News Corp. to challenge Apple's iPad in education with Amplify Tablet - Page 3

This initiative has Google backing written all over it.  They are trying to get Android tablets a foot hold in the education market.  Can't blame them for trying but I think this is too little and too late.  Schools will not bite even if they give them away because they will probably bombard the students and teachers with advertising.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrrodriguez 

With budget cuts, the biggest thing I noticed was the price. $300 for a tablet that's specifically geared towards school vs. an iPad that costs $500. As soon as one school sees success with this tablet, then it could spread to other schools.

If you noticed in the previous posts, this tablet won't get into the school systems until maybe 2016. What do you suppose a tablet may cost that far into the future? 

Also, the $300 tablet requires the buyer to buy two years of $99 per year update subscriptions. So, not quite the deal it may seem to be.

If that isn't enough to give you heart burn, you are perpetually locked to one source for your teaching materials unlike with Apple where you can get your training materials written by any source or even write your own.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

They all lie. I don't understand what the issue is. All news stations have a political bent; and as they're all legally allowed to lie (in my opinion, to the point of slander), listening to both sides is the only way you can ever discover the truth.

They don't ALL lie. I've found many that don't pre-digest the news and give you their opinion. I prefer to think for myself once given the facts of the story or issue. 

Originally Posted by Macky the Macky 
They don't ALL lie. I've found many that don't pre-digest the news and give you their opinion.

Well, when in a news channel's twixt-show channel advertisements I am TOLD what I am to believe and what a collective "we" agrees upon, I get a little uppity. 

Ah, but how do you find them when you can't trust anyone? I look at both. For example, I go to anti-Apple websites to learn about potential "issues" with Apple (just reading what the issues are, not the explanation or the reasoning), and then pro-Apple websites to see rebuttals, if any.

I realize that's less broad in scope, but it combines both potential lies, which reveals common truth.

I suppose if ignorant creationist idiots who think the world is 6,000 years old can't get their crazy, irrational, brainwashed fantasies through the school boards, then they are going to try to get them on this Fox News Tablet.

I am disappointed that this thread degenerated into politics, religion, insults and personal attacks.

I am really interested in the topic of Education.

I have 3 teen-age grandchildren, all with iPads.  

We live in the San Francisco East Bay area (Contra Costa County).

California is one of the most progressive states in Education.

The policy of the Middle School and High School is "No electronic devices are allowed in the classroom".

I see the "Amplify" initiative as an attempt to change that (however good or bad the implementation).

There is a lot of expertise, talent and experience on this web site.

Pity that we couldn't benefit from it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleSauce007 

This initiative has Google backing written all over it.  They are trying to get Android tablets a foot hold in the education market.  Can't blame them for trying but I think this is too little and too late.  Schools will not bite even if they give them away because they will probably bombard the students and teachers with advertising.

Yep!. "Good Morning [student], Today's reading assignment is brought to you by the Chocolate Covered Cereal Company." 

"Good Morning [teacher], Today's reading assignment is brought to you by the University of Phoenix where you can earn an MBA, get the hell out of here and start making real money."

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone 

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleSauce007 

This initiative has Google backing written all over it.  They are trying to get Android tablets a foot hold in the education market.  Can't blame them for trying but I think this is too little and too late.  Schools will not bite even if they give them away because they will probably bombard the students and teachers with advertising.

Yep!. "Good Morning [student], Today's reading assignment is brought to you by the Chocolate Covered Cereal Company." 

 

"Good Morning [teacher], Today's reading assignment is brought to you by the University of Phoenix where you can earn an MBA, get the hell out of here and start making real money."

LOL!

Except for you Billy...  You've been watching to much porn, and are being transferred to Miss Lasutro's class...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum 

I am disappointed that this thread degenerated into politics, religion, insults and personal attacks.

Demonstrating why a NewsCorp tablet for k12 students is a bad idea.  Regardless of the actual educational efficacy of the content to be provided, no one would ever trust that the content is unbiased.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasanman69 


That's misguided. Man is 6000 yrs old, there is no time frame given in Genesis about when God created the earth to the time of Adam and Eve.

Umm... The Agricultural Revolution happened 10,000 years ago.  Most scientists agree that modern humans have been around for 100-250 thousand years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasanman69 

 

That's misguided. Man is 6000 yrs old, there is no time frame given in Genesis about when God created the earth to the time of Adam and Eve.

Sure there is. Mankind was created on the sixth day so the Earth is five days older than Adam. Genesis 1:27 NIV

Personally, I think the events presented in Genesis are complete hogwash but that is just my opinion.

Actually some scholars believe that the world was created and then re-created by God because the original Paleo-Hebrew word for create was more like making a chair from the oak wood of a tree. The tree already existed. The chair was just fashioned out of it. This is how they explain the dinosaurs being fossilized and extinct (well almost - there is behemoth Job chapter 40).

I think it is funny how so many of these Bible zealots have never actually read the Bible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasanman69 

 

That's misguided. Man is 6000 yrs old, there is no time frame given in Genesis about when God created the earth to the time of Adam and Eve.

