardware or operating systems for kids, if they want to fund it then it should just be a per student subsidy.
 
Hence the danger for Windows..... iPad has typically outsold all macs 4x to 6x in unit sales. The majority of these were not previously an Apple laptop owner. If brand loyalty kicks in on the next upgrade cycle (Upgrade cycle is longer for computers, a little less long for tablets, and shorter for phones) then it could eat in to Windows dominance. This of course in addition to the other worrying sign where you walk into many major Universities and see a heck of a lot of Apple computers relative to the general public...... The future generation that will eventually make their way into industry.

Part of what has hurt Windows reputation to a certain extent is the volume of crap hardware vendors, which is why I think Microsoft should take a page out of Apple's playbook and focus not in competing in the low end of all the crap hardware, and not to worry about licensees complaining, and compete across the whole hardware spectrum in the premium end of hardware.

I agree on both points. Windows users who picked up an ipad may defect and get a MacBook. Hopefully they decide to forego 2 devices for one surface, but we'll see what happens. I also agree about the crap hardware vendors. Microsoft should have just said FU to them and made their own hardware like Apple does. The surface pro and surface 3 proves to me that they don't need them. Although on the flip side the OEM's would have ran to Chrome and that would have been a big headache for MS, maybe even their death knell. Maybe MS still has plans to ditch the OEM's once their hardware business makes more sense, who knows. But the garbage hardware that the PC oem's put out annoys the heck out of me.

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And the side effect of being force fed their parents technology.... it will stay uncool :eek:

Schools should not be in the business of picking hardware or operating systems for kids, if they want to fund it then it should just be a per student subsidy.

Nah, the product should be chosen based on merit, not "coolness". Can you imagine if we let our kids choose what to have in the classroom? Now I'm NOT saying we shouldn't have kids participate in the discussion at all. Heck yeah schools should be in the business of picking hardware/OS for kids, they are after all the educators and it's coming out of their budget. My first thought when I read they were all receiving ipads was why the heck are school kids receiving such a primitive, limited device as an educational tool. They are going to be released in a PC/windows dominated world but will be proficient at checking their facebook profile. Yeah I'm exaggerating, but seriously they will be missing a lot of tools they will need when they encounter in the outside world. But hey, as long as they look "cool" then they will be OK.
 
Nah, the product should be chosen based on merit, not "coolness". Can you imagine if we let our kids choose what to have in the classroom? Now I'm NOT saying we shouldn't have kids participate in the discussion at all. Heck yeah schools should be in the business of picking hardware/OS for kids, they are after all the educators and it's coming out of their budget.

You are merging two lines of thought to create a reply to a false statement.

Thought 1:

I am constantly bombarded with research of late that Facebook has peaked and is not seen as "cool" anymore because..... it's the preferred forum of the parents and grandparents (and thus is uncool). Thus if something is forced on you from the elders, it will potentially get the same designation in their subconscious.

Thought 2:

I disagree wholeheartedly with the school or district or board choosing what technology should be used in what is effectively a subsidized (100%) BYOD. If the school board wants to subsidize a purchase fine, but don't select what the hardware is... it only corrupts the process. The school board/school should only be responsible for setting broad requirements (run a word processor that can generate PDF, or an open-standard compiler of a specific language, etc.). If they lowest end devices that meets the requirements are $500 and they want to subsidize 100% potentially then they should allocate $500 per student in the form of a voucher and if the parents or students want to spend a bit more and cover it out of pocket.... fine.

If schools get involved in choosing an operating system, the ONLY one that should ever be chosen is Linux. Once you get schools and school boards locking into specific vendors, the whole process is rife with one more area that can be corrupted.

(And yes, my father and many in my extended family were educators).
 
You are merging two lines of thought to create a reply to a false statement.

Thought 1:

I am constantly bombarded with research of late that Facebook has peaked and is not seen as "cool" anymore because..... it's the preferred forum of the parents and grandparents (and thus is uncool). Thus if something is forced on you from the elders, it will potentially get the same designation in their subconscious.

Thought 2:

I disagree wholeheartedly with the school or district or board choosing what technology should be used in what is effectively a subsidized (100%) BYOD. If the school board wants to subsidize a purchase fine, but don't select what the hardware is... it only corrupts the process. The school board/school should only be responsible for setting broad requirements (run a word processor that can generate PDF, or an open-standard compiler of a specific language, etc.). If they lowest end devices that meets the requirements are $500 and they want to subsidize 100% potentially then they should allocate $500 per student in the form of a voucher and if the parents or students want to spend a bit more and cover it out of pocket.... fine.

If schools get involved in choosing an operating system, the ONLY one that should ever be chosen is Linux. Once you get schools and school boards locking into specific vendors, the whole process is rife with one more area that can be corrupted.

(And yes, my father and many in my extended family were educators).

Why would they choose Linux?
 
Why would they choose Linux?

There are many thoughts behind that.

1. Linux is open source standard. Nobody is going to profit over educating how to use a computer based on these standards. If you focus on Microsoft Windows or OSx, children become "indoctrinated" into a corporate sponsored platform. When they graduate and get older, they are more likely to want to stick within their comfort area.

2. The majority of the tech world believe it or not relies heavily on some un*x variant. Even OSx is heavily influenced, and I believe still gets their POSIX compliance (that might have changed)

3. The Fundamentals of computing are not much different between each platform, however Linux provides a wide variety of tools, for free, such as compilers, image editors, GUIs that can be custom tailored for the education system and curriculum at hand.

4. Understanding Linux fundamentals should provide a better understanding at how the underlying hardware functions. Both Windows and OSx today like to mask most of these things behind veneer and fresh paint so to speak. they're aimed at "dumb" users and idiot proofing. Making things the simplest without knowing how they work. Linux is more transparent in this regard.

at least thats my .04 on it
 
You are merging two lines of thought to create a reply to a false statement.

Thought 1:

I am constantly bombarded with research of late that Facebook has peaked and is not seen as "cool" anymore because..... it's the preferred forum of the parents and grandparents (and thus is uncool). Thus if something is forced on you from the elders, it will potentially get the same designation in their subconscious.

Thought 2:

I disagree wholeheartedly with the school or district or board choosing what technology should be used in what is effectively a subsidized (100%) BYOD. If the school board wants to subsidize a purchase fine, but don't select what the hardware is... it only corrupts the process. The school board/school should only be responsible for setting broad requirements (run a word processor that can generate PDF, or an open-standard compiler of a specific language, etc.). If they lowest end devices that meets the requirements are $500 and they want to subsidize 100% potentially then they should allocate $500 per student in the form of a voucher and if the parents or students want to spend a bit more and cover it out of pocket.... fine.

If schools get involved in choosing an operating system, the ONLY one that should ever be chosen is Linux. Once you get schools and school boards locking into specific vendors, the whole process is rife with one more area that can be corrupted.

(And yes, my father and many in my extended family were educators).

Thought 1: Lol, yes you are correct facebook isn't cool anymore. It's amazing how fast things go out of vogue.

Thought 2: We'll have to agree to disagree. The educators should definitely choose what the student uses, of course with input from multiple directions, parents, the kids themselves, the work community the student will be released into, colleges, etc etc. But at the end of the day the educator should have that decisions, just as they decide which textbook the student uses, or what curriculum is chosen. I can't speak for corruption, but just in our discussion we really shouldn't muddy the waters with that as it's all speculation and we are not privy to what particular corruption is affecting those decisions. Certainly the ipad decision may have also been affected, who knows.
 
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