Arkansas State's 'iPad Initiative' will require all incoming students to have Apple's tablet

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  • Reply 61 of 120
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    I don't see why these follow. Not allowing trolls ? everyone agrees.



     


    I agree, to a point. 


     


    If someone is here to have a real discussion great.


     


    if they are here to call folks stupid or just reply 'get an Android' to everything, then on my ignore list they go. I just wish that the system also hid replies to them and even blocked them from replying to me. So they would be truly invisible to me. 

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  • Reply 62 of 120
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple v. Samsung View Post


    As I said there is nothing that is required for school that will set a student back more than a hundred dollars (a graphing calculator). 



     


    Maybe in the 1950s when you were in school, but not now.


     


    At this school an iPad is required. Period. So it is not an 'unnecessary cost'. You don't like that, don't go there. There are hundreds of other schools to choose from. 

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  • Reply 63 of 120
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    …and even blocked them from replying to me.



     


    Hmm, that's interesting… I like that thought.

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  • Reply 64 of 120
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Funny, this isn't the case now of Apple.


     


    Hey, we'd prefer no filters. Huddler just has to update their settings.


     


    Of course not. It's not even a breach of the first.



     


    No joke. Folks have options. You can pick what school you go to, apply to, etc. You don't like that a school demands you have an iPad, go somewhere else. 


     


    When I was applying to Uni I knew that I wanted to go into film. Particularly editing etc. One of my possible schools, I came to discover had moved to only teaching AVID and Premiere/After Effects, no Apple computers anywhere on campus. And since all the courses required you to turn in your work documents and not just the final product I could just cheat and do it in FCP/Motion/Shake on my own gear. So off the list that school went. 


     


    Was my final choice of schools a determent to my career? Nope. I still managed to finish in 3 yrs (I went during summer and intercessions), still got into grad school at USC, got a very nice internship in an editing house that turned into a job. And didn't go to that more renowned school that would have barred me from using particular equipment and software because they didn't want to maintain two labs etc

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  • Reply 65 of 120
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    "Apple wrote:
    [" url="/t/156257/arkansas-states-ipad-initiative-will-require-all-incoming-students-to-have-apples-tablet#post_2286561"]What brings down the site is Fandroid infiltrators who have no business here.

    Just think of me as Fandroid repellent, that is my goal.

    One word: delusional.

    Which pretty much describes what I'm thinking of you right now.
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  • Reply 66 of 120
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    jungmark wrote: »
    The University isn't forcing you to enroll. Don't want to learn by iPad? Don't apply.

    Bingo.

    Much as I'm concerned, this pretty much ends this discussion.

    People are so often moppets, and quantity of bias can be staggering. In line of quantity of stupidity. If Uni has educational material already released (or being developed) through iPad apps - and I would expect at least some of material will be/is highly interactive, not just a generic PDFs - what would be a point of insisting on different device where all that material cannot be used? How many intelligent young people would still insist of using Android/Windows tablet for pure fanboy sentiments and, in the process, badly handicap themselves in things that matter - as in, learning?

    In my head, not a single one.

    As of those who do go to Uni for all the wrong reasons, well they will do everyone a favour for opting out and leaving more space for those with right reasons...
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  • Reply 67 of 120
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Enough of this nonsense. Many colleges have always had soft forced requirements for the computing utilities of a specific major.


     


    For example, there are colleges whose majors require the use of certain Windows-only software. So the student is forced to buy Windows, even if they don't want it, to take that major. 




    This was NEVER an issue when music collages required MacBooks (well, iBooks) for their students. Now it's magically an "issue" with the iPad? 



     


    Just because it was done before (and doubtlessly will be done again) does not make it right.

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  • Reply 68 of 120
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by igriv View Post

    Just because it was done before (and doubtlessly will be done again) does not make it right.


     


    Your implication that it's in any way "wrong" is completely wrong, is what we're saying.

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  • Reply 69 of 120
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Your implication that it's in any way "wrong" is completely wrong, is what we're saying.



     


    Is that a royal "we"? Anyway, what you are saying is that you disagree with me. The way you put it is strangely immoderate for a moderator...

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  • Reply 70 of 120
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by igriv View Post

    Is that a royal "we"?


     


    We as in there's nothing illegal about it because either a bunch of people got together and decided there wouldn't be a law against it or a bunch of people didn't get together and decide there should be a law against it. Yes, that we.

