But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
Why the hate for Chromebooks? They seem to be very successful for K12.
I think the implementation this school has done with their iPads is interesting, but in university, an actual macOS or Windows laptop would still be required.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
Chromebooks are a no-show in the rest of the world!!! But ignoring that, ok you go to K-12 using Chromebooks and then what? Is that going to be at all useful in College? How about in the real world? Anyone using a Chromebook out in the real world? Maybe a few old people who need something simple to use. I think the kids are at a disadvantage growing up using a Chromebook. At least iPads are used outside of schools and in businesses for some things. They're also out in the real world in far greater numbers.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
Why the hate for Chromebooks? They seem to be very successful for K12.
I think the implementation this school has done with their iPads is interesting, but in university, an actual macOS or Windows laptop would still be required.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
Because they are crap 💩 just like the netbooks they replaced.
There are hundreds of better accessory keyboards available for and IPad than a Surface.
There is a reason these devices with all the ads and heavy placement do not sell on any real scale after 6 years of trying. For instance Microsoft is estimated to have sold a whopping 1.5 million it’s first year, topping out at 6 million 2 years ago. For a little perspective, the original IPad sold its first million in 28 days, bettering the original IPhone’s 74 days. So, basically Microsoft may finally pass the 20 million mark in 6 years of estimated cumulative sales that the IPad achieved in its first year on the market. While Apple was already at 360 million reported sakes in March of last year. It is just not selling because it is a niche product.
You can call it that, but what makes a Chromebook crap?
The best keyboard accessory for the iPad (Brydge) is also made for the Surface Pro, none of which come even remotely close to the keyboard on a Surface Book.
Since when was the Surface the only Windows 2-in-1?
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
Why the hate for Chromebooks? They seem to be very successful for K12.
I think the implementation this school has done with their iPads is interesting, but in university, an actual macOS or Windows laptop would still be required.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
Even if this were the case (and I’m not sure it is), the real problem is that you seem to think that universities only run engineering courses.
I only pointed out that there are limitations for engineering students, at no point in time did I state universities "only run engineering courses".
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
Why the hate for Chromebooks? They seem to be very successful for K12.
I think the implementation this school has done with their iPads is interesting, but in university, an actual macOS or Windows laptop would still be required.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
Chromebooks are a no-show in the rest of the world!!! But ignoring that, ok you go to K-12 using Chromebooks and then what? Is that going to be at all useful in College? How about in the real world? Anyone using a Chromebook out in the real world? Maybe a few old people who need something simple to use. I think the kids are at a disadvantage growing up using a Chromebook. At least iPads are used outside of schools and in businesses for some things. They're also out in the real world in far greater numbers.
That's nothing to ignore, Windows has the largest share outside of the US. However, that's not really my point.
I don't really see how using ChromeOS would make a difference. It's the software and fundamentals that you're learning that matter. If you're still using Office (or equivalent) on a Chromebook, then you'll be able to do that on just about any other platform.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
Why the hate for Chromebooks? They seem to be very successful for K12.
I think the implementation this school has done with their iPads is interesting, but in university, an actual macOS or Windows laptop would still be required.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
Chromebooks are a no-show in the rest of the world!!! But ignoring that, ok you go to K-12 using Chromebooks and then what? Is that going to be at all useful in College? How about in the real world? Anyone using a Chromebook out in the real world? Maybe a few old people who need something simple to use. I think the kids are at a disadvantage growing up using a Chromebook. At least iPads are used outside of schools and in businesses for some things. They're also out in the real world in far greater numbers.
IMHO By the time these elementary kids are out in the real world an Apple iPad, at least as as we know it now, will be a quaint computing device from "back in the day".
FWIW yes Chromebooks are useful "in the real world too". I do almost all my research, photo-sharing, browsing, writing and nearly every other daily casual computer activity on a circa 2014 Chromebook that's not slowed down at all in the four years hence. The battery isn't as good as it once was, two to three hours max now but the sound, display, touchpad and touchscreen, security, frequency of updates, and overall experience is still excellent.
