New tablets for Education - comparing the new Acer Chromebook Tab 10 and the new Apple iPad

Last week had two interesting announcements for EDU - a new iPad and the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 tablet. There have been a lot of different reactions from the two, but most reactions were very positive towards the Chromebook Tab and very "meh" to the new iPad. Here are my thoughts and some articles that were posted about them.

I've used iPads and Chromebooks, as well as managing them in the education space. I've been using a Chromebook Tab 10 for over a week now and here are my thoughts and comparisons:

1. Management and Deployment - Apple still hasn't gotten this right. Chromebooks, including the new Tab 10, are the easiest devices to deploy and manage. iPads are not easy and require 3rd party tools. This means less headaches, work and cost for school IT departments. 
2. Price - $329 for the Tab 10 includes the stylus, which docks into the tablet and does not need charging. The $299 iPad doesn't include the stylus and there is no where to dock it. In addition, the Apple Pencil (and Crayon stylus) require charging. With the Apple Pencil, the iPad is now $388 ($348 with crayon stylus). 
3. Specs - display is the same, Tab 10 has 4GB of RAM and iPad only has 2GB; Tab 10 has a microSD card slot, nothing for iPad; processors are both hi end and optimized for their platforms; both have 32GB onboard storage; Tab 10, and G Suite, have unlimited G Drive storage, iPad comes with 200GB of iCloud storage; similar battery life and dimensions; similar cameras and sensors.
4. Stylus - similar performance and latency, but Tab 10 includes a garaged stylus, while Apple Pencil is extra ($89) and not garaged. 
5. Apps
1. Chromebook Tab 10 has G Suite, Chrome Apps and Android apps, as well as a full desktop browser for true web surfing (and still supports Flash)
2. iPad - iOS apps and a mobile browser

• Acer Chromebook Tab 10 - the first Chrome OS tablet is here, and it's great! http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2018/03/acer-chromebook-tab-10-first-chrome-os.html
• The first Chrome OS tablet is here https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/26/17157444/acer-chromebook-tab-10-first-chrome-os-tablet-announced 
• Chrome OS tablets are official - meet the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/03/chrome-os-tablets-are-official-meet-the-acer-chromebook-tab-10/

• 2018 iPad vs Acer Chromebook Tab 10 - https://www.slashgear.com/2018-ipad-vs-acer-chromebook-tab-10-education-showdown-03525812/
• Comparing Apple, Google and Microsoft’s education plays https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/27/comparing-apple-google-and-microsofts-education-plays/
• Apple's new iPads still can't best Chromebooks in the classroom https://www.macworld.com/article/3267207/tablets/apples-new-ipads-still-cant-best-chromebooks-in-the-classroom.html
• How does Apple's new push for the education market compare to Chromebooks in the classroom? https://www.androidcentral.com/how-does-apples-new-push-classroom-compare-what-chromebook-can-offer
• Analysis: New iPads will help Apple in education but probably not enough https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/03/analysis-new-ipads-will-help-apple-in-education-but-probably-not-enough/
• Apple needs more than apps to win over educators-
Apple used to be in a lot of classrooms, but are new iPads enough to woo educators? https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/27/apple-needