Schools expect to have more iPads than computers in next 5 years
A new survey of technology directors in U.S. school districts found that all of them are testing or deploying the iPad in schools, and they expect tablets to outnumber computers in the next five years.
Analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray revealed the results of the small survey of 25 educational technology directors at a conference on the integration of technology in the classroom. The poll found that all of them were utilizing Apple's iPad in schools, while none were testing or deploying Android-based tablets.
"While this may be expected due to limited availability of Android tablets early in the tablet cycle, we also see it as evidence of Apple's first mover advantage," Munster said. "We also see a trend in education (which is mirrored in the enterprise) that familiarity with Apple devices among students (or employees) is causing a demand pull within institutions to also provide Apple devices."
IT directors who spoke with Piper Jaffray indicated that within the next five years, they expect to have more tablets per student than they currently have computers. And since the iPad represents 100 percent of tablets seen in schools, Munster said the word "tablet" might as well be synonymous with "iPad."
He noted that Ron Johnson, Apple's outgoing head of retail operations, recently indicated that the current crop of students may be "the last generation with backpacks," as students use iPads to replace their books. The 25 technology decision makers in education indicated that devices like the iPad allow for individualized learning better than a traditional computer.
The school districts represented in the survey have about 10 students per computer, but in the next five years, IT directors for school districts expect they will have about six students per iPad. The survey also revealed that the iPad is being used to supplement computers, not replace them, within schools.
Earlier this year, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook indicated that demand for the iPad is strong among education customers, as well as with consumers and in the enterprise. The company went on to report sales of 11.2 million iPad units in its last quarter, the highest sales yet in a three-month period.
In February of this year, a Georgia state senator proposed a plan to get rid of conventional textbooks and shift middle school classrooms to the iPad. Tommie Williams hopes to see printed books replaced, and met with Apple to discuss a plan to make the iPad a central component in the state's education system.
Analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray revealed the results of the small survey of 25 educational technology directors at a conference on the integration of technology in the classroom. The poll found that all of them were utilizing Apple's iPad in schools, while none were testing or deploying Android-based tablets.
"While this may be expected due to limited availability of Android tablets early in the tablet cycle, we also see it as evidence of Apple's first mover advantage," Munster said. "We also see a trend in education (which is mirrored in the enterprise) that familiarity with Apple devices among students (or employees) is causing a demand pull within institutions to also provide Apple devices."
IT directors who spoke with Piper Jaffray indicated that within the next five years, they expect to have more tablets per student than they currently have computers. And since the iPad represents 100 percent of tablets seen in schools, Munster said the word "tablet" might as well be synonymous with "iPad."
He noted that Ron Johnson, Apple's outgoing head of retail operations, recently indicated that the current crop of students may be "the last generation with backpacks," as students use iPads to replace their books. The 25 technology decision makers in education indicated that devices like the iPad allow for individualized learning better than a traditional computer.
The school districts represented in the survey have about 10 students per computer, but in the next five years, IT directors for school districts expect they will have about six students per iPad. The survey also revealed that the iPad is being used to supplement computers, not replace them, within schools.
Earlier this year, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook indicated that demand for the iPad is strong among education customers, as well as with consumers and in the enterprise. The company went on to report sales of 11.2 million iPad units in its last quarter, the highest sales yet in a three-month period.
In February of this year, a Georgia state senator proposed a plan to get rid of conventional textbooks and shift middle school classrooms to the iPad. Tommie Williams hopes to see printed books replaced, and met with Apple to discuss a plan to make the iPad a central component in the state's education system.
Comments
Honestly, I hesitated with the purchase of my iPad. But, by the time it became available, I decided. Now, I am very happy I bought it. Even though it's less powerful then the iPad 2, it's still going very strong. I am sure iPad 3 will be even more impressive.
If I didn't need my MacBook Pro at work, my iPad would be my only portable computer.
They will be able to pay for the iPads by the savings on printed text books alone.
My former university replaced almost all the journals with ebooks for download from the library website. At the same time they issued WiFI and VPN connection instructions for the iPad.
