Roger Fingas
Apple is working on "significant" evolutions to the iPad in Education program that should solve some of the barriers schools encounter when trying to deploy iPads in the classroom, according to a new report.
An official email obtained by MacRumors states that in the next school year, Apple will allow schools to distribute apps without assigning Apple IDs to each tablet.
"This change should eliminate the need to create generic Apple IDs solely for the purposes of getting content onto iPad," the company reportedly wrote. "Schools will also have the option to prevent students from making personal purchases without approval."
Sometime in 2016, schools will reportedly be able to create and manage Apple IDs for students that can be used to access iCloud. Administrators should additionally be able to reset student passwords; Apple promises that all of its new measures will comply with the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The company is meanwhile said to be streamlining its Deployment Programs by unifying several of them into one. Ideally, this should reduce the work needed for large-scale deployments.
Apple has had mixed results with deploying iPads to schools. Although the company has signed a number of deals worldwide, a major agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District was scrapped after cost overruns, problems with students bypassing browser restrictions, and concerns about officials favoring Apple products without considering other options.
The USD is now working on deploying Chromebooks and Windows devices. Some other schools are going a similar route, citing cheaper prices and, in some cases, easier administration options or features like built-in keyboards.
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17 Comments
The USD is now working on deploying Chromebooks and Windows devices.
Because it is way easier to lock down a chromebook or windows device from students
Word on the street is that Google Chromebooks are very easy to manage for institutions like schools while Apple's iPad solution is a royal pain to manage - such as updates and adding apps. On top of that is the lack of multiple user log-in on iPad.And once you get an iPad, you need a keyboard and probably a case for the two components.
They probably would have sold a lot more iPads if not for this shortsightedness.
Our school district, which covers several cities and most of the county's population is moving to deploy Chromebooks to many of its students. The district probably has 20,000-30,000 students.
iPads seem good as auxiliary devices, such as for art classes, while low cost laptops, such as Chromebooks, should be the primary device. Windows - generally too many issues and Apple laptops are expensive (for most all school districts).
The Chromebook is a stealth device. Microsoft had to counter by working with HP to make and sell the HP Stream for $199 ($229 without adware). This achievement is a great solution in the arena of affordability for families who cannot afford Apple's premium pricing. Which is all good, because for $200, nearly anyone can afford a competent computing device.
Note: I am typing this on my MacBook Pro.
It should become clear to everyone that the iPad was designed in part to be both very easy to use (which it is) and severely handicapped so as to protect Apple's margins and laptop market. You can't blame them.
However, if they want to sell iPads to schools, you would think that infrastructure of iPad management in institutions would be mature and simple. Schools must not bring in much revenue due to discounts?
Nonetheless, with IBM as a partner for iPads in business, the corporation really needs to buckle down and bring ease of use (and lower costs) to the iPad administrators. Particularly, the iPad tablet market does not appear to be growing - it has either matured/plateaued or they are making problems for themselves as institutions avoid using them and instead going to devices on other platforms which cost less to manage.
Hopefully, they come out with a full-fledged iOS laptop, which is nothing more than an iPad in a laptop form-factor. It would be a really cool device and I'm sure people would be snapping them more than the iPad + separate keyboard solution (which we own - Origami stand + Apple Bluetooth keyboard).
I'd be delighted if they'd make it easier for parents to manage their kids' devices, too (password control, app restrictions, etc.). This initiative could develop tools that would help with both school and home markets.
Couple all of this with the fact that apple insists on releasing it's software on the first day of the school year and you can see why school districts across the country are walking away from this product as an enterprise solution. This fact in and of itself should cost a Sr. exec his or her job. (Pure Stupidity).... We are abandoning our iPad efforts as a district wide solution for two simple reasons, cost, and ease of deployment. Sorry Apple you missed a very big Boat!