Apple iPad For Education Failed To Wow Critics, Chromebook Devices Still More Practical

Apple just unveiled its new iPad during an event in Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep High School. The iPad which runs o A10 Fusion retails for $299 for schools and $329 for other consumers.

According to Apple, its 9.7-inch iPad which comes with the Apple SIM will allow consumers to stay connected with wireless data plans while traveling to different countries. The CPU is also 40 percent faster while graphics are 50 percent faster to support seamless performance. The new iPad which runs on iOS 11 will also receive Apple Pencil support.

As reported by CNET, Apple CEO Tim Cook who graced the event emphasized the role of the company’s devices for education.

“Macs and iPads are used throughout schools by students for everything from music to language arts and even advanced robotics.”

The said iPad is Apple’s response to Chromebooks which are dominating the education market. Apple used to be the go-to company for educational institutions, but everything changed when Google introduced a more cost-effective alternative.

Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak teased what makes the new iPad better than its competitors.

“The new 9.7-inch iPad takes everything people love about our most popular iPad and makes it even better.”

Thanks to the students and faculty of Lane Tech for being our gracious hosts. Rich with history and forward-thinking — we couldn't ask for a better place to talk about the future of education. @ChiPubSchools pic.twitter.com/YcriSm6eeB

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2018

Apple’s New iPad Vs. Chromebooks

As noted by Laptop Mag, the price for the iPad for schools is the same as that of the Asus Chromebook C213SA, and the Asus Chromebook C202SA is still cheaper at $223.10.

Stylus support for the iPad is available for $99 although there’s the option to get Logitech’s stylus for $49. Not having a keyboard is also a disadvantage for the iPad. Compared to Apple’s new handheld device, Chromebooks are more durable and secure.

As for its advantages, the iPad has seamless access to millions of apps in the Apple store, and many of these are well-suited for the school setting. There are still some issues in loading Android apps in Chrome OS, but Google might be in the process of bringing in seamless support for these apps. With this in mind, there will be serious competition between Apple’s iPad and Chrome OS devices.

However, Chromebooks are not the only competition that Apple is going up against in the education sector. Google and Acer unveiled a new device designed to pre-empt the company’s latest handheld device designed for the education sector.

iPad Vs. Acer Chromebook Tab 10

One day before the Apple event, Acer and Google unveiled the first tablet which runs on Chrome Os, the Chromebook Tab 10.

The device has a 9.7-inch screen and retails for $329. Compared to the new Apple iPad, the Chrome Tab 10 comes with a built-in stylus which doesn’t require additional charging. The stylus for the Chrome Tab seems more suitable for kids compared to the iPad’s separate stylus. The Chrome Tab seems to offer a better deal as far as price and practicality are concerned, giving Chromebooks another edge over Apple devices.

With the Chromebook Tab 10 and iPad for education device, schools will have more choices while the competition between Google and Apple heats up.