Although I totally agree with their premise that iPads are the future in schools, I surely am not basing that on a statistically insignificant poll of 25 people, even if they are educational technologist.
It just sounds like the analysts are just restating the obvious, if I am at all honest.
They will be able to pay for the iPads by the savings on printed text books alone.
Maybe. From what I've seen, the cost of electronic books is not all that much lower than the cost of printed books. It SHOULD be, but it isn't.
Although I totally agree with their premise that iPads are the future in schools, I surely am not basing that on a statistically insignificant poll of 25 people, even if they are educational technologist.
Depends on the confidence level you're choosing. If the sample is random, the margin of error could be as good as +/- 10% or so which might be useful information if the answers are consistent enough.
The real problem is randomness. Still, when 100% of the people are using iPads, 0% are using Android, and the majority say that they will be migrating from computers to iPads, that's useful information, even if it's statistically marginal.
No wonder Steve Jobs was disappointed at the bad press after iPad's initial release. This is a game changer and has a lot of potential. In retrospect, now, I admire Jobs more than before.
Honestly, I hesitated with the purchase of my iPad. But, by the time it became available, I decided. Now, I am very happy I bought it. Even though it's less powerful then the iPad 2, it's still going very strong. I am sure iPad 3 will be even more impressive.
I'm not sure why SJ was disappointed. People were expecting whizzbang and instead they got an email app demo, a Pages demo, and a bunch of mundane walkthroughs. I would say that that was his most boring SJ keynote.
Another target that Apple should have eyed for the iPad is the medical field. Hospitals, but also specialists, family doctors and even dentists can have all the needed information within the touch of a button.
Apple (or Steve Jobs) are literally changing the world!
Maybe. From what I've seen, the cost of electronic books is not all that much lower than the cost of printed books. It SHOULD be, but it isn't.
The actual cost of a physical book is less than you think. For the average hardback, think $3-$4.
The rest is book production costs (art, editing, etc.), advertising and promotion, author's royalties, publisher's profit, and retailer's profit.
And ebook prices ARE much lower, typically 40% to half the cost of the hardback. But today we're also used to retailers marking bestselling hardbacks down 30-40% as loss leaders, which makes it seem like the ebook price is the same, or even higher.
My daughter is dyslectic and uses a 12 inch laptop but it is proving too small for her electronic books (legal requirement that electronic books are available for secondary school children with dyslexia over here) so when at home she uses a 22 inch screen. We will soon buy her a 17 inch laptop for school. Best thing about the 22 inch is she can have a book open and a word documents so she is typing as she reads.
Also, either Apple starts unlocking all their iPads, or how do you learn computer programming. This is a compulsory course in lower secondary school in many areas. Students need to be able to program on their computers at school and at home.
Apple would be better placed to focus their attention on getting more iMacs or Macbooks into the schools. I know of many teachers who, when given the option, are going for macbooks for their work computer.
I'm not sure why SJ was disappointed. People were expecting whizzbang and instead they got an email app demo, a Pages demo, and a bunch of mundane walkthroughs. I would say that that was his most boring SJ keynote.
First, iPad was kind of an open secret. Second, most of the people watching were technologists who simply didn't get it. "Why buy one of these when you can buy a netbook that does more," they asked. Some simply didn't see the niche.
And today, despite the fact they're flying off the shelves, many still don't get it.
Sounds like a stupid move to me. Better to get the computer per student level up. iPads are expensive and you can’t do much with them. You need a docking station with a full size keyboard to make it ergonomically sound enough to be able to type several hours a day. A screen based keyboard on a 10 inch screen just does not cut it. Also when the keyboard is active on the iPad, screen real estate goes down significantly, so you cant see much else. And of course, whenever you want to take notes, you need your keyboard open, or you need a HTC like stylus.
My daughter is dyslectic and uses a 12 inch laptop but it is proving too small for her electronic books (legal requirement that electronic books are available for secondary school children with dyslexia over here) so when at home she uses a 22 inch screen. We will soon buy her a 17 inch laptop for school. Best thing about the 22 inch is she can have a book open and a word documents so she is typing as she reads.
