The Wrong Tablet

There has been a lot written about the LAUSD’s decision to purchase iPads for each student in their school district. It’s been reported that they paid more than the retail price for the iPad, although I think it comes with some apps. I have no idea what they think is so useful about the iPad. I consider myself to be pretty on top of things with technology and I have seen very few things with tablets that really make me wish we could use them in the classroom. I like that a tablet can be used to share photos and to provide online feedback and conversations. I’ve seen very few apps that offer much in terms of important pedagogy. I’m sure there are a few out there. More to the point, by buying a tablet for each student, a school district is for all intents denying students opportunities to use computers. Surely a school district can’t follow both paths concurrently.

Worse still is the realization that there are better tablet options that a $670 iPad. I had the chance to use the Dell Venue Pro 8 last week. It has a fast processor, good graphics, 8 hour battery, small and light, has an extremely capable stylus (almost as good as a Wacom) and it is a full-fledged windows computer. You can connect it to probeware and peripherals, runs flash, java, python, scratch, any web based software, etc. And what does it cost? Currently they are $230. That’s right, practically a third of the cost for the iPad.