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
I was in a coffeeshop yesterday where I literally met some university engineering students (3) doing their homework on Surface Pros (2) and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1). The fellow with the iPad Pro was doing the same work the Surface people were doing, apparently equally well. The funny thing (and I meant to ask them about it but I was on the way out when I said hello to them) was why all three of them ALSO had a scientific calculator next to them ... like those computers aren't also scientific calculators ...
Just try writing a report with more than 3 open references and a calculator app on an iPad - even a 12.9"
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
I was in a coffeeshop yesterday where I literally met some university engineering students (3) doing their homework on Surface Pros (2) and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1). The fellow with the iPad Pro was doing the same work the Surface people were doing, apparently equally well. The funny thing (and I meant to ask them about it but I was on the way out when I said hello to them) was why all three of them ALSO had a scientific calculator next to them ... like those computers aren't also scientific calculators ...
Just try writing a report with more than 3 open references and a calculator app on an iPad - even a 12.9"
Since there are apps that provide simulations of various calculators, including the famed HP 41CX, it's quite easy to compare the app to the physical calculator for STEM tasks. More to the point, calculators are generally allowed for tests, while smartphones and iPads are not universally allowed.
I like the ability to simulate an actual calculator on my iPhone or iPad:
I can't imagine an engineering student at this school using an iPad Pro as their only device. This is one area a 2-in-1 computer, such as Microsoft's Surface, would be very well suited for (take notes in OneNote, type on a real keyboard in Word, open up a model in SolidWorks, etc.).
I was in a coffeeshop yesterday where I literally met some university engineering students (3) doing their homework on Surface Pros (2) and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1). The fellow with the iPad Pro was doing the same work the Surface people were doing, apparently equally well. The funny thing (and I meant to ask them about it but I was on the way out when I said hello to them) was why all three of them ALSO had a scientific calculator next to them ... like those computers aren't also scientific calculators ...
Just try writing a report with more than 3 open references and a calculator app on an iPad - even a 12.9"
Since there are apps that provide simulations of various calculators, including the famed HP 41CX, it's quite easy to compare the app to the physical calculator for STEM tasks. More to the point, calculators are generally allowed for tests, while smartphones and iPads are not universally allowed.
I like the ability to simulate an actual calculator on my iPhone or iPad:
Sometimes, in exams, they don't give you access to Ipads, etc. You can ONLY use approved calculators.
It's probably the reason they're still using calculators. That happened in engineering classes and some advanced math classes (and even in accounting).
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues/were pestered enough until they finally relented. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
The second link was the teacher's explanation for the change from the first link. It was simply re-posted to Chromebook.net, but the same teacher. If you don't like the source of that one but still confused why teachers might want to use 'em it's easy enough to find other educator articles that explain why they use Chromebooks, or why a Chromebook is the best choice for their particular classroom just like it's easy enough to find other educator's who swear by iPad's or some other device. Just look rather than wait around for some link that's to your liking.
Of course that would assume one is interested in knowing. You may, but it's obvious there's one or two others with no interest whatsoever, yet still complaining.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
Are you kidding? This is Gatorguy we’re talking about here, Google’s preeminent spokesperson on AppleInsider, and talented enough to cherry pick sites and statistics to make himself, and Google, as if they can do no wrong and are killing it in everything they touch!
Even articles writers here on AppleInsider have finally publicly called him out on it. Not sure why they don’t just ban him...
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
Oh of course. But most aren't justifying their arguments using links to pro-Apple articles from sites for which funding can be clearly traced back to Apple or Apple products.
The second link was the teacher's explanation for the change from the first link. It was simply reposted to Chromebook.net, but the same teacher.
And again, I looked through that article and saw mostly the same rationale: the rest of the school (and others) had switched and so there was less friction due to having other people to aid in solving technical problems. Group behaviour.
This is exactly how Microsoft products came to dominate organizations in the 1990s: once the IT staff chooses a platform (usually based on upfront cost or other self-interested incentives), everyone else falls in line because it's more effort to use something different. I've worked for many organizations like this. It typically doesn't mean the platform is measurably better for everyone else in the organization in their day-to-day work, it just means that it's easier for IT to support. Or more likely that someone got a promotion/raise because they provided a simplified view of how much money they saved the organization by switching (and ignoring the extra costs/pain everywhere else).
Fast-forward to today: when it comes to lengthier written pieces, the majority of my students now opt to write out their work by hand and then use the iPad camera to take pictures of their papers for submission. If one of the goals of a digital classroom is a more paperless learning environment, the iPads are not delivering for me anymore.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
Oh of course. But most aren't justifying their arguments using links to pro-Apple articles from sites for which funding can be clearly traced back to Apple or Apple products.
The second link was the teacher's explanation for the change from the first link. It was simply reposted to Chromebook.net, but the same teacher.
And again, I looked through that article and saw mostly the same rationale: the rest of the school (and others) had switched and so there was less friction due to having other people to aid in solving technical problems. Group behaviour.
This is exactly how Microsoft products came to dominate organizations in the 1990s: once the IT staff chooses a platform (usually based on upfront cost or other self-interested incentives), everyone else falls in line because it's more effort to use something different. I've worked for many organizations like this. It typically doesn't mean the platform is measurably better for everyone else in the organization in their day-to-day work, it just means that it's easier for IT to support. Or more likely that someone got a promotion/raise because they provided a simplified view of how much money they saved the organization by switching (and ignoring the extra costs/pain everywhere else).
You may not have read the same link I did, or perhaps just simply skimmed over over it. She didn't ascribe her change to simple group-think.
1. ...As Apple has pushed out iOS updates year after year, my iPad 2s are struggling to keep up (in 2017). The snappy interface and typing speeds have been dragging since the update to iOS 9 in 2015.... user-friendly and responsive management software has always seemed to come up short. The available tools, Apple Configurator and iTunes, take a very long time to push files, apps, and updates to a cart full of iPads even when running on a fairly well-spec’d MacBook.... ...Chromebooks..offer an alternative that is more future-proof and reliable. Since I am fortunate enough to be in a school with a fairly robust and reliable network infrastructure, I have little fear that a Chromebook would ever regress to a state where it could be rendered unusable by my students.
2. ...Apple products like the iPhone and the iPad are, at their core, personal devices. While they found their place in classrooms, educators (especially early on) were forced to find creative ways to repurpose them into classroom devices; this meant finding ways to create classroom workflows that would provide enriching experiences but also be user friendly for students. There were plenty of natural limitations posed by using a personal organizational and multimedia device as the cornerstone of a collaborative learning workflow. At the top of the list: typing. The value of a keyboard cannot be understated. While I teach social studies, writing is embedded in nearly everything my students do.
Fast-forward to today: when it comes to lengthier written pieces, the majority of my students now opt to write out their work by hand and then use the iPad camera to take pictures of their papers for submission. If one of the goals of a digital classroom is a more paperless learning environment, the iPads are not delivering for me anymore.
Why would students opt for old-school penmanship rather than the modernity of typing? The reason is simple: ... touch-screen keyboard. My students find it much less frustrating to use a pencil and paper (rather than the iPad virtual keypad).
3. Here's where she gives props to the iPad too. Chromebooks are sometimes the lesser choice in her view: Chromebooks provide an inherent value to students with the vocabulary and skills to engage with language and typing. For younger students, a simplified touch-friendly device may be more appropriate. While there are touch-enabled Chromebooks, unless they have support for the Play Store, Apple still makes a product that is more useful and intuitive for younger students.
In my case, seventh graders are beyond the point where they need tech devices that make learning novel. I need my students to have classroom technology that is seen as an effective, reliable, and intuitive tool for exploration, collaboration, organization, and creation. I want them to be able to push their thought-processes as far as they will go and have devices that can be canvases for sharing that experience with me and others.
5. Chromebooks are ideally suited for multi-user environments due to the fact that the storage and account settings are cloud-based rather than device based. Each period a student signs into a Chromebook (regardless of the device in the building they sign on to), they are greeted with their content, their Google Drive, their Gmail account, their Google Classrooms courses, and their creations.
Google for Education provides unlimited storage for the students in our school to utilize. This means students can archive and organize their work and have access to it days, even years later if they wish. Knowledge is an additive process, Having Chromebooks that students can use to create living educational portfolios that are secure and easily accessible is a huge plus!
6. The stalwarts of the G Suite like Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Slides have made common desktop publishing tasks a breeze on Chromebooks. That being said, when it comes to more creative tasks, Apple’s branding efforts have most people convinced that iPads are the superior products in the space. Prior to reaching out to my fellow educators, I was part of that camp. However, thanks to a Padlet shared by Karly Moura, the versatility of the lesser-known Google Drawings is now fully on my radar.
The idea that Chromebooks can provide all of the reliability and functionality with desktop publishing tasks and allow opportunities for students to represent their learning in more creative ways pretty much sealed the deal on my decision to make the switch to Chromebooks next school year.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
Oh of course. But most aren't justifying their arguments using links to pro-Apple articles from sites for which funding can be clearly traced back to Apple or Apple products.
The second link was the teacher's explanation for the change from the first link. It was simply reposted to Chromebook.net, but the same teacher.
And again, I looked through that article and saw mostly the same rationale: the rest of the school (and others) had switched and so there was less friction due to having other people to aid in solving technical problems. Group behaviour.
This is exactly how Microsoft products came to dominate organizations in the 1990s: once the IT staff chooses a platform (usually based on upfront cost or other self-interested incentives), everyone else falls in line because it's more effort to use something different. I've worked for many organizations like this. It typically doesn't mean the platform is measurably better for everyone else in the organization in their day-to-day work, it just means that it's easier for IT to support. Or more likely that someone got a promotion/raise because they provided a simplified view of how much money they saved the organization by switching (and ignoring the extra costs/pain everywhere else).
You may not have read the same link I did, or perhaps just simply skimmed over over it. She didn't ascribe her change to simple group-think.
First argument: I went on the internet and asked for opinions on Twitter which, in 140 characters or less, unsurprisingly ended up short on details/analysis. Group-think.
Second argument: iPad 2s have gotten laggy. Which is a fair point, but then again, it would also be fair to compare against hardware from the exact same era (2011). Which only the very first Chromebooks ever produced by Acer and Samsung would be comparable to. Did those machines last as long without needing to be replaced due to damage or hardware failures? Are they still usable? Without that comparison, one can't truly say whether iPads or Chromebooks are better.
Third argument: Keyboard skills. I'd argue that making the keyboard optional allows for the device to be customized to the needs of the situation. Some tasks require a keyboard, some don't. Just because the teacher prefers a keyboard doesn't mean it's what every student needs, and cherry-picking comments which support your viewpoint (group-think) isn't in-depth analysis.
Fourth argument: I need tools which are effective and reliable for higher learning. Making the statement that "Chromebooks continue to outpace Apple products in terms of adoption by schools. As such, innovators are flooding to the development space to help fill the needs of an education community that is vocal about its wants and needs from classroom devices.". Yet I don't say anything about research into the apps available for iPads which fill those same needs and comparing the quality to those for Chromebooks in specific, measurable ways. Sounds like another case of group-think to me (reading a statement and doing no independent research or comparison).
Fifth argument: Support for multiple users and independent storage on a single device. I'll grant her this one. Though the added complication of having to manage logins for devices isn't ideal in all scenarios.
Sixth argument: Chromebooks have DTP apps, so creativity can flourish. Yet those same type of apps exist for iPad, as does access to the G Suite since it's web-based, so this is really a non-argument.
Seventh argument: It's a personal choice. Which she mainly based on reaching out to peers.
But, but, but, but... I love crap, I love chromebooks,
I love saving $50 bucks up front and paying $200 dollars off the back and getting less,
were will we be without the craptastic in our lives.
(yes, this is sarcasm).
It sounds like Apple needs to purchase jamf... and rename it something I can remember.
Chromebooks currently get the love because of superior MDM.
If Apple’s current solution (under development) doesn’t work out, time to get out the check book.
If you do a search for Apple MDM its the first result. Crapbooks get love because they're cheap and thats the only reason they get love. If the Crapbook was $499 people would think sucked. Apple doesn't need to buy Jamf. Jamf is incredibly successful as it is. Its just that people don't want to do this thing called "research" before making purchases. They just want to play follow everyone else.
While the flowchart in that article isn't too bad (though it does omit evaluating the quality of the software you need to use on both platforms), the only reason I see given in that article for why the teacher finally changed to Chromebooks is that they wanted to join their colleagues. Which is essentially just group behaviour and not showing any sort of measurable increase in work productivity or educational gains by students.
