> "Students will be able to download their textbooks to their iPads from the iBook Store. In addition, iPads can be used as phones and for air and file sharing, as well as note-taking."
The iPad isn't a phone. Many textbooks don't have good PDF versions. If the file sharing is similar to the iPhone (and it looks that way) it's going to be a lousy share-by-email experience. You can't use the Dropbox app (or similar), because Dropbox files live in the "Dropbox" directory, and your other files will be in the "Documents" or "Presentations" directory. And note-taking? Sure you're joking. The iPad is a "hunt-and-peck-required" device. How can you possibly pay attention when you spend a full minute on every sentence?
I suspect this will end up as a major disappointment -- the iPad isn't ready to replace a laptop yet. It's a consumer's device, and college isn't exclusively about consumption of content.
If the file sharing is similar to the iPhone (and it looks that way) it's going to be a lousy share-by-email experience.
That's funny, because I never mail myself documents on the iPhone.
You can't use the Dropbox app (or similar), because Dropbox files live in the "Dropbox" directory
If all you want is to read a document, what's the problem?
And note-taking? Sure you're joking. The iPad is a "hunt-and-peck-required" device.
And you're basing this on what data?
I suspect this will end up as a major disappointment -- the iPad isn't ready to replace a laptop yet. It's a consumer's device, and college isn't exclusively about consumption of content.
Currently, everyone needs a laptop to sync content with an iPad. If everyone has a laptop, what's the problem? It's not as if college is devoid of consuming content.
Also, everything you point out looks like a business opportunity to me, not some sort of overwhelming world-halting problem.
If your're set to do some heavy reading, does it pay to lug your laptop? Maybe if you want to do some browsing or tinkering. The iPad can do the former now. The latter will get implemented for lots of uses, for profit.
Most comments I saw from people that have used them so far have expressed surprise that one or two handed typing is quite easy/natural. A lot of people can type fairly quickly (my brother can type unbelievably fast on his iPhone) on tablets now. It could work.
My experience is that most iPhone users still (after a few years) look at their fingers as they type. The promotional iPad videos show slow, deliberate, two finger hunt and peck typing.
If the average touch-typist gets to even 40WPM on the iPad I'd be amazed.
Comments
> "Students will be able to download their textbooks to their iPads from the iBook Store. In addition, iPads can be used as phones and for air and file sharing, as well as note-taking."
The iPad isn't a phone. Many textbooks don't have good PDF versions. If the file sharing is similar to the iPhone (and it looks that way) it's going to be a lousy share-by-email experience. You can't use the Dropbox app (or similar), because Dropbox files live in the "Dropbox" directory, and your other files will be in the "Documents" or "Presentations" directory. And note-taking? Sure you're joking. The iPad is a "hunt-and-peck-required" device. How can you possibly pay attention when you spend a full minute on every sentence?
I suspect this will end up as a major disappointment -- the iPad isn't ready to replace a laptop yet. It's a consumer's device, and college isn't exclusively about consumption of content.
If the file sharing is similar to the iPhone (and it looks that way) it's going to be a lousy share-by-email experience.
That's funny, because I never mail myself documents on the iPhone.
You can't use the Dropbox app (or similar), because Dropbox files live in the "Dropbox" directory
If all you want is to read a document, what's the problem?
And note-taking? Sure you're joking. The iPad is a "hunt-and-peck-required" device.
And you're basing this on what data?
I suspect this will end up as a major disappointment -- the iPad isn't ready to replace a laptop yet. It's a consumer's device, and college isn't exclusively about consumption of content.
Currently, everyone needs a laptop to sync content with an iPad. If everyone has a laptop, what's the problem? It's not as if college is devoid of consuming content.
Also, everything you point out looks like a business opportunity to me, not some sort of overwhelming world-halting problem.
> And you're basing this on what data?
Steve Jobs fumbling his way through a single sentence during the original iPad launch, and the hunt-and-peck typing used in the promotional videos.
> It's not as if college is devoid of consuming content.
Agreed, but if you need a real laptop anyway (Mathematica, writing essays, etc, etc), is it really worth it to carry both?
If your're set to do some heavy reading, does it pay to lug your laptop? Maybe if you want to do some browsing or tinkering. The iPad can do the former now. The latter will get implemented for lots of uses, for profit.
> The iPad is a "hunt-and-peck-required" device.
Most comments I saw from people that have used them so far have expressed surprise that one or two handed typing is quite easy/natural. A lot of people can type fairly quickly (my brother can type unbelievably fast on his iPhone) on tablets now. It could work.
My experience is that most iPhone users still (after a few years) look at their fingers as they type. The promotional iPad videos show slow, deliberate, two finger hunt and peck typing.
If the average touch-typist gets to even 40WPM on the iPad I'd be amazed.
The current college generation has been trained by years of thumb based cell phone typing. It's a whole new game out there...