Comments on: Apple’s iPad: A Home Run for Education

By: Rami

Rami — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:16:22 +0000

This machine is AMAZING for kids. I bought an iPad for my 2 daughters, 3.5y and 2y old. They absolutely love it. I only download educational apps many of which are games or at least feel like games. They are learning soooooooo much and they think they are just playing. My oldest even enjoys doing trangrams puzzles that are very difficult even for the smartest of adults.

The iPad stays in their room and so far there hasn’t been any physical or water damage. I was very successful in teaching my kids to ‘respect’ the iPad. Its very doable if you impose simple to understand rules on your kids like: 1) No food or water outside of the kitchen, and 2) The iPad doesn’t leave your room. My list of rules is much longer of course.

I tried using the iPad myself but there were way too many things I’m used to doing on my Windows 7 HTPC and my Android phone that I was not able to do with the iPad.

I’m very much hoping for the iPad to replace paper.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:22:19 +0000

I think that this would be perfect for schools, have you ever seen a student’s backpack? If they had Ipads, they wouldn’t need to take home all of those textbooks, and notes, and binders, it would all be in one device.

By: Susan Grewal

Susan Grewal — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:31:01 +0000

Now you have more reasons to be cheerful as it is getting into the corporate culture. and on the other hand Microsoft is going to take a while before they launch its competitor.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:36:39 +0000

I was skeptical of the iPad at first too, but what surprised me is the large number of people such as my parents (baby boomer generation) age who really want an iPad. Their interest in it is strong because they have grown enormously weary of the boat loads of Windows XP junk and all of the virus related issues they have to deal with (Norton, et al) and the seemingly non-stop alert panels that pop up in their face every time they’re trying to get something done. Its hard to blame them really — Microsoft turned XP into a junk yard of attention-sapping alert panels, advertisements, promotions, etc. (for example the Dell that my Dad uses while cheap to buy came packed with Dell-specific "advertisements" in the form of bloatware software that was absolutely not useful or helpful. Even though I’m tech savvy even I have been unable to fully remove some of this stuff despite looking through the Windows registry and using tools, etc. (in a nutshell Windows causes incredible ennui and I can’t believe the world tolerated a Windows monopoly for so long and in the process made Bill Gates one of the wealthiest people in the world based on junk software). This is not to say Apple is a great savior, its just that they have come up with a pretty good curation system that a lot of people are willing to use for the sake of simplicity and with task-oriented apps they can have an intensely personal experience uninterrupted by Windows-like alert panels and junkware (note: there is tons of junk in the Apple app store so one has to put some time into thinking about what apps they want and which ones to download). Anyway, to finalize, I think the iPad should not be ruled out as a platform that is here to stay. What remains to be seen is how well competing tablet systems can perform such as those in the future based on Android or Chrome (Google please make up your mind: Android or Chrome but not both).

By: ward

ward — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:20:09 +0000

Textbook Publishers Embrace iPad Apps for Education

By: DB

DB — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:44:20 +0000

Too overpriced for schools. Too fragile for schools. Too easy to walk away for schools. Too many problems for schools 🙂 In theory I agree that it is an interesting idea for a school, but they can do the same if not more with web based apps and not locked into Apple’s App Store lockins.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:15:16 +0000

I think you guys may be missing the point of this device. In its stock state, the device is rather boring (to the tech crowd). However, its all about the apps. As developers make iPad versions of their iPhone apps, the device will become very useful. The demo of Brushes, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers show that this thing has some legs under it.

It will never be the primary device of the power-user section of people. But for 95% of the online public, it will provide what they need. Nice, fast web-browser. Well designed e-mail app. Great e-reader. Nice sized video device. 10 Hour battery. The best part is the price. At $499 it is a strong competitor to the netbook market. I have used several netbooks, and I have to agree with Steve, they do not do anything well.

By: robinson

robinson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:08:46 +0000

Yep, can’t wait to see the graham cracker crumbs and spilled milk all over those iPads! 🙂

I’d extend your insight to education K-16+ in general. Interactive textbooks, with simulations, built-in tutorials, will change education forever. Maybe, finally, we’ll do what Ivan Illich wisely proposed years ago, and that’s to "deschool society"!