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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 0:31:39 GMT -5
My thread on Windows 8 involved the discussion of tablets.
Got me thinking:
Those of you who use tablets/iPads, how do you use them? What do you actually do with them?
Do any of you do actual WORK on them?
It's my view that they are great for some stuff, like reading and playing games, to an extent, but actual work is not something I've been able to do on any I've owned.
I'd like your feedback.
Thanks.
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Post by Rhapsody on May 13, 2012 7:47:56 GMT -5
I have an iPad. I like it okay, but I haven't used it a lot so far. I bought it because I thought it would be easier to travel with---which it is. However, if I'm going to be away for more than a week or two, I still drag my laptop along. The intuitive typing feature gets me all screwed up, I miss using MS Office, and printing isn't as easy.
I intend to use it for eBooks, but, at the moment, there is a free library a block away, so I'm reading paperbacks.
Now that I'm retired, I no longer need to create presentations, remotely manage networks, write manuals, or do fancy stuff on the computer, so I think the iPad would be sufficient for most of what I do.
I haven't experimented with apps, either. My son has an iPad and is finding all sorts of apps he likes for himself, and for my grandson. When I was talking to my grandson on Google video, he was mad when I said I wasn't coming home for a couple of weeks--and he told me to go in "time-out" and he swiped his finger across the iPad screen, thinking he could make me go away. Little dickens!
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Post by thedude on May 13, 2012 10:14:57 GMT -5
My wife has an iPad and seems to use it mostly for checking e-mail and using facebook. She works at home now, so she uses her office computer for any real work.
I used it enough to realize that I would prefer a lightweight laptop instead. I bought a Macbook Air because I like having a real keyboard, a file system, and the regular applications of a computer. It only weighs about 3 lbs, is slim, and works very well for travel.
Finally, I have an iPhone, and that works well enough for an internet connection when I'm running errands and need some quick info.
I guess the iPad works well for some people, but I just don't see the need for one for me.
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Post by Holy Schist on May 13, 2012 12:04:33 GMT -5
I've had 4 because my work mandates knowing different products. I settled with the iPad and epaper type Kindle.
They are never as useful as one of my laptops. I pretty much use the Kindle for text books and my kids use it. iPad is how I digest the Wall St. Journal and New York Times but it's great for work too. I love the VPN client and my terminal apps for controlling devices and servers. It also runs the Citrix GoToManage client so I can share a customer screen for support.
iPad and guitar playing are fun. I like the mobile GarageBand and my Apogee JAM interface.
I don't care if it's tablet, smartphone or computer but I'm often surprised by some use of all this because they all have a price. Often have high monthly prices that follow. I get the price when they're my tools as an IT pro but not when so many have them and I'm not sure they can really afford them. It seems like a lot of people live like they're in the lucky sperm club but aren't.
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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 12:14:15 GMT -5
I've had 4 because my work mandates knowing different products. I settled with the iPad and epaper type Kindle. They are never as useful as one of my laptops. I pretty much use the Kindle for text books and my kids use it. iPad is how I digest the Wall St. Journal and New York Times but it's great for work too. I love the VPN client and my terminal apps for controlling devices and servers. It also runs the Citrix GoToManage client so I can share a customer screen for support. iPad and guitar playing are fun. I like the mobile GarageBand and my Apogee JAM interface. I don't care if it's tablet, smartphone or computer but I'm often surprised by some use of all this because they all have a price. Often have high monthly prices that follow. I get the price when they're my tools as an IT pro but not when so many have them and I'm not sure they can really afford them. It seems like a lot of people live like they're in the lucky sperm club but aren't. So, yeah, VPN and terminal apps put you outside the realm of most non-geeks. I still think of them as very limited devices based on all the reasons I mentioned before. I've owned two or three, but always ended up selling or returning them. I know have a Kindle, which I do use quite a bit, but again, I don't do WORK on it. It's a leisure/study device. I should mention my motive for the question. This week, I have to present a recommendation to my new boss to equip our classrooms, and I'm suggesting that we DON'T put all our eggs in the tablet basket, despite the fact that they are the 'hot' item right now. From my view, they are great for some limited use, but make data entry more difficult and are more prone to damage, given their form factor, as they are designed to be held, rather than used on a table, or in a work space. To me, giving a young kid, say in 5th grade, an iPad is nice for games and some things, but when a teacher asks them to prepare homework, or any complex documents, the problems emerge quickly. It seems that they are pretty fragile and slick and prone to dropping. What am I missing? |
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Post by herbhunter on May 13, 2012 13:49:33 GMT -5
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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 16:11:54 GMT -5
So, I can't find any real reason 5th graders "need" the new iPad (other than Angry Birds Space).