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  • Reply 71 of 120
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,928member
    igriv wrote: »
    Yes, and if the university does not like people of your skin color, just go to a different one!

    That is the worst analogy ever used. We have laws concerning race, religion, gender, etc. We don't have laws concerning what tech you use. If the app is iOS only, good luck with an android.
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  • Reply 72 of 120
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post




    I just wish that the system also hid replies to them and even blocked them from replying to me. So they would be truly invisible to me. 



    I find this useful.


    //Create a Bookmark and paste the following code into the address field


    [CODE]


     


    javascript: (function() { var ass = 'Apple v. Samsung';var uid = '107904';var theQuotes = document.getElementsByClassName('quote-block');for (var i = 0; i < theQuotes.length; i++) { var str = theQuotes[i].innerHTML; if (str.indexOf('Originally Posted by <strong>'+ass+'</strong>') >= 0) { theQuotes[i].innerHTML = '<span style=\'color:red;font=family:Arial;\'>BLOCKED</span>'; }}var thePosts = document.getElementsByClassName('single-post mod-select-parent status_115 user-id-'+uid+' left-post-container');for (var i = 0; i < thePosts.length; i++) { var str = thePosts[i].innerHTML; if (str.indexOf('rel="nofollow">'+ass+'</a') >= 0) { thePosts[i].innerHTML = '<span style=\'color:red;font=family:Arial;\'>BLOCKED</span>';  }}})() 


     


    [/CODE]


     


    The var 'ass' and 'uid' are the values you can change depending on who you want to block.

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  • Reply 73 of 120
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post





    That is the worst analogy ever used. We have laws concerning race, religion, gender, etc. We don't have laws concerning what tech you use. If the app is iOS only, good luck with an android.


    Wow, "the worst analogy ever used", strong words. Do you have any idea WHY they need iPads? I quote from the article:


     


    The iPad's videoconferencing capabilities allow for remote observation and more immediate feedback than was previously possible, according to Hogue.


     


    Can you name a tablet that does NOT have videoconferencing capabilities? I am a university professor, many of my colleagues (who actually use primarily Apple hardware) videoconference, and they tell me that Google+ hangout is the most reliable thing out there. For that matter, this will work fine on (ahem) an android phone [worse on an iPhone, since that has a smaller screen, but that will work too].


     


    Otherwise, I know many students who survive primarily on ramen noodles, so forcing them to spend money on another device is quite irresponsible, especially since most of them do have smartphones already. Vendor lockin (again) is horrible idea. Notice that software like Skype and Google hangout, while proprietary, is at least free and works on essentially every piece of hardware you can buy today, including phones and laptops and every possible brand of tablet. 

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  • Reply 74 of 120
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    igriv wrote: »
    Wow, "the worst analogy ever used", strong words. Do you have any idea WHY they need iPads? I quote from the article:

    <span style="font-family:'HelveticaNeue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Sans Serif';font-size:15px;line-height:22.796875px;">The iPad's videoconferencing capabilities allow for remote observation and more immediate feedback than was previously possible, according to Hogue.</span>


    <span style="font-size:15px;line-height:22.796875px;">Can you name a tablet that does NOT have videoconferencing capabilities? I am a university professor, many of my colleagues (who actually use primarily Apple hardware) videoconference, and they tell me that Google+ hangout is the most reliable thing out there. For that matter, this will work fine on (ahem) an android phone [worse on an iPhone, since that has a smaller screen, but that will work too].</span>


    Otherwise, I know many students who survive primarily on ramen noodles, so forcing them to spend money on another device is quite irresponsible, especially since most of them do have smartphones already. Vendor lockin (again) is horrible idea. Notice that software like Skype and Google hangout, while proprietary, is at least free and works on essentially every piece of hardware you can buy today, including phones and laptops and every possible brand of tablet. 

    Oh OK, I missed that part. Is video conferencing sole reason why this Uni insists on iPads? If it is, I completely agree with you.

    But if, as I stated in my previous post, there is a number of interactive apps developed for this Uni courses and they are not available on other platforms, then... iPad it is. I would expect something like that, to be honest - cannot believe an academic institution is making completely silly requirement out of nowhere. If they are, I would consider different Uni not because of iPad requirement as per se, but because of stupidity of insisting on iPad for no valid reason - can I trust those people to meaningfully educate me/my kids?

