University to Give iPad, MacBook to Every Student

[dman3k]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to give everyone a Windows laptop and an Android tablet?

 

[flaminggerbil]

Anyone else read that as "Silent hill university"?

 

[Abrahm]

At graduation, they should give you a Windows PC so you will have a computer you can actually use in the real world.

 

[PaTrond]

[citation][nom]thackstonns[/nom]So They give me an Ipad, I use it for all my classes, Life is wonderfull. I fill it up with notes, music, movies, and then I drop it, or better yet it gets stolen. No more notes, no more books, no more anything. I end up working at McDonalds. Thanks Apple, Thanks Alot[/citation]

1. The thing weighs a little above 2kg.
2. It can't replace every book, for example the math book.
3. It's backlit display only, not electronic paper (reflecting like normal paper). That means your eyes will get tired when reading on the display the whole time.
4. You will have to bring the charger too which adds extra weight.
5. It's way too weak to do CAD software and video editing, some people do that too on universities.
6. It's extremely expensive compared to for example Asus U80V, a lot weaker too.

 

[Guest]

erm.... how do you sell those text books on when your done with it.... i know alot of students buy/sell the text books cause they're so damn expensive

 

[tsnorquist]

I wouldn't bet solely on tuition paying for these products. I have a sneaky suspicion the book manufactures may be subsidizing universities to use the "iPad" in an attempt to kill off the used book market.

There is a huge revenue loss for these book publishers on used books; if they can cut out these used stores, they'll quickly return on their "Technology Advantage program" investment.

 

[zoemayne]

They wont be giving away anything it'll be in their tuition.

 

[slimkiller]

[citation][nom]hotsacoman[/nom]What a waste of money. This is one of the reasons most universities overseas graduate more scientists than we do. There is far too much focus on facilities and equipment and not enough on education here in the states.[/citation]

This problem isn't only in the states, you should see the universities where I live. They're buildings are huge and well designed, but they accept 100 undergraduates per year. Ridiculous.

 

[omnimodis78]

...followed by a 12.8% increase in tuition.

 

[vanchinaman]

This article should be titled, "University to charge students for iPad and Macbooks, and the students will get to have them for free (after being charged)." It's not like they're just donating these things - the cost is coming back to the student, and I'd say it might be better to give people the option of choosing their laptops and devices. But whatever.

 

[sceen311]

[citation][nom]ikefu[/nom]So what if you're an engineering student or CS major and have windows specific programs that you need but are still being forced to pay tuition fees for a Mac and iPad you won't use.And how do they know that an iPad will have any practical application since its not out and they haven't even had a chance to try it out yet to see if they like it.[/citation]
Hey New Guy, Install Windows on the mac... not that hard.

Also there are these things called iphones and itouch's they've been out for sometime now and share almost the exact same operating system as the Ipad, so while the ipad is new the software isn't.

Also services like the one the school is provide are optional... if you don't like it don't go...

If this is the future of america and he is going to school for technology... i'm scared sh@tless.

 

[bison88]

Nothing really new. I mean it was bound to happen I think its more of a publicity stunt for the University to gain it attention much like last years small time University somewhere on the East Coast offering every student a Kindle instead of buying books every semester. Makes sense University's would pump this stuff out first on a massive scale to gain these books a solid foothold.

I like where the direction is heading in the education sector whether its Kindle or iPad.

 

[Guest]

just waiting for the news headlines "apple sues university for jailbroken iPad"

 

[tayb]

Interesting. I went to the website expecting insanely high tuition rates but it really wasn't that far above average for a state school. I wonder how they are affording this stuff. If I was given a Macbook and an iPad I would just sell them, buy cheaper shit, and then pocket the difference. It would be pretty awesome to get to do that my freshman AND junior year.

 

[dark_lord69]

this is why college costs so much...

 

[hellwig]

The university could "give" students these items (with a corresponding increase in tuition), or they could just force them into purchasing them on their own as part of enrollment, either way, the students will be paying for these, not the school. I took plenty of labs in college, each required a lab fee (chemistry, physics, ee, math [yeah, even math]). We had design courses where we got to spend $XX to design our project. That money came from, where else, the course lab fees. Schools give nothing to the students that the students don't pay for. These are businesses, not charities.

Its pretty crappy that the university forces students into a platform they most likely won't use in the real world. Sure, you can argue they get a taste of technology, but I've never heard of a business of more than 50 people (other than Apple) that actually issued and used Macs. Imagine a graduates first day in the new career:

Boss: "Ok, open up Microsoft communicator and start a net meeting that the rest of us can join".

Grad: "open up the who and start a what now for the rest of where? Is that a song I can download in iTunes?"

 

[christop]

must be a huge tuition fee..

 

[Silicon Jesus]

You'd think they'd want to give the students pc's as the performance/price ratio is much better, meaning more productive students for less money, and longer periods between upgrades. A school is just another organization and they should be doing what the other organizations see most economically beneficial.
I'd also think the businesses who will be hiring these students would prefer them to be PC experienced.

 

[Parsifal57]

Seems stupid to spend as much money as they must be (whether its the Student or the School) on a publicity stunt.

There are a many cheaper alternatives out there, I wonder if the school put out a tender for devices or just chose because someone likes Apple?

If they didn't invite tenders I don't think I'd have much confidence in anyone who had a Business or IT related degree from the school

 

[BPT747]

This is standard Mac marketing, give them away so the students learn to love them as it is persumably the only thing they have and can't immagine using anything else.
In this scenario I bet Apple is looking at the benefit of selling apps to students and making money that way similar to how HP and all other printer companies give away printers and make money selling ink.