iPad+v.+Kindle

There’s a hot debate going on right now within the education world. This mainly deals with tablet computers. It’s not so much the argument between which is better, text books or tablets, that debate is now outdated. The new debate deals with what kind of a tablet is more useful or versatile for its money. Gone are the days of tablets being laptops that turn around on themselves to become touch-screens. Gone are also the days of tablets being only for reading books and magazines. Today, people want a light, cheap, easy to use tablet that allows them the versatility of a computer, but they would like a nice medium between that and their smartphone.

In the early 2000s, Microsoft tried to dominate the market with their “Tablet PC.” This ultimately failed due to a lack of usability, weight, etc (Wikipedia, tablet computer). In the end, it was the new and lighter laptops that were dominating the field. The original Kindle was released by Amazon.com in 2007. With every new edition, the Kindle has become lighter, faster, and ultimately more powerful. In 2011, the Kindle Fire was released and has become a strong competitor to other tablet computers, such as the iPad.
 * Definition/History**

The iPad was first released in 2010 by Apple. A fast, powerful machine, the iPad lacked certain features of its counterparts, such as the iPod touch or iPhone (i.e. Camera); however, what the iPad lacked in features, it made up for in useful applications the user could either purchase or download for free. The iPad quickly became the leader in tablets and remains as such today. The introduction of the iPad 2 in 2011 gave the user the much desired cameras, thus allowing even more apps to be used.

The question we face as educators today is which is better. Our team is currently on a planning committee for a very technologically advanced charter school. One of our goals is to find ways to ensure that our classrooms have an integrated technology approach. That being said, we have ordered iPad 2s as well as written a Webster Foundation grant in an effort to also purchase 12 Kindle Fires. The goal is to make a tentative decision as to whether or not iPads or Kindles will be more useful or practical within Catalyst Charter Middle School.

The other question we’re asking is, what do these tablets do differently? Both can go online, both run apps, etc. We’ve also asked the question that many have asked, “Can anything compete with the iPad?” At this point in the game, other companies are realizing that they will have to actually lose money to compete with Apple in the tablet game.

“If Microsoft, Sony, Google, HP and Samsung want to make an impact in the tablet space, there is a very, very simple solution: lose money…Today, the highly underrated innovator dropped a huge bomb outside of Tim Cook’s newly polished CEO suite; a $199 tablet called the Kindle Fire that by all accounts is going to be a very, very viable competitor to the $499 iPad” (Bezos, p.1).

This starts to help us answer our questions; however, we are educators. This is not just a tool used for entertainment. The tablets we choose need to be able to provide students with the power create and learn!

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Kindle Fire's Introduction to The World!



What are the pros and cons to purchasing an iPad? The first con is an obvious one: cost. The iPad is one of the most expensive tablets out there. A new iPad 2 runs about $500 right now. With cuts in education, this is a major downside. On the other hand, our charter school grant has given us substantial funding to purchase technology. It is still a possibility for us to purchase the iPad 2 as a tool for our students. The second con deals with durability. We have had students in our districts drop their iPads on the floor, only to have the screen shatter. The last con of an iPad, they do not entirely replace a traditional computer. There is no hard-disk and therefore, the average word processing document will not be available to students. This, however brings us to the upside of the iPad 2. The iPads allow almost full access to anything on the internet, including Google Applications, such as Google Forms, Google Docs, Sites, etc. This eliminates a huge argument that a traditional computer is necessary for students. The iPad 2 also has a built in microphone, speaker and camera. This allows for the use of such apps as iMovie and GarageBand. These two apps alone soar above their Microsoft competitors. With so many educational apps to choose from, not to mention the ability to use Google Applications, the argument for the iPad goes way up for our charter school.
 * Pros/Cons - Issues and Concerns**

The Kindle Fire on the other hand has been called a very viable competitor! What are the pros and cons of this tablet and is it a better option for our students? First off, the Kindle Fire is going off in their own direction. “Kindle Fire will be the greatest and most popular Android-powered tablet ever created. By miles and miles and miles. And it’ll happen without Google’s blessing, without Andy Rubin’s blessing, without the Android Market” (Zeigler, p.1).

Essentially, Amazon has rocked the world of tablets. They have forged ahead like almost no one else could and created their own platform, browser, cloud, etc. This is a huge bonus, yet it is considered by some to be a drawback. The Kindle Fire cannot load Gmail or any Google application. While this would be a deal-breaker for most, the Kindle Fire makes up for these insufficiencies through what it does offer. For example, with the Kindle Fire, one can access up to 18 million movies, TV shows, thousands of text books (that you can rent/borrow!) as well as thousands of books that you can either purchase or simply “borrow” (amazon.com).

This is not a question we are asking just for a paper or just based out of curiosity. For our students and ourselves, it is a very real, very valid question that has required a good deal of research and questioning. Before the launch of the Kindle Fire, I do not believe that anyone anticipated such a powerful alternate to be available. Many believe that the release of this tablet will actually force competitors, mainly Apple, to lower their prices. Even if the Fire does snub its nose at Google, Android, etc., there may be peace for them in the future, and therefore, a really affordable mobile device for our students to use! We feel it may be worth the risk, which is why we'd like to test our systems out; however, there will have to be a good deal of meetings as well as actual trials of these machines for us to make a solid decision.
 * Future Direction **