    Additional question would be, will students get some discount in purchasing iPad, and will iPad road pay back in reducing price of eBooks vs. paper books?
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  • Reply 75 of 120
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by igriv View Post




    The iPad's videoconferencing capabilities allow for remote observation and more immediate feedback than was previously possible, according to Hogue.


     



    I think there is probably more to the story than what is being said in the article. Sure there are cross platform video conferencing applications but perhaps they are looking at long term solutions and plan to use iOS as the standardized platform for iBook Author and other apps that are not so platform agnostic. Personally I would rather see the focus on in browser applications that were not as proprietary. I think Black Board is still quite a popular application for college level cirriculum but I was having a very difficult time accessing their site to do research on whether they have a mobile app or not. Black Board is designed to integrate with the university's main network student login so it becomes part of the overall network access and not a separate parallel platform. 

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  • Reply 76 of 120
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I think there is probably more to the story than what is being said in the article. Sure there are cross platform video conferencing applications but perhaps they are looking at long term solutions and plan to use iOS as the standardized platform for iBook Author and other apps that are not so platform agnostic. Personally I would rather see the focus on in browser applications that were not as proprietary. I think Black Board is still quite a popular application for college level cirriculum but I was having a very difficult time accessing their site to do research on whether they have a mobile app or not. Black Board is designed to integrate with the university's main network student login so it becomes part of the overall network access and not a separate parallel platform. 



     


    Blackboard does have a moblie app (that's the good news). The bad news is that at my university the students really dislike it, and my wife is now taking a course and using the mobile version (on her iPad mini), and it has many problems, apparently, so that's the bad news. The better news is that there are competitors (e.g., there is something called "canvas" from incanvas -- I don't know much about it, but any competition is good...)

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  • Reply 77 of 120
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nikon133 View Post





    Oh OK, I missed that part. Is video conferencing sole reason why this Uni insists on iPads? If it is, I completely agree with you.



    But if, as I stated in my previous post, there is a number of interactive apps developed for this Uni courses and they are not available on other platforms, then... iPad it is. I would expect something like that, to be honest - cannot believe an academic institution is making completely silly requirement out of nowhere. If they are, I would consider different Uni not because of iPad requirement as per se, but because of stupidity of insisting on iPad for no valid reason - can I trust those people to meaningfully educate me/my kids?



    Additional question would be, will students get some discount in purchasing iPad, and will iPad road pay back in reducing price of eBooks vs. paper books?


     


    Have you spent my time in universities? I have, and the university administrators (and especially the IT component of the university administrator) are the least confidence-inspiring bunch of human beings I have encountered. For example, whenever there are funding cuts (frequently, in these troubled times) what happens is that faculty hiring gets reduced, but the number of administrators keeps growing -- that should tell you where their priorities are. And as for trusting them to educate your kids -- I wouldn't. Any decent university will have very smart and dedicated people there, but these are not the people who make up the curriculum, so just help your kids find the good courses.

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  • Reply 78 of 120
    mikeb85mikeb85 Posts: 506member


    IMO if schools want a 'standard' piece of technology, they should go the free route.  A Linux distribution on laptops, standard open-source formats, and all free tools (Firefox, Libre Office, Emacs, etc...).  Schools supporting specific vendors, whether it be Apple, MS or Google IMO goes against the values most Universities stand for...

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  • Reply 79 of 120
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by Mikeb85 View Post

    Schools supporting specific vendors, whether it be Apple, MS or Google IMO goes against the values most Universities stand for...


     


    What values are those, having the worst tools for the job possible even while better solutions exist?

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  • Reply 80 of 120
    mikeb85mikeb85 Posts: 506member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    What values are those, having the worst tools for the job possible even while better solutions exist?



     


    Please, Linux-based solutions power most critical infrastructure - airports, stock exchanges, military equipment and infrastructure, etc...  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/06/08/us_navy_linux_drones/


     


    Windows is crap and everyone knows it, I've seen brand new Windows 8 PCs at the store with the infamous blue screen of death on display...  Apple OSX is decent, but closed, with expensive and limited hardware.  What do most distributed systems and supercomputers use?  Linux of course.  


     


    And I don't know if you've ever coded or not, but Linux has the best tools by far for that.  I use them everyday to manage information and data that I use to make decisions about trading stocks... 


     


    But anyhow, University is supposed to be about propagating knowledge, not pushing specific commercial products.  

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