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leebase · 06-14-2019, 12:25 PM

This thought was spurred by the color eInk thread. The person in the video remarked that it's school books, not iPad's or laptops that their focus is on.

If the iPad can't break the school market "new book" concept, then nobody can. Or at least, nobody can without revolutionizing the entire software experience for the schools. And if somebody does crack that nut, it will be with a general purpose tablet (like an iPad or Android tablet)....not an eInk device of any kind.

It's not the price of the iPad that has been the biggest obstacle as some might think. It's two other things.

1. Format. A tablet is not the proper format for writing papers. More than people want "bookless books", they want cheap computers. That's why the Chromebook is doing quite well in schools.

2. Existing software is all web based. Schools buy into complete systems and they are all built to be delivered by the web. Again, that's why Chromebooks are doing well and iPad's are not (outside of wealthy schools where you can expect kids have a computer AND an iPad).

The effort needed is not solving for the eBook. You already have iPads that have solved that. Apple even created wonderful, teacher accessible, ways of creating enriched books. If the tablet format ebook was "what schools need" and iPad's are too pricey, somebody would have already done for Android tablets what Apple has done for the iPad. Better yet, develop for both.

But nobody has....in any way that is making a difference.

What kids really need is a laptop/Chromebook and a tablet. A tablet is a far better format for reading a book. A chromebook is a far better format for writing papers and working with keyboard oriented web apps.

Now, a bright person might think "just add a keyboard to an iPad/Android tablet". And that should work. Nobody is because, frankly, folks are happy giving students a crappy "read on a Chromebook" experience.

What is needed is a soup to nuts, great experience both for "the book" and "the laptop". It's all about the software.

What isn't even a concern at ALL? Color eInk screens. A Lenovo Android tablet with a color eInk screen isn't going to do anything in education without FIRST solving why iPad's and existing Android tablets aren't being used a great deal in schools.

Adding a keyboard case to an iPad makes an already expensive solution even more expensive. But one could easily have an Android tablet with keyboard and be as cheap as a Chromebook and cheaper than an iPad.

Why don't we have this? Because Android tablet makers barely put any innovation into the tablet in the first place. They buy off they shelf components, slap Android on it, and put their name on the back. Nobody is going to spend the money Apple is spending to make a compelling offering.

The walmart $64 Onn tablet would be just fine for school books. Spend the extra $15 to have the 10" version. For those parents able to spend more...let them spend more.

You just need a decent keyboard case to cover the Chromebook use case as well.

06-14-2019, 12:25 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	Tablets in Schools This thought was spurred by the color eInk thread. The person in the video remarked that it's school books, not iPad's or laptops that their focus is on. If the iPad can't break the school market "new book" concept, then nobody can. Or at least, nobody can without revolutionizing the entire software experience for the schools. And if somebody does crack that nut, it will be with a general purpose tablet (like an iPad or Android tablet)....not an eInk device of any kind. It's not the price of the iPad that has been the biggest obstacle as some might think. It's two other things. 1. Format. A tablet is not the proper format for writing papers. More than people want "bookless books", they want cheap computers. That's why the Chromebook is doing quite well in schools. 2. Existing software is all web based. Schools buy into complete systems and they are all built to be delivered by the web. Again, that's why Chromebooks are doing well and iPad's are not (outside of wealthy schools where you can expect kids have a computer AND an iPad). The effort needed is not solving for the eBook. You already have iPads that have solved that. Apple even created wonderful, teacher accessible, ways of creating enriched books. If the tablet format ebook was "what schools need" and iPad's are too pricey, somebody would have already done for Android tablets what Apple has done for the iPad. Better yet, develop for both. But nobody has....in any way that is making a difference. What kids really need is a laptop/Chromebook and a tablet. A tablet is a far better format for reading a book. A chromebook is a far better format for writing papers and working with keyboard oriented web apps. Now, a bright person might think "just add a keyboard to an iPad/Android tablet". And that should work. Nobody is because, frankly, folks are happy giving students a crappy "read on a Chromebook" experience. What is needed is a soup to nuts, great experience both for "the book" and "the laptop". It's all about the software. What isn't even a concern at ALL? Color eInk screens. A Lenovo Android tablet with a color eInk screen isn't going to do anything in education without FIRST solving why iPad's and existing Android tablets aren't being used a great deal in schools. Adding a keyboard case to an iPad makes an already expensive solution even more expensive. But one could easily have an Android tablet with keyboard and be as cheap as a Chromebook and cheaper than an iPad. Why don't we have this? Because Android tablet makers barely put any innovation into the tablet in the first place. They buy off they shelf components, slap Android on it, and put their name on the back. Nobody is going to spend the money Apple is spending to make a compelling offering. The walmart $64 Onn tablet would be just fine for school books. Spend the extra $15 to have the 10" version. For those parents able to spend more...let them spend more. You just need a decent keyboard case to cover the Chromebook use case as well.