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Post by Rhapsody on May 13, 2012 16:47:11 GMT -5
So, I can't find any real reason 5th graders "need" the new iPad (other than Angry Birds Space). Storing multiple textbooks on one device is far more cost effective than buying the hard copy. It's also a lot "greener." When editions are updated, it's far easier (and cheaper) to replace the electronic copy with a new one, than to destroy the old textbooks and purchase all new ones. Most textbook companies embed video links in their textbooks that enrich the written word. CD companions are plentiful with new textbooks. Using the internet to access those links is far more efficient, and less expensive than CDs (and, again, "greener"). I would choose an iPad over a Kindle only because it is far more capable than a kindle. Some of the educational apps out for the iPad are just astounding, and it's just a far more powerful machine As you were concerned about kids' dropping the iPad, I agree that that sounds likely, but, in practice, kids are very protective of their iPads because they love them and are proud to have them. In addition, there are insurance companies that will cover them for nominal costs (ours were $35/year), which we pass on to the parents. Parents were, likewise, so excited to have the iPad, they were willing to pay the insurance. At the end of the school year, if the iPad was returned in good condition, the $35 was refunded to the parents. |
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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 17:51:54 GMT -5
So, I can't find any real reason 5th graders "need" the new iPad (other than Angry Birds Space). Storing multiple textbooks on one device is far more cost effective than buying the hard copy. It's also a lot "greener." When editions are updated, it's far easier (and cheaper) to replace the electronic copy with a new one, than to destroy the old textbooks and purchase all new ones. Most textbook companies embed video links in their textbooks that enrich the written word. CD companions are plentiful with new textbooks. Using the internet to access those links is far more efficient, and less expensive than CDs (and, again, "greener"). I would choose an iPad over a Kindle only because it is far more capable than a kindle. Some of the educational apps out for the iPad are just astounding, and it's just a far more powerful machine As you were concerned about kids' dropping the iPad, I agree that that sounds likely, but, in practice, kids are very protective of their iPads because they love them and are proud to have them. In addition, there are insurance companies that will cover them for nominal costs (ours were $35/year), which we pass on to the parents. Parents were, likewise, so excited to have the iPad, they were willing to pay the insurance. At the end of the school year, if the iPad was returned in good condition, the $35 was refunded to the parents. That's appealing. I appreciate the feedback. I like the green aspect. Do you know how the iPad texts compare to the Kindle versions in terms of price? I have some rough idea that the Apple versions are more expensive. Not sure if that's true, but the Kindle Fire might be an alternative. It's certainly cheaper. Aren't the Apple texts available in iTunes AND the iPad, just as they are in the Kindle app via PC? |
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Post by sordello on May 13, 2012 18:41:45 GMT -5
Hmm... I'll play devil's advocate to widen the angle.
What funds are available from the school for this? (Rhetorical question) And where do we spend the money? On disposable tablets that are outdated in 2 or 3 years? (And with Apple they could be seriously outdated as in deliberately back-disabled by apps that just don't work on older iPads!).
Yes they get dropped, but also, with such easy portability, consider loss and theft issues and school policies for replacements. Insurance policies may easily cover in-school damage, but as soon as they realize kids can take them out of the school, the premiums may soar. What are the odds many of them will "get lost" and have to be replaced?? (Cynical, ain't I?)
How effective will they be for homework, with all the gaming capability and friends, family and neighbours all wanting to borrow it while the poor student should be doing his homework with it?
So..
Is it more cost efficient to spend all the money on desktops where a techie can open up the box and update new motherboards every two or three years? (Maybe YOU can be that techie and earn a second wage??)
As well, instead of a 7 inch screen, every student can get a full 27 inch screen and really "see the wide picture" in so many ways, including bigger fatter spreadsheets, and comparing 4 or 5 pdf docs at once alltogether... Yes, all the school texts are on the central server. Kids don't take home books, don't buy the texts, but the teacher has to completely redesign the lessons around the infrastructure and ergonomics.
As an example: the teacher organizes a series of printouts - a ten or 20 page reading assignment. (Not from an ever-changing textbook but a written-in-stone article or essy that never changes)*. the student goes home with it, ponders it and writes a few pages of "answers" or ruminations. S/he comes to school the next day, and
the first class of the day is... Typing Class. Spend an hour typing your written responses into your computer files. Hey that's a learning skill too. So the kids don't take home an iPad everyday, they take home a lesson and actually think about it or do the exercises with it. Not a research type lesson, but one where they do some work first then come back to school and follow up with internet research AT SCHOOL.
