There’s been a lot of talk about how iPads are terrific for the classroom. Heck, we’re giving 3 away to teachers. But what about the more standard laptop? Is there still a place for the usual piece of hardware in the classroom? I think there is (for now) and that it’s worth checking out the new upgrades to Google Chromebooks right now.
The Big Difference
Google just gave a big refresh to their line of netbooks. The ‘Chromebook‘ now boots up in 8 seconds, is even simpler to use, and has a lower price. It’s a simple and cheaper way to get more students onto the web. Sure, it doesn’t have multi-touch gestures but it does have a physical keyboard, trackpad, and access to the Google App Store. There are hundreds of educational web-apps in there right now, too.
I have played around with a Chromebook a few different times over the past couple of months and I can definitely say it’s easier to use than any other laptop out there. It’s built for people who don’t need all the bells and whistles found on most notebooks.
Chromebooks vs iPads
The real question now is: if you had the money to procure 10 iPads or 15 Chromebooks, which would you choose? Assuming you had to spend that money on edtech hardware, would you spend the money on something different entirely? Weigh in down in the comments or review the Chromebook in the new Edudemic Directory to have it reviewed and rated by fellow educators!
Both systems are attractive. I enjoy the advantages of using Google Apps and everything being in the cloud. My students have adapted amazingly well and are very proficient in their use. However, I recently toyed with an iPad and found it fast and easy to use.The more important issue is this: most tech purchases require upgrading or replacements within three years time. With Apple being the more expensive of the two hardware options, I think that schools need to make fiscally smart choices. At a recent presentation, a colleague spoke of using iPads in her classroom and the repeated phrase that I heard was, “…and it costs $x.xx to download this app from iTunes.” With funds for education being limited and finite, I think that smart shopping will decide what one’s school should purchase.
The Chromebook certainly sounds attractive but the iPad has some advantages too. With the apps that are purchased, you get to keep those apps and all updates are usually free. If you upgrade, those apps can be reinstalled. Heck they even have an app for Google Docs. Apps for the iPad are usually cheaper than the apps for for computer (though not always). Check out iMovie ($5) and compare it other programs that are as powerful (Adobe Premiere Elements ($80). While you may pay more initially, over a three year period and cheaper apps, it may work out in the long run. To get a better idea of what the iPad can do check out Frasier Speirs blog: http://www.frasierspeirs.com. He has extensive experience with using iPads in the classroom and implementing a 1 to 1 for a school.
Patrick Cauley
itbabble.com
The answer to the question is, “it depends.” It depends far more on the program designed around the devices than it does on the device itself. Both devices offer advantages and limitations. Convertable tablets offer some of the largest feature sets and cost a ton. However, I have seen some of those programs be more stale than program using low power netbooks. Don’t get me wrong, different devices offer significant differences in functionality for your one-to-one program. However, that’s the easy part and it changes all the time, anyway. The focus should be on the program design and professional development.
According to my child development class, children don’t develop the dexterity to type until about 4th grade. IPads are good for younger children (age 3+) because it’s all touchscreen, but they should upgrade to keyboards around 4th grade.
While iPads certainly offer a unique experience, it’s important to keep in mind that many web applications either a) work poorly on iPads (Google Docs, for ex.) or b) don’t work at all due to iPad incompatibilities with common web standards. To offset these problems, iPads offer local applications whose benefits are two-fold: richer experience and offline access. This, of course, comes at a higher cost, both monetarily in the short term, and vendor lock-in in the long. As more interesting devices become available, being beholden to Apple and therefore limited to buying only their (expensive) hardware in order to protect your software investment could become extraordinarily limiting.
Chromebooks are very attractive on the surface, but they too have some significant limitations, particularly the inability to operate offline and a lack of access to richer local apps that you might find on a more traditional laptop. What you lose in flexibility, you gain in reliability and reduced costs.
Of course, you can have the best of both worlds by purchasing your own netbooks for $100 less than the cost of the least expensive Chromebook and $250 less than an iPad, installing FREE software that is as reliable and easy to use as both, all the while gaining a more flexibility and capability than either of the two. Have a look at http://ubermix.org to see how it’s been done at schools all over the country with amazing success.
It is possible to get high end Windows netbooks or budget Windows laptops of similar price to Chromebooks, but they are either slower or have limited battery life, and the build quality is poor. The really cheap Windows netbooks you are talking about here are painfully slower and respresent poor value for money because they impact adversely on student productivity. It is for this reason businesses won’t touch netbooks or budget Windows laptops – they adversely impact productivity, and so they are bad value for money.
Netbooks, and other Windows desktops/laptops are way more expensive than Chromebooks in terms of total costs – three times as expensive in fact as the schools which have deployed Chromebooks have shown. This is because although computer hobbyists are prepared to maintain their own computers and those of family for free, in a School you have to employ and pay IT staff to do it. Ask any system administrator – Windows desktops are very labour intensive to provision, maintain, secure and support. Chromebooks are zero maintenance, zero touch devices, do not require a Windows authentication server to be installed and maintained in the school, and do not require teachers to manage user data (this is kept off the local device and automatically backed up the user’s account on the cloud server).
You may save $50 or $100 initially going for a really low end Windows netbook, but the price you pay for running Windows is $1000s more in labour costs per device per year in essential IT stall salaries to keep them running. Basically hardware is now dirt cheap, but labour costs are expensive, so although saving a $50 or $100 initially only to have to pay several thousand pounds in labour costs, while appealing to cash strapped home computer users, doesn’t make any sense for schools.
I think that in the very near future there will be no difference iPad with keyboard vs notebook. But you will still need to have the keyboard to have the haptic feeling of writing, especially with longer text assignments
You raise interesting points about the benefits of the Chromebook vs. the iPad for education. However some schools will still require access to Windows applications. Ericom is working with several schools to address this requirement.
Ericom AccessNow is an HTML5 RDP client that enables students and staff to use their Chromebooks to connect to any RDP host, including Terminal Server, VDI virtual desktops and physical desktops and run their Windows applications and desktops in a browser. Ericom‘s AccessNow does not require Java, Flash, Silverlight, ActiveX, or any other underlying technology to be installed on end-user devices – an HTML5 browser is all that is required.
For more information visit
http://www.ericom.com/Education-ChromebookRDPClient.asp?URL_ID=708
You can also read our new white paper about Ericom’s solutions for Chromebooks and Education: http://www.ericom.com/specs/WP-Chromebook-and-BYOD-Success-Education.pdf?URL_ID=708
Note: I work for Ericom