Apple’s iPad is the tablet computer that started the entire current tablet computer craze, serving as a focal point for all manner of information and entertainment. The iPad can do everything from playing music and browsing the Internet to downloading any of an incredibly wide range of books and apps, so it has not been too surprising to see the device’s success in both home and business environments.
If there is one new development in the world of the iPad, however, it is its increasing prominence in the world of education. There is, of course, a long history of the use of products by Apple in education, from the iMac to the MacBook – but it is now the advantages of the iPad for education that are particularly attracting notice. Indeed, it is partly the similarity of the iPad to the laptop that is helping it to gain popularity in educational institutions, given that it can run many of the kind of applications that laptops run. That, however, is where the similarities largely end.
For one thing, the iPad is much cheaper than even the least expensive laptop, as well as smaller and lighter, all of which makes it an appealing option for both budget-conscious and space-restricted schools. Other benefits of using the iPad for education include its 10 hour battery life and greater level of interactivity compared to a laptop or iMac – not to mention its greater suitability for reading. The latter point is an especially significant one given that textbooks and other educational reading materials are rapidly going digital.
It is little surprise, then, that educational institutions that have long made use of products from Apple in education are opting to swap their laptops for the device that can double up as both a laptop and a tablet: the iPad.