The Apple School, iBooks, eBooks, and Tablets

nordstrodamus

I've been doing some science teaching in a high school and can't help but notice a tremendous opportunity for Apple.



Here's the idea...



1. Apple develops a new, prepackaged school system, primarily marketed to new schools that don't need to accomodate legacy materials.

2. Teaming with a major publisher, eTextbooks for the major subjects are made available at big savings over the print versions.



Benefits



With all homework distributed and collected electronically schools would save a ton on paperwork and administration. Students would have all their work and books on one device that could synch with a central server- no more, "I forgot my homwork at home," or "do we need our book today," or "I need my homework, cause I was sick."



With textbooks costing $50-$150, over 7 subjects, over 3 years of school, thats $1050-$3150 per student easily justifying the cost of an iBook.



I'm not even sure if iTablets are necessary, but an argument can be made that some school subjects (art) would require them.



The real opportunity is to create lifelong mac users and provide a platform and market for really innovative educational software.

messiahtosh

It is interesting at the bottom there where you talk about creating life long Mac users. You see, I dont think Apple's recent education decline has been because they are trying and failing to compete, it's that they arent trying that hard...because it is a market that is impossible to satiate.



Education IMHO is a lost cause for Apple to persue vigorously, I think what usually happens is the opposite of what you suggest. Macs get implemented, taken care of, and maintaned by unknowledgeable people. A lot of schools also seem to fail to have a real technology initiative, it seems school boards believe that by buying technology they are doing all they need to be "up to date."



There are a lot of challenges and hurdles in the edu market, and I dont know if it makes business sense to implement technology at low cost, just to get the market share up and the school board happy.

hyperb0le

In theory, that's a great idea. However, have you seen most high school kids? They throw stuff around, write on stuff they arent supposed to, spill stuff, etc. We got brand new chemistry books last year, and 1/6 of the books came back in pretty bad condition at the end of the semester. I wouldn't trust most high school kids with my left shoe, much less a portable computer.

nebagakid

Apple already has solutions: http://www.apple.com/education/k12/products/

oldmacfan

The problem is some people see hardware as the answer, new hardware is not going to help kids learn. What is needed is software. I have seen and used many different products with my children, I have only found bits and pieces of any given product to be of any real value.



What I, IMO, think would be better is software that is more intuative and flexable to the individual child, and I believe that if the nation and the states can get together in a sort of open source model, that the fondation for this type of software could be developed. Content could be ever evolving with educators given the tools to develop the content as a local school board see's fit. The content modules could be uploaded after completion, and downloaded by other schools in a colabrative effort the world has never seen.



Now this is not to say I want my kid sitting in front of a computer screen all day and night, but I want my child to be fluent with the tools that can be brought to bare. Why, if we can avoid it, should we waste so many trees every year.



As how Apple would benifit in this method, I am not sure.



OldMacFan

gar

still,



i think a kid has to learn to write, but i like the idea.



in the netherlands you have to buy or rent your schoolbooks.

a rental system is an option. it can even learn children the value of stuff.