School Regrets Swapping Laptops For iPads

[Cloq]

*Linky*

Seriously.. ipad.. laptop.. I think one is better for consuming and the other is bit better at being productive and all purpose.

[Josh]

To be fair, any technology is doomed for failure when it completely replaces an existing platform without some sort of transition and train-up period. The school leads were simply thinking about what is trendy vs what is functional when they made this call.

[wraith808]

It does indeed seem like more of a function of an ill-conceived scheme and not knowing the needs rather than the particular device.  In fact, some of the issues could easily be alleviated, and some of their notions of the problems stated in the article show how much this is true.  While it is true that there isn't a MS Word application, there are a couple of very good applications for editing such on the ipad.  Would I want to use them for my primary machine?  Nope.  But yeah... this falls squarely on the RFQ stage rather than the device.

[Cloq]

True, but I am more inclined to believe that a laptop/notebook is probably more economical and versatile than an ipad or like tablet could every be.

A tablet/ipad has it's place for doing light tasks and consuming media, but to think that it will replace a laptop in an education environment.. seems somewhat foolish.

@Josh: Though I think you hit the nail on the head with "trendy".

[40hz]

Surprised?

Did any of them try typing anything longer than a paragraph on a touchscreen and then tell the school staff you can just as easily write a report on a tablet as you can a laptop?

Our source says staff were initially thrilled at the prospect. “Most staff are IT illiterate and jumped at the chance of exchanging their laptop for an iPad,” he writes.

Nice phrase: "IT illiterate." That's the problem in a nutshell. Talk about buying the proverbial "pig on in a poke."

[cranioscopical]

pig on a poke

[attach]

[40hz]

@ Chris - thanks for spotting my typo since I suspect you won't buy it as being my own coinage.

I did type that on a smartphone which ties in very nicely with your earlier observation about rooms and keyholes.

Oh yeah...I fixed it too, ok?

[wraith808]

True, but I am more inclined to believe that a laptop/notebook is probably more economical and versatile than an ipad or like tablet could every be.

That's a common perception that I disagree with.  I think it comes down to input mechanism more than the laptop vs tablet.  I used a clamcase with my ipad... and it was exactly the same as a netbook.  But then, it started to suffer from the same disadvantages.  I'm hoping that when I can get that logitech case it will be a better experience.  I still wouldn't use it for my full time work computer.  But it does/will have advantages over that.

[cranioscopical]

@ 40hz I apologize if my message implied that I was rude enough to point out a tyop. When it comes to those I inhabit the crystal palace.

Your reference, conjoined with the topic, made me think about those others who might object to having apple stuffed down their throats. Wasn't meaning to be a boar…

[40hz]

Wasn't meaning to be a boar…

You weren't. No ham done.