What can the Apple iPad do for education?
There has been a whole lot of talk this week about Apple’s new iPad. Admittedly I’m more excited than most. I’m not as excited as I am though, because of what the iPad can do. I’m excited because of what the iPad CAN do. Stick with me, this will make sense.
One of Apple’s bigger developments with regards to the iPad is their announcement that the Apple App store will be carrying e-Books.
Now, the e-Book market has been around for some time and there are more than a couple of e-Book readers on the market. Some big names even got behind the technology. There’s the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. However, e-books haven’t really (IMHO) taken off, like the could, like they should, en masse.
To read an e-Book – for all intents and purposes, you need a dedicated e-book reading device. To me (and I’ve said it before) an e-book reader is like a Black and White TV that plays only DVDs. Yes it works, yes it’s functional, but only just.
Apple selling e-books in the app store brings e-books to the masses. It centralizes what is a fragmented market and makes the technology much more widely accessible to the general public as a whole.
Compare – Amazon Kindle at $259 or the Barnes and Noble nook at $259 to the Apple iPad at $499.
Why would you buy something that does just one thing when you can buy a device that does a whole lot more for just a little more?
For many years, Apple has had a very strong foothold in educational facilities the World over. Their simple, reliable computers have served students well before they step out into the big bad World.
There are many educational establishments that even give students and teachers Apple Laptops to use while in school, some places include the price of a Laptop in the tuition. Why? well, so that said student can email, reference the Internet, write up and submit work and not a lot more – right? All completely possible on the iPad!
If I were a college or university, I’d be looking into how I can get the majority of my text books in e-book format and in the App store. Then I’d be looking into how many iPads I can get my hands on so that the students can click once to download (and buy) the necessary books to their issued Apple iPad.
You’d be saving money on equipment and saving hugely on text books. Also, think of those poor student’s backsThis way they wouldn’t have to lug around all their books all day.
I did talk about this in a post I wrote at the end of December – “How would the Apple Tablet Change the IT Market?” and was right. Apple, at least regarding e-books appears to be doing it right.
There have even been conversations on Twitter regarding Apple and e-text-books, many responses were to the positive. Convenience and cost seem to rule.
What do you think about ipad text books? are ‘real text books’ a thing of the past?
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Andy was born in the Isle of Man and currently lives in Pittsburgh.
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Mike Murphy
