PERSONALLY: I remember a time – not so long ago – when back in my Star Trek: TNG fan years (As I still am a fan), where I turned to a friend and said: “Amazing, I reckon that one day all the school kids in all the schools around the world will walk around with ‘Digital Pads’ like that. What do you think?” And, the answer that came back was more often than not: “Pretty much doubt it, unless its way, way, way into the future.” Go figure.
iPad 2
Despite being such new technology, the iPad is already gaining a foothold in US schools according to research from Piper Jaffray.
Researchers spoke with technology officials at 25 schools, all of whom indicated iPads were being used in their schools. Android, on the other hand, wasn’t represented in this sample at all.
According to AppleInsider, analyst Gene Munsterdetailed the results at a conference on the integration of technology in the classroom:
While this may be expected due to limited availability of Android tablets early in the tablet cycle, we also see it as evidence of Apple’s first mover advantage. We also see a trend in education (which is mirrored in the enterprise) that familiarity with Apple devices among students (or employees) is causing a demand pull within institutions to also provide Apple devices.
Education is arguably one of the most important markets for tablet makers to target. The needs of both students and teachers are unusually well aligned with the capabilities of tablets.
At the same time, it gives tablet makers a unique chance to capture the attention of potential future customers. A smart tablet vendor would factor that into their long term plans.