Also, either Apple starts unlocking all their iPads, or how do you learn computer programming. This is a compulsory course in lower secondary school in many areas. Students need to be able to program on their computers at school and at home.
Apple would be better placed to focus their attention on getting more iMacs or Macbooks into the schools. I know of many teachers who, when given the option, are going for macbooks for their work computer.
You're thinking in the past, and also missing the point. iPads don't replace computers, any more than cars replace trucks. But for a lot of uses, including eBooks, the iPad is superior and far more portable. It also features loads of accessibility features for those with special needs. And if you do need to type, you don't need a huge dock; a Bluetooth keyboard suffices, and is equally portable.
And for all the essential things you list... computer programming? Wow.
Also, remember that this isn't limited to college; it's for regular school districts.
The article seems a bit ambiguous - it says all the technology directors are testing/using the iPad and then states they think they will have more iPads than computers in 5 years, but it's unclear if the "all" is meant to encompass both parts. Do they also *all* agree that they will have more iPads, or is it just a few?
Given that the results are not from any kind of scientific poll, but rather, from casual conversations with pollster-selected subjects, that doesn't really matter.
They will be able to pay for the iPads by the savings on printed text books alone.
Shame, then, that digital books are exactly the same price as their physical copies, even though they could easily be less than 1/10th the price.
Think of how many millions of trees will be saved with electronic textbooks!
Think of how many millions of trees will be saved with electronic textbooks!
This is basically all we'll get out of it. No price saving or anything.
The actual cost of a physical book is less than you think. For the average hardback, think $3-$4.
The rest is book production costs (art, editing, etc.), advertising and promotion, author's royalties, publisher's profit, and retailer's profit.
And ebook prices ARE much lower, typically 40% to half the cost of the hardback. But today we're also used to retailers marking bestselling hardbacks down 30-40% as loss leaders, which makes it seem like the ebook price is the same, or even higher.
First, your assumption of printing costs is way low for text books. In any event, the bottom line is that using e-books isn't really any cheaper than buying paper books:
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug...cal/me-books26
There are other advantages, but given the current cost structure, cost savings isn't one of them. The biggest advantage is that my daughter would not be carrying 20 pounds of text books in her backpack every night. Plus, it would be easier to keep the books up to date.
I have always suggested that this was one of the goals of Apple. That soon the teacher in front of the class will say: "Students, download chapter (x) of (this or that) book", and then would go over it with the class. No more books to carry home or to school. The number of books in the library will slowly diminish.
Another target that Apple should have eyed for the iPad is the medical field. Hospitals, but also specialists, family doctors and even dentists can have all the needed information within the touch of a button.
Apple (or Steve Jobs) are literally changing the world!
The medical profession isn't far behind, if they are at all. My oncologist at Stanford has access to my whole case on an iPad. His intern was able to write the note while in the office with me and schedule the follow up and send me an email reminder (been in remission 5 years).
I'm not sure why SJ was disappointed. People were expecting whizzbang and instead they got an email app demo, a Pages demo, and a bunch of mundane walkthroughs. I would say that that was his most boring SJ keynote.
I think he was upset by the tech-head critics because it was claimed that Apple had shown the iPad to a number top executives in various industries and they were blown away by how compact and fast the iPad was. I think most ordinary people would have been very excited about using one.
Then it's shown to the tech critics who believe they know everything about computers and they were disappointed, as usual, because the iPad didn't feature every port they felt was necessary in order for the iPad to be as useful as a $250 Windows netbook. Steve Jobs probably thought that the tech people would have been happy with something thinner, lighter and having longer battery life than current Windows tablets. He was wrong. Tech-heads are just too smart for their own good. Fortunately, consumers are not as critical and since they're the ones who would be doing all the buying, Apple was able to sell iPads by the millions of units. The rest is history. Consumers are satisfied with the iPad and the tech geniuses are still sulking and desperately waiting for Windows 8 tablets a couple of years later.