Katie Marsal
At its media event on Tuesday, Apple reportedly plans to make a point of showcasing how its new, smaller iPad will be particularly useful in the classroom.
Citing an unnamed person with knowledge of Apple's plans at the "iPad mini" event, Apple executives will "make a point of highlighting" the educational abilities of the iPad, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The report also revealed that Apple recently "realigned its education sales force to emphasize iPads."
The iPad has become a major part of Apple's education initiative as the touchscreen tablet has found its way into the classroom. But the $399 entry price for the iPad 2 is still seen as too high for many schools that continue to face budget cuts.
Apple's new, smaller iPad is expected to have a lower price point that will lower the barrier to entry for schools and consumers alike.
The report is the latest to indicate that Apple plans to focus on education for its iPad mini event set to take place on Tuesday in San Jose, Calif. Reports first began to surface earlier this month indicating that Apple would pay particular attention to iBooks in unveiling a new 7.85-inch iPad.
Apple itself even revealed an upcoming iBooks refresh last week, one one title in the French iTunes Store specified that "iBooks 3.0" was a requirement. The current version of iBooks available on the iOS App Store is 2.2.
One Apple event early this year already focused on iBooks and the role the iPad can play in education. The company held a briefing in New York City in January to unveil iBooks 2.0, which focused on interactive textbooks.
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Wesley Hilliard
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34 Comments
I already said this which is why I think they'll make an 8GB model just for classroom use.
I think this is a good idea. I visited a friend of mine recently who (unlike me!) has two small kids. We were talking about how her kids loved playing with apps on her iPhone. She said she was thinking of buying an iPad that they could use, but thought they were too big and expensive. Watch out for an announcement on Tuesday I told her!
Steve already said so. From the bible: "Jobs also attacked America’s education system, saying that it was hopelessly antiquated and crippled by union work rules. Until the teachers’ unions were broken, there was almost no hope for education reform. Teachers should be treated as professionals, he said, not as industrial assembly-line workers. Principals should be able to hire and fire them based on how good they were. Schools should be staying open until at least 6 p.m. and be in session eleven months of the year. It was absurd, he added, that American classrooms were still based on teachers standing at a board and using textbooks. All books, learning materials, and assessments should be digital and interactive, tailored to each student and providing feedback in real time."
I already said this which is why I think they'll make an 8GB model just for classroom use.
For one textbook at a time. With a few months wait for each, as the creators have to reformat all of them.
From the bible:
Aside from the theological insult, calling that… thing… any sort of "bible" bothers me.
I already said this which is why I think they'll make an 8GB model just for classroom use.
Is it really worth it? On cost breakdowns difference between 8Gb and 16Gb is less than 5$. And subtract the costs of having an extra model in the range.
The 'German Price leak' (if genuine) suggests you are right. But I don't think it makes much sense. Android devices specs will make 8Gb look stingy.