| Unless you have been locked away in an underground | | | | easy adapters of any new technology so using the |
| bunker for the last six months, you will have probably | | | | touch-screen keyboard might not be a major problem |
| heard about the Apple iPad. This new lightweight | | | | for them. |
| portable "slate computer" from Steven Jobs, is | | | | Third, the iPad also doesn't have many common |
| viewed by many critics as just an over-sized iPhone | | | | features that you would see on a laptop or even a |
| suffering from serious delusions of grandeur. | | | | netbook. There is no Flash which will make viewing |
| However, all kidding aside, is the iPad the ultimate or | | | | webpages less enjoyable. There is no USB port which |
| perfect student laptop? A close examination of the | | | | will not please many people, but you can use a dock |
| iPad's features could answer this question. What the | | | | connector. There is also no SD card slot, no HMDI |
| iPad has or doesn't have, will tell you if the iPad is a | | | | out and no full GPS. There's no camera or webcam... |
| suitable device for students or not? | | | | which pretty much rules out sexting, parents will be |
| First, lets look at some of the iPad's main selling | | | | relieved but seriously, a truly portable communication |
| points which will bring out the student in all of us. It is | | | | device should have included a webcam. Maybe future |
| lightweight and extremely portable at around a | | | | models will sport them or maybe Apple gave some |
| half-inch thick and weighing in at about 1½ pounds, | | | | serious consideration to privacy issues in the |
| so the iPad can be easily carried anywhere. You | | | | classroom and the school environment. A cameraless |
| won't even notice you have it in your backpack or | | | | device may be more welcomed by school officials if |
| bookbag and with over 10 hours of battery life the | | | | the iPad does become the ultimate virtual textbook. |
| iPad will probably outlast your longest school day. | | | | Furthermore, some techies have criticized the iPad |
| Second, it has a 9.7 inch touch-screen color display | | | | for having a 4:3 ratio display which makes it relatively |
| which all iPhone and iPod users have been properly | | | | square; instead of a 16:9 ratio which would be more |
| weaned on. This touch-screen will be very convenient | | | | ideal for watching widescreen movies. Since you |
| especially in a quiet classroom or lecture hall. The | | | | probably want students reading textbooks, rather |
| color display will also make reading books and | | | | than watching movies, this is not really a design flaw. |
| magazines much more enjoyable. | | | | The last consideration for most students will be price. |
| Third, the iPad is also handy for browsing the web, | | | | The iPad is more expensive than a netbook but a |
| watching videos and even playing games. But it is the | | | | little cheaper than most laptops; of course that would |
| book-reading function which could possibly make the | | | | depend on the size and brand of the laptop in |
| iPad a virtual "replacement" for all textbooks. Just | | | | question. The prices for the iPad range from $499 to |
| imagine, instead of lugging 5 or 6 heavy textbooks to | | | | $829. The more costly iPads will have more storage |
| class every day, you have them stored in your iPad - | | | | for all those music and video files - although the |
| ready for access. But what about highlighting all that | | | | storage is in the low range, only offering 16, 32, or |
| important text with a big red marker - there's | | | | 64GB. |
| probably already an App for that. | | | | Overall, the iPad does have many good features |
| Now lets examine some features the iPad doesn't | | | | which make it a very suitable student laptop: it is |
| have that could discourage some people from | | | | extremely portable, it has long battery life, it is small |
| bringing this apple to school. Probably, one of the | | | | and lightweight and its touch-screen color display |
| major drawbacks has to be the lack of multi-tasking. | | | | makes reading books, textbook and magazines a |
| If there is anything a young student has learned, it's | | | | virtual pleasure. Plus, browsing the web, answering |
| how to do multi-tasking. Some youngsters have even | | | | emails, watching videos and even playing a few |
| perfected it into an artform. They know how to | | | | games on this device makes it more of a "slate |
| watch a video, text a message, send an email, | | | | computer" than an ordinary e-reader like the Amazon |
| download a movie and browse the web... all the while | | | | Kindle. While the negatives: no flash, no multi-tasking, |
| doing their homework. | | | | no camera, no USB, no full GPS and limited storage of |
| Second, the iPad does not have a keyboard which | | | | only 16, 32 or 64GB, which will leave some buyers |
| could make it difficult to type or take long notes. | | | | cold. Even so, the iPad will have many more takers, |
| While this handicap will mostly depend on the | | | | especially in the student laptop market. |
| dexterity of the user, keep in mind, young people are | | | | |