With Steve Jobs’ release of the “magical” tablet computer, interestingly named “iPad,” technology gurus like me have been trying to shoehorn it into some sort of educational application. The announcement of Apple, Inc’s new tablet device on January 27 created reactions from the press that were less than congratulatory. The chief criticism was the operating system (OS) that the announced machine will run – iPhone OS 3.2; Many have said that the new product will be, essentially, a larger version of the iPod touch because of the lack of multitasking support in this OS. (Users cannot run two or more applications at the same time.)
Perhaps most laudable about the device are its physical design features. At .5 inches thick, 1.5 pounds, and fronted with a 9.7 inch pure glass touch-screen display, the iPad is artful. In addition, the iPad has been outfitted with a ten-hour battery. Touted as “the best web browsing experience,” the device’s larger screen coupled with the faster 1.0 GHz A4 processor will only differ slightly from the iPhone’s web browser. The web-browser, also still lacks flash functionality, which runs the front end of many popular websites such as Hulu.com.
The iPad ships with the new “iBooks” application, which may have an educational application in schools. On release, the iPad will be gunning for the Amazon Kindle’s seat on the throne of eBook readers. The iPad, which can also support color books, and does not require any external source of illumination, is clearly the superior device for experiencing books. In addition to a multi-page landscape view, the iPad also supports videos within books, and many graphical effects for flipping pages and downloading books from the iBook Store; however, the cheapest iPad model, weighing in at $499, is currently almost double the price of the Amazon Kindle.
So what else does the “magical and revolutionary device” do that justifies the extra pennies? Not only does it have all of the features of an iPod Touch (music, videos, HD YouTube, calendar, maps) but it also adds the ability to have a larger keyboard combined with a word processor. All of my school’s computers are equipped with the $79 iWork word processing suite. Similar to Microsoft Office, this Apple-only software package allows students to write papers, make slide show presentations, and create spreadsheets. One overlooked feature of the iPad is that it can run this software for only $9.99 per app and sync with the Mac. Although the $499 price tag is higher than the Kindle, it is still cheaper than a Macbook Computer with extra software costs. Because of this, the iPad may be a perfect substitute for library Macbooks.
The usability of the device would be the drawback for trying to deploy these in the library. Because iPad is shaped like a slate, it is awkward for students to type on their knees, and carry it around without it getting scratched. David Pogue, from the New York Times, wrote, “With no mouse and no physical keys to feel, writing and editing will be more effort than on a laptop.” Students with exceptionally large hands or no touch screen typing experience may find it difficult to interact with this product. In addition, because the iPad would theoretically replace a student’s textbook, it would be difficult to take notes in iWork without multi-tasking support because the book can’t be open whilst you’re typing.
When netbook computers (small cheap laptops priced around $350) hit the market, my school purchased a few, only to be disappointed by their difficult usability, and limited feature set. They were slow, the keyboards were too small, and many were unfamiliar with the Windows XP OS. The iPad does share some of these same worrying characteristics. In addition, much of the software which my school relies on for class work (such as Logger Pro) is not yet supported on the iPad, and possibly never will be because of the poor expandability on the iPad. There isn’t a webcam for videoconferencing, and there aren’t any USB ports for expansion with lab equipment.
My school’s Information and Technology Club has ordered three iPads for educational testing within our curriculums. The iPads should arrive around mid-late march and any new or existing members of the clubs will be the first to try.
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