Excellent point. Since the general stance of the article is predicated on the concept that the government or the schools would be purchasing the iPads for the students to use, it would stand to reason that the account, data, and content management falls under purview of the school, not the student. As such, the student relinquishes the device and content back to the school, which is then free to utilize for the next student.
"Because of the way iBooks will be linked to specific user accounts, reuse from year-to-year isn’t possible; "
Why? Just like kids turn the physical textbooks back at the end of the term for the next term's students to use, have them turn back in the iPad. Or, create generic accounts by grade level and at the end of each grade clear the account in the student's iPad and load in a generic account for the next grade level.
I assume that the licensing agreement for the books will prohibit transferring them to other students. The only reason the publishers agreed to the low price was to eliminate reuse and resale.
Technology is rapidly evolving into schools. When will they just teach programming as part of required curriculum! html, css are not to hard, sql.... kids need to learn these computer languages too!
Whatever programming they are learning in school will be hopelessly obsolete when they graduate. At this point, computers/tablets are just ubiquitous tools that should be transparent to the user. The average user doesn't need to program any more than the average driver needs to know how to rebuild a transmission.
When I went to college I not only bought used books for cheap, I managed to sell them to the next guy in the end for the exact same amount.
Try pulling the same thing off with an iPad. Try sharing, borrowing or lending a book on an iPad. In fact, try doing those things with any of your apps and content and see how well that works out.
No, way cheaper for college students than tgextbooks. It would pay for itself in a semester or two, and that is if college students only used them for text books.
In reality, the college students that are not becoming IT computer programmers can just skip buying an old fashioned laptop/PC which saves tons of money. They'll gain access to tons of free and 99 cent apps.
So they will save a fortune and gain a treasure.
Not a harsh lesson at all, especially compared to some technologies and deals out there that have oversold themselves as strictly happy and under-disclosed their true TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). In recessions particularly, TCO becomes a huge factor.
Theoretically. At the moment, that is the pricing structure for the current round of high-school level curriculum, and it is likely to stay that way - but it hasn't yet been addressed what university level or elementary/middle school curriculum will be priced at. It is hoped that the $14.95 cap will be unilateral.
Though it is a little pointless and clumsy for the 4th graders to leave their iPads behind for the 3rd graders (etc) each year. Makes more sense that the school would buy, say, 100 license of an Algebra eBook, then be able to authorize an deauthorize individual books on individual devices from a web site.
The 3rd grader keeps his iPad when he moves to 4th grade, but his 3rd grade books magically disappear and are replaced by 4th grade books.
I could also see the schools requiring parents to buy the iPads, albeit perhaps at a subsidized price for lower-income families.
I use math every day, I use English every day. I haven't had to program since the days of punch cards. It's useful to understand the fundamental concepts, but their is little point in teaching specific programming languages at that level. Programming is a specific skill that very few people need to know; it is the equivalent to teaching auto repair and hairdressing in high school. Programming is not a fundamental, it is vocational training.
Hmmm... I wonder what textbook format would display on an HP 48G graphics calculator?
That's what I want... I don't want have to carry an iPad to class...lol
casspaFeb 10, 2012Buried
SO MUCH MONIES
lunarparcelFeb 10, 2012Buried
Excellent point. Since the general stance of the article is predicated on the concept that the government or the schools would be purchasing the iPads for the students to use, it would stand to reason that the account, data, and content management falls under purview of the school, not the student. As such, the student relinquishes the device and content back to the school, which is then free to utilize for the next student.
HoopDoctorsFeb 10, 2012Buried
I guess they would save money not having to cover their textbooks with brown paper?
barackalypseFeb 10, 2012Buried
"Because of the way iBooks will be linked to specific user accounts, reuse from year-to-year isn’t possible; "
Why? Just like kids turn the physical textbooks back at the end of the term for the next term's students to use, have them turn back in the iPad. Or, create generic accounts by grade level and at the end of each grade clear the account in the student's iPad and load in a generic account for the next grade level.
flexebleFeb 10, 2012Buried
Not only do school systems have to consider the price of the iPad but the cost of the book.
rubourdFeb 11, 2012Buried
Uh, Kindle?
andysasylumFeb 10, 2012Buried
They could all get Toshiba handbooks.
craig1958Feb 11, 2012Buried
I assume that the licensing agreement for the books will prohibit transferring them to other students. The only reason the publishers agreed to the low price was to eliminate reuse and resale.
larse1wrFeb 11, 2012Buried
Technology is rapidly evolving into schools. When will they just teach programming as part of required curriculum! html, css are not to hard, sql.... kids need to learn these computer languages too!
craig1958Feb 11, 2012Buried
Whatever programming they are learning in school will be hopelessly obsolete when they graduate. At this point, computers/tablets are just ubiquitous tools that should be transparent to the user. The average user doesn't need to program any more than the average driver needs to know how to rebuild a transmission.
bestenemyFeb 11, 2012Buried
When I went to college I not only bought used books for cheap, I managed to sell them to the next guy in the end for the exact same amount.
Try pulling the same thing off with an iPad. Try sharing, borrowing or lending a book on an iPad. In fact, try doing those things with any of your apps and content and see how well that works out.
2mrwhiteFeb 11, 2012Buried
Exactly what I was thinking . . .
johnnysoftwareFeb 11, 2012Buried
No, way cheaper for college students than tgextbooks. It would pay for itself in a semester or two, and that is if college students only used them for text books.
In reality, the college students that are not becoming IT computer programmers can just skip buying an old fashioned laptop/PC which saves tons of money. They'll gain access to tons of free and 99 cent apps.
So they will save a fortune and gain a treasure.
Not a harsh lesson at all, especially compared to some technologies and deals out there that have oversold themselves as strictly happy and under-disclosed their true TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). In recessions particularly, TCO becomes a huge factor.
craig1958Feb 11, 2012Buried
I barely had money for food.
lunarparcelFeb 11, 2012Buried
Theoretically. At the moment, that is the pricing structure for the current round of high-school level curriculum, and it is likely to stay that way - but it hasn't yet been addressed what university level or elementary/middle school curriculum will be priced at. It is hoped that the $14.95 cap will be unilateral.
amaoicanFeb 11, 2012Buried
Bingo.
Though it is a little pointless and clumsy for the 4th graders to leave their iPads behind for the 3rd graders (etc) each year. Makes more sense that the school would buy, say, 100 license of an Algebra eBook, then be able to authorize an deauthorize individual books on individual devices from a web site.
The 3rd grader keeps his iPad when he moves to 4th grade, but his 3rd grade books magically disappear and are replaced by 4th grade books.
I could also see the schools requiring parents to buy the iPads, albeit perhaps at a subsidized price for lower-income families.
craig1958Feb 11, 2012Buried
I use math every day, I use English every day. I haven't had to program since the days of punch cards. It's useful to understand the fundamental concepts, but their is little point in teaching specific programming languages at that level. Programming is a specific skill that very few people need to know; it is the equivalent to teaching auto repair and hairdressing in high school. Programming is not a fundamental, it is vocational training.
max1001Feb 11, 2012Buried
You need math in life way more HTML. LOL.
0crabby0Feb 11, 2012Buried
Hmmm... I wonder what textbook format would display on an HP 48G graphics calculator?
That's what I want... I don't want have to carry an iPad to class...lol