Many believe that the Apple iPad would be an excellent device for students to use in place of the laptop. But is it really a good replacement? Does the iPad live up to its expectations? Can they benefit students as much or more than the traditional laptop? All of these questions and more can be answered when you take a close look at the Apple iPad. Here are some of the positive and negative aspects associated with iPads and students.

The iPad versus the Laptop

You can do just about anything on the iPad that you can do on a laptop. You can connect to the Internet, do research, play games, watch videos and send or receive emails. The 9.7-inch touch-screen with color display is easy to use and it’s perfect for the classroom. You won’t be disturbing other classmates by making that clicking sound you hear when someone is typing on a keyboard. The touch-screen is completely quiet.

It has a 4:3 ratio display, which is great for reading, unlike the 16:9 ratio that is better for watching videos and movies. Storage includes the 16, 32 and the 64GB, which is fairly limited. Students wouldn’t be able to store a lot in their iPad or they would soon run out of space. However, each new version of the iPad comes with more storage to help with this problem. You can also use external memory devices.

The iPad has one feature that you won’t find on a computer – the “book-reading function”. This is what makes the iPad perfect for students and the one thing that has gotten the attention of many schools. Instead of carrying textbooks, students could carry around their small, lightweight iPad.

Features the iPad Does Not Have Compared to the Laptop

There are a few features on the laptop that you won’t find on the iPad. For example, the iPad does not have any multi-tasking features. This could slow things down a bit for students and in this fast-paced world that could be a problem. The iPad does not have any USB ports, SD card slot, HMDI or Flash. In a way, this makes them pretty boring for students.

There is no physical keyboard to use on the iPad. Instead, you type using the touch screen. While some students will no doubt catch on quick and not have a problem with this, it could be difficult for others to keep up in class if they were required to take notes or do a short essay.

Some people will call this a benefit while others consider it a big flaw but the Apple iPads do not have a webcam or a camera.

Convenience

The iPad is lightweight and easy to carry around. This is one of its best features. It only weighs about one and a half pounds and it’s about half-an-inch thick. It will fit easily into a backpack, large purse or book bag. The battery life of the Apple iPad is around 10 hours. You don’t have to worry about the battery giving out half way through your day. Students won’t be wandering around searching for places to plug it up and this is a huge convenience.

Health Issues and Cost

If the iPad replaced books in the schools it would take care of a couple of major health issues. Students would not have to lug heavy backpacks around all day and this will help cut out many of the back problems students deal with. In addition, it will help to improve their posture.

This brings us to the issue of affordable. Is the iPad really affordable? This depends on who you ask. Some parents would have a problem paying an average of $500 for an iPad while others may be able to splurge on the more expensive ones.

These are all great reasons to incorporate the iPad into schools. When you look at all of the benefits it offers, it seems like the perfect device. It can make students lives much easier while still providing them with the tools needed to do well in school.