Welcome


This blog is dedicated to the topics of Course materials, Innovation, and Technology in Education. it is intended as an information source for the college store industry, or anyone interested in how course materials are changing. Suggestions for discussion topics or news stories are welcome.

The site uses Google's cookies to provide services and analyze traffic. Your IP address and user agent are shared with Google, along with performance and security statistics to ensure service quality, generate usage statistics, detect abuse and take action.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Chromebook Making Inroads in Education

The business in educational tablet computers has been booming for the last 12 months, particularly at Apple, which recently saw 35,000 iPads purchased by the Los Angeles School District. Even Windows 8 machines are being scooped up by schools, with 23,000 Android devices headed for schools in North Carolina.

The surprise entry in the field appears to be the Google Chromebook. Industry experts suggest the device, introduced in 2011, has its limitations, but with Chromebooks available for as low as $99, cost isn’t one of them.

Schools in Michigan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin that have purchased both iPads and Chromebooks have found that the iPad may be best suited for younger students. On the other hand, the Chromebook is a go-to device for high school students, particularly for subjects such as English.

“I think Chromebooks will represent an interesting position for some schools, given the different price points that you can reach,” Carolina Mianesi of Gartner, the technology research firm, told Mashable. “I would say that for schools to go Chromebook, though, might mean a wider commitment to Google from an app perspective or, at a minimum, a deeper commitment to developing apps. iPad might be a more off-the-shelf solution for some.”