If the full-color e-reader functionality didn’t already tip Apple’s hand regarding educational applications of the iPad, then this bulk pricing for schools surely does. You can get 10 for $4790, which is a savings of… wait, only $200? Come on!
Now of course I think this is great, and I’m sure schools and teachers would be able to think of a ton of great uses for a full-color, wi-fi connected tablet computer. But here in Seattle our schools can barely afford transparencies for the overhead projectors we’ve been using since the 70s. Could a school like my own Garfield High (go Bulldogs) justify the purchase of even a few iPads? not likely, and I wonder if even the private schools around here have that kind of cash to throw around.
So while it’d be nice to have iPads in the classroom, I’m guessing we’re going to see e-ink devices and cheap Android tablets like the Marvell Moby. As private citizens, we are free to spend $500 on an iPad, but as a value proposition for a school spending public money, it’s a little harder to justify buying items that cost four or five times as much.
And if you’re thinking of using the 10-pack to bypass the 2-per-customer limit… good luck. You need an authorized education purchaser login.
[Mac Rumors via Gizmodo]