Sure there is. Mankind was created on the sixth day so the Earth is five days older than Adam. Genesis 1:27 NIV

 

Personally, I think the events presented in Genesis are complete hogwash but that is just my opinion.

 

Actually some scholars believe that the world was created and then re-created by God because the original Paleo-Hebrew word for create was more like making a chair from the oak wood of a tree. The tree already existed. The chair was just fashioned out of it.

 

I think it is funny how so many of these Bible zealots have never actually read the Bible.

I probably shouldn't comment but...

I am not a particularly religious person, but I believe  that there is some greater power -- something else that is not understandable, definable.

I believe in science, but I question that science will ever be "settled science"... until the end.

I believe in evolution, but evolution doesn't account for everything... and, we are still evolving...

How do you scientifically explain things like:

• the ability (or inability) to determine right from wrong
• conscience
• acts of charity
• faith
• personality
• serendipity
• humor
• earning vs deserving vs entitlement
• negotiation and making deals
• striving for a better life
• invention
• introspection
• wonderment

Some would say that these are particular human attributes -- human weakness, actually...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum 

I probably shouldn't comment but...

[...]

 

Some would say that these are particular human attributes -- human weakness, actually...

I probably shouldn't comment on your comment but...

I don't think humans are that different from the other creatures on this planet except that we are a hell of a lot smarter and have physical characteristics that make us much better adapted to do the things that make us so dominate in the ecosystem. Even my dog has dreams, I see he exhibits REM which leads me to believe he is very much like us emotionally and mentally.

If God did create us in his image, he has a strict non-interference policy. We are on our own while on this Earth. What happens afterward no one knows. The Bible version is just speculation in my opinion. 

In the Old Testament it was all about smiting enemies and in the New Testament it was revised to be all about forgiveness. This is where the problem starts. How can the laws from a God who is always consistent, never changing, command stoning to death of children who disobey their parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ) then later change the rules to: he without sin cast the first stone? (John 8:7)

Christians, Jews, and Muslims as well as other religions have a huge credibility problem in this scientific era. Organized religion is irrelevant, in my opinion, regardless of whether there is a creator or not. There are some well intentioned lessons in various scriptures but to put any faith in them as a doctrine is foolhardy at best, again only my opinion.

LOL to the doubters.  If you dont think this will be a legitimate teaching tool you are sadly mistaken.  This is a great "deal" for a school. Consider the cost of an ipad.  $500 plus $99 for apple care for Ipad with Retina and dont forget the $50 protective case and $30SD card read (apples to apples comparison).  Total cost of ownership just for the hardware is $680.  Life expectancy is about 2 years.  Total cost for the amplify device on worst case scenario is $547 for the same time period.  That includes the software subscription.  Ipad you will probably have $40 in app costs involved per year.  Since the Amplify tables is common core orrientated, it meets all compliance for that. IT cost to manage Ipad's - 15 hours a week.  These devices can be classroom managed. Apple makes no such recomendation or remark as that is a software orrientated statement.  Plus subscribe to office 365 A2 plan, you have an AWESOME platform for education.  

Bottom line, as an IT person who has to deal with Ipad's, Droids, windows based PC's, etc....i look forward to this.  As an educator, you need consider how the technology costs affect school budgets as the accessories for IPAD's become very expensive.  Nothing like accessorizing an IPAD with an Apple TV that run Bonjour (a non routable protocol by the way that costs schools hundred of man hours and thousands of dollars to bandaid).  

This will be a great device for new upcoming HTML 5 orrientated web apps.  Now schools finally have a device that is multi purpose, multi tenant, and doesnt cost a fortune.

Nice job New Corp.  Republican or Dem...gotta give them kudos.

Originally Posted by ndk12 
Nothing like accessorizing an IPAD with an Apple TV that run Bonjour (a non routable protocol by the way that costs schools hundred of man hours and thousands of dollars to bandaid).

And for what reason would you possibly do that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ungenio 

Folks, I don't live in USA and can hardly comment on the real interests of News Corp., so I give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm more interested in the technical aspects, which seems very elaborate... Is there something similar in the iOS side, either from Apple or third-party?

In what way? There is the iPad, there are textbooks created by major paper textbooks companies, plus free tools from Apple to create your own texts as well as the iTunes U format. 

So what aspect are you looking for from this project 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum 

 

Mmm...  It is interesting that they chose a November 2013 rollout.  Labor Day is Monday, September 2 -- and school usually starts the next Monday.

 

This means that the "Amplify Solution" won't be in the school budgets or ready for any major implementation until School Year 2014-2015...

 

A lot can change...

 

I watched the video and it looked good!  I like the concept!

 

Here are some random thoughts:

Your 15 point is a big chunk of why it wouldn't be in schools in 2014 either. It launches in Nov which means schools will have the full and final details about what htey need to prepare just to use the tablets. That is what 2014-15 will take care of. then the next year is when they would launch. 

why go to that fuss when there is a ready package in Apple. Sure perhaps you can't track what kids are doing from your desk but there's an easy solution. Get up and stop being lazy. cost to schools, zero dollars. 

Even with it's flaws, schools are committing to ipads, possibly on multiyear plans and aren't likely to jump ship that hasn't been tested yet with that much back work required.