Tablets

TECH

With the amount of tablets on the market today, it is very difficult to decide which tablet will best fit your needs. I think the foundation of deciding which tablet is best for you lies in your personal needs.  A tablet that is sufficient for me, may not be for someone else.   For instance, I have a Kindle Fire.  For my needs, that has been sufficient...until I began the Educational Technology class!  I have found that some of the features of an iPad better fit the classroom needs.  For example, our book's website suggest apps that could be used in the classroom for various ages.  I tried to load these apps for my children to use but they were not available for the Kindle. This is not an isolated incidence.  I have run across several educational app suggestions that have not been supported by the Kindle technology, (i.e. e-storia). 

Through research, here is what I have found regarding the tablets on the market:

Microsoft Surface:

• ·      Microsoft Surface is a hybrid, tablet and laptop. If use with Microsoft Office is the dominant concern, Microsoft Surface tablet with Windows 8 is the clear choice. 
• ·      That said, the other tablet options do have software comparable to the features of Microsoft Office.
• ·      When looking for a tablet, Office features are often not the primary concern. Many people looking at tablets are concerned with apps. The Windows Store still is being developed and does not yet appear to have a large base of apps and what they do have are largely games due to the connection to the Xbox.  
• It should also be noted that the Surface is noted to be a bit larger and heavier. 

Apple:

• ·      Holds an advantage in books, as it provides access to iBooks, Kindle, Nook and Google Play.
• ·      When looking at Movies/TV/Video and Music, Apple continues to have a strong advantage. Apple downloads this material so it is available for use with or without a WiFi or cellular connection.  However, the same is true of Androids due to their use of Amazon.
• ·      Apple has a long relationship with schools, medical facilities and arts and therefore can be expected to have a stronger advantage in relevant apps for education.
• ·      Apple does not use Flash player, which is used provide a way to efficiently deliver large video and interactive files. Apple uses HTML5, which can be converted to Flash in some cases.   Some consider this to be Apple’s greatest weakness.

Andriod:

• ·      When looking at Movies/TV/Video and Music, Amazon gives androids a good advantage.  However, the same is true of Apple. On the other hand,  Android streams purchased material, rather than downloads it, and this might be a consideration if WiFi is not an option or no cellular connection is established.
• ·      Apps use different, “real estate,” offering varying versions of apps. Amazon has a strong app base but if considering android use for schools, only about 10% of apps are educational.

In regard to connectivity, it should be considered that Barnes and Noble (Nook) and Microsoft (Surface) do not offer cellular connectivity options. When considering connectivity needs, the availability of WiFi as well as the upcharge cost of cellular connectivity should be considered. In most school setting, I would think WiFi connectivity would be sufficient.

An additional piece of information necessary in researching what is available for a particular device is that Kindle solely uses apps, movies, books, etc, sold by Amazon.  Nooks apps are sold by Barnes and Noble.  Nexus uses Google and some Amazon apps.  Apple uses iTunes and Amazon apps.

When considering cost, Android technology is considerably less up front but when comparing to the app options, I do not think it is an adequate choice for school use.

I personally also favor the larger size of the iPad.  For longer periods of use, I think a larger screen is advantageous.  I also think that in a school setting, the larger screen size can decrease issues such as cheating, as discussed in class this past week.

When considering using tablets in a school setting, I think it is noteworthy that Apple has a long history of relationships with schools.  Nowhere else in the literature did I find that any of the other tablet makers have purposed to include schools in their product’s development. Also, the way in which Apple has developed their software as a closed operating system is also a positive for Apple.  When looking at putting a system in place in a school, a system with the least likelihood for potential crashes, etc, is preferable.  Another thing I noted in my research was that other tablets were trying to “compare to” or “match” what Apple was doing. Therefore, my recommendation would have to be for Apple products to be the tablet of choice.