Mikey Campbell
After years of holding a commanding lead in the U.S. education market, Apple's iPad was dethroned by Google's Chromebook over the third quarter of 2014, recent statistics show.
Citing fresh findings from market research firm IDC, the Financial Times reports Chromebook shipments reached 715,500 units in the quarter ending September, outpacing Apple's 702,000 iPads. Apple still leads educational tablet sales by a wide margin.
"Chromebooks are really gaining traction," said IDC analyst Rajani Singh. "The growth of Chromebook is a major concern for Apple's iPad."
According to IDC, Chromebooks now account for more than a quarter of America's lucrative education market, quite the achievement for a platform first launched in 2012. Aside Google's own high-end Chromebook Pixel offering, third-party manufacturers Samsung, HP, Dell and Acer take care of hardware, allowing for cost-effective machines starting at only $199, lower than even a last-generation iPad Air with educational discount.
Signs of a shift toward cheap, cloud-based Chromebooks were first reported in August when notable educational institutions voiced concern with iPad implementations. Among teachers' critiques of Apple's slate was its non-traditional form factor, specifically a lack of physical keyboard that made it more of a "fun" device than a productivity tool.
"As the average age of the student grows the need for a keyboard becomes very important," Singh said.
In June, the Los Angeles United School District, which previously sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into an iPad-powered curriculum, announced a shift away from Apple and towards devices running Microsoft Windows or Google's Chrome OS.
LAUSD teachers also cited the iPad's keyboard-less form factor as a hinderance to learning, as well as issues regarding content control and general device provisioning.
While Chromebooks trumped iPad in quarter three, Apple still holds the lead in education when counting OS X devices, IDC said.
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
108 Comments
I'm not surprised. The iPad is a great device but for students who will do a lot of typing is far from ideal. It's also much more expensive and even more so if you add a keyboard.
I find that hard to believe. Chrome books are just as crippled as net books.
These are the same teachers who are contributing to the production of a generation of dunces. Pardon me if I don't take their opinions too seriously. In short, Chromebooks fit their old, dated, failed teaching model and they like that because it doesn't require change. Whereas iPads would require, you know, [I]work.[/I] $$$ is another reason. Yet another failed case of "good enough" thinking.
Well, it's all over. Start the death spiral clock. If IDC says so it must be true.
"old, dated, failed teaching model and they like that because it doesn't require change..."
Well that's where you are entirely wrong. I'm not sure when you went to school, but 10 years ago, the classroom experience was nothing like it is with these Chromebooks. It allows a level of independence, expression, collaboration and teacher guidance that just wasn't possible. You probably have no idea what the Chromebooks and Google for Education is capable off. I invite you to read articles of how they are actually being utilized in the classroom and why school IT departments love them and you will understand (some links below).
http://www.reading.org/reading-today/classroom/post/rty/2014/01/17/using-chromebooks-in-the-classroom
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/four-awesome-ways-use-chromebook-classroom/