Are you kidding? This is Gatorguy we’re talking about here, Google’s preeminent spokesperson on AppleInsider, and talented enough to cherry pick sites and statistics to make himself, and Google, as if they can do no wrong and are killing it in everything they touch!
Even articles writers here on AppleInsider have finally publicly called him out on it. Not sure why they don’t just ban him...
Maybe because Gatorguy brings a different viewpoint and usually offers reasoning why he has that viewpoint or just offers links that explain the statements he has made. Just because some on here don't seem to want to accept that there is another side that's no reason to ban him. Considering some of the posters here he is respectful and polite.
Comments
The best keyboard accessory for the iPad (Brydge) is also made for the Surface Pro, none of which come even remotely close to the keyboard on a Surface Book.
Since when was the Surface the only Windows 2-in-1?
I only pointed out that there are limitations for engineering students, at no point in time did I state universities "only run engineering courses".
I don't really see how using ChromeOS would make a difference. It's the software and fundamentals that you're learning that matter. If you're still using Office (or equivalent) on a Chromebook, then you'll be able to do that on just about any other platform.
FWIW yes Chromebooks are useful "in the real world too". I do almost all my research, photo-sharing, browsing, writing and nearly every other daily casual computer activity on a circa 2014 Chromebook that's not slowed down at all in the four years hence. The battery isn't as good as it once was, two to three hours max now but the sound, display, touchpad and touchscreen, security, frequency of updates, and overall experience is still excellent.
Just try writing a report with more than 3 open references and a calculator app on an iPad - even a 12.9"
I like the ability to simulate an actual calculator on my iPhone or iPad:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i41cx/id289068865?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hp-prime-graphing-calculator/id1064702857?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ti-nspire-cas/id545351700?mt=8
and a bonus link to hanxwriter;
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hanx-writer/id868326899?mt=8
Shocking. A site named "chromebook.net" which admits that they pay for website maintenance by Chromebook purchase click-throughs has articles which are pro Chromebooks. Who'd have guessed?
The second link was the teacher's explanation for the change from the first link. It was simply re-posted to Chromebook.net, but the same teacher. If you don't like the source of that one but still confused why teachers might want to use 'em it's easy enough to find other educator articles that explain why they use Chromebooks, or why a Chromebook is the best choice for their particular classroom just like it's easy enough to find other educator's who swear by iPad's or some other device. Just look rather than wait around for some link that's to your liking.
Of course that would assume one is interested in knowing. You may, but it's obvious there's one or two others with no interest whatsoever, yet still complaining.
Even articles writers here on AppleInsider have finally publicly called him out on it. Not sure why they don’t just ban him...
And again, I looked through that article and saw mostly the same rationale: the rest of the school (and others) had switched and so there was less friction due to having other people to aid in solving technical problems. Group behaviour.
This is exactly how Microsoft products came to dominate organizations in the 1990s: once the IT staff chooses a platform (usually based on upfront cost or other self-interested incentives), everyone else falls in line because it's more effort to use something different. I've worked for many organizations like this. It typically doesn't mean the platform is measurably better for everyone else in the organization in their day-to-day work, it just means that it's easier for IT to support. Or more likely that someone got a promotion/raise because they provided a simplified view of how much money they saved the organization by switching (and ignoring the extra costs/pain everywhere else).
1. ...As Apple has pushed out iOS updates year after year, my iPad 2s are struggling to keep up (in 2017). The snappy interface and typing speeds have been dragging since the update to iOS 9 in 2015.... user-friendly and responsive management software has always seemed to come up short. The available tools, Apple Configurator and iTunes, take a very long time to push files, apps, and updates to a cart full of iPads even when running on a fairly well-spec’d MacBook.... ...Chromebooks..offer an alternative that is more future-proof and reliable. Since I am fortunate enough to be in a school with a fairly robust and reliable network infrastructure, I have little fear that a Chromebook would ever regress to a state where it could be rendered unusable by my students.
2. ...Apple products like the iPhone and the iPad are, at their core, personal devices. While they found their place in classrooms, educators (especially early on) were forced to find creative ways to repurpose them into classroom devices; this meant finding ways to create classroom workflows that would provide enriching experiences but also be user friendly for students. There were plenty of natural limitations posed by using a personal organizational and multimedia device as the cornerstone of a collaborative learning workflow. At the top of the list: typing. The value of a keyboard cannot be understated. While I teach social studies, writing is embedded in nearly everything my students do.