* Now here's the efficiency, the printouts are returned, stored, and you use them again for next year's students. less wasted paper; multiplier effect. If it's a permanent non-changing article, it can be used year after year.
..and other ideas like that to take advantage of the specific ergonomics of the technology. I would opt for that extra premium of money that you spend for laptop/tablet portability to go instead to larger PC screens, to easily upgradeable desktop (networked) boxes, and a more generous printer ink budget.
I just suspect 'portability' will have some negative consequences...
not 2 cents worth, but keep the change! ;D
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Post by sordello on May 13, 2012 18:44:31 GMT -5
Added thought.
maybe buy one or two iPads, and offer them as school-year-end prizes for the best grades, or most promising academic achievement or some such thing?
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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 18:44:50 GMT -5
I appreciate the input. I'm having trouble seeing beyond my anti-Apple bias here. I was a HUGE fan of Apple, and all told, I've owned a lot of Apple products, from iPods, to MacBooks, desktops, etc. but the last few years has limited my participation economically, as there's no denying the steep entry cost for most Apple products.
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Post by Rhapsody on May 13, 2012 18:54:43 GMT -5
[quote author=rhapsody board=general thread=2490 post= That's appealing. I appreciate the feedback. I like the green aspect. Do you know how the iPad texts compare to the Kindle versions in terms of price? I have some rough idea that the Apple versions are more expensive. Not sure if that's true, but the Kindle Fire might be an alternative. It's certainly cheaper. Aren't the Apple texts available in iTunes AND the iPad, just as they are in the Kindle app via PC? Sorry ,I don't have any factual support. I would say, however tht since the iPad is the king of the hill, and since you an download the kindle app onto the iPad, I would think you'd be able to access/download more books on the iPad. Textbook companies would be very anxious to make sure their books were compatible with iPads. And yes---they are downloaded into iTunes. Apple has a special licensing arrangement with schools where you can manage licenses. We downloaded all books on one desktop machine to manage distribution. It was relatively easy, although I've been away from it for a year, so I don't know how it's going now. The convenience of a student having all textbooks on that one, small device is pretty obvious. Students can't haul a desktop machine home, so issuing iPads kind of equals the playing field for students whose families can't afford computers. The Kindle is much cheaper than an iPad, but it's also less powerful. |
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Post by Holy Schist on May 13, 2012 20:43:09 GMT -5
I've had 4 because my work mandates knowing different products. I settled with the iPad and epaper type Kindle. They are never as useful as one of my laptops. I pretty much use the Kindle for text books and my kids use it. iPad is how I digest the Wall St. Journal and New York Times but it's great for work too. I love the VPN client and my terminal apps for controlling devices and servers. It also runs the Citrix GoToManage client so I can share a customer screen for support. iPad and guitar playing are fun. I like the mobile GarageBand and my Apogee JAM interface. I don't care if it's tablet, smartphone or computer but I'm often surprised by some use of all this because they all have a price. Often have high monthly prices that follow. I get the price when they're my tools as an IT pro but not when so many have them and I'm not sure they can really afford them. It seems like a lot of people live like they're in the lucky sperm club but aren't. So, yeah, VPN and terminal apps put you outside the realm of most non-geeks. I still think of them as very limited devices based on all the reasons I mentioned before. I've owned two or three, but always ended up selling or returning them. I know have a Kindle, which I do use quite a bit, but again, I don't do WORK on it. It's a leisure/study device. I should mention my motive for the question. This week, I have to present a recommendation to my new boss to equip our classrooms, and I'm suggesting that we DON'T put all our eggs in the tablet basket, despite the fact that they are the 'hot' item right now. From my view, they are great for some limited use, but make data entry more difficult and are more prone to damage, given their form factor, as they are designed to be held, rather than used on a table, or in a work space. To me, giving a young kid, say in 5th grade, an iPad is nice for games and some things, but when a teacher asks them to prepare homework, or any complex documents, the problems emerge quickly. It seems that they are pretty fragile and slick and prone to dropping. What am I missing? Tablets are easy to manage and cheep compared computers. Solid state storage, low space requirements etc... Film screen protectors seem to help for a lot of drops. A few teaching apps are incredible. |
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Post by donalgdon on May 13, 2012 20:52:13 GMT -5
I wouldn't exactly call the iPad cheap compared to a basic laptop.
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