Fast-forward to today: when it comes to lengthier written pieces, the majority of my students now opt to write out their work by hand and then use the iPad camera to take pictures of their papers for submission. If one of the goals of a digital classroom is a more paperless learning environment, the iPads are not delivering for me anymore.
Why would students opt for old-school penmanship rather than the modernity of typing? The reason is simple: ... touch-screen keyboard. My students find it much less frustrating to use a pencil and paper (rather than the iPad virtual keypad).
3. Here's where she gives props to the iPad too. Chromebooks are sometimes the lesser choice in her view: Chromebooks provide an inherent value to students with the vocabulary and skills to engage with language and typing. For younger students, a simplified touch-friendly device may be more appropriate. While there are touch-enabled Chromebooks, unless they have support for the Play Store, Apple still makes a product that is more useful and intuitive for younger students.
In my case, seventh graders are beyond the point where they need tech devices that make learning novel. I need my students to have classroom technology that is seen as an effective, reliable, and intuitive tool for exploration, collaboration, organization, and creation. I want them to be able to push their thought-processes as far as they will go and have devices that can be canvases for sharing that experience with me and others.
5. Chromebooks are ideally suited for multi-user environments due to the fact that the storage and account settings are cloud-based rather than device based. Each period a student signs into a Chromebook (regardless of the device in the building they sign on to), they are greeted with their content, their Google Drive, their Gmail account, their Google Classrooms courses, and their creations.
Google for Education provides unlimited storage for the students in our school to utilize. This means students can archive and organize their work and have access to it days, even years later if they wish. Knowledge is an additive process, Having Chromebooks that students can use to create living educational portfolios that are secure and easily accessible is a huge plus!
6. The stalwarts of the G Suite like Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Slides have made common desktop publishing tasks a breeze on Chromebooks. That being said, when it comes to more creative tasks, Apple’s branding efforts have most people convinced that iPads are the superior products in the space. Prior to reaching out to my fellow educators, I was part of that camp. However, thanks to a Padlet shared by Karly Moura, the versatility of the lesser-known Google Drawings is now fully on my radar.
The idea that Chromebooks can provide all of the reliability and functionality with desktop publishing tasks and allow opportunities for students to represent their learning in more creative ways pretty much sealed the deal on my decision to make the switch to Chromebooks next school year.
Second argument: iPad 2s have gotten laggy. Which is a fair point, but then again, it would also be fair to compare against hardware from the exact same era (2011). Which only the very first Chromebooks ever produced by Acer and Samsung would be comparable to. Did those machines last as long without needing to be replaced due to damage or hardware failures? Are they still usable? Without that comparison, one can't truly say whether iPads or Chromebooks are better.
Third argument: Keyboard skills. I'd argue that making the keyboard optional allows for the device to be customized to the needs of the situation. Some tasks require a keyboard, some don't. Just because the teacher prefers a keyboard doesn't mean it's what every student needs, and cherry-picking comments which support your viewpoint (group-think) isn't in-depth analysis.
Fourth argument: I need tools which are effective and reliable for higher learning. Making the statement that "Chromebooks continue to outpace Apple products in terms of adoption by schools. As such, innovators are flooding to the development space to help fill the needs of an education community that is vocal about its wants and needs from classroom devices.". Yet I don't say anything about research into the apps available for iPads which fill those same needs and comparing the quality to those for Chromebooks in specific, measurable ways. Sounds like another case of group-think to me (reading a statement and doing no independent research or comparison).
Fifth argument: Support for multiple users and independent storage on a single device. I'll grant her this one. Though the added complication of having to manage logins for devices isn't ideal in all scenarios.
Sixth argument: Chromebooks have DTP apps, so creativity can flourish. Yet those same type of apps exist for iPad, as does access to the G Suite since it's web-based, so this is really a non-argument.
Seventh argument: It's a personal choice. Which she mainly based on reaching out to peers.
Just because some on here don't seem to want to accept that there is another side that's no reason to ban him.
Considering some of the posters here he is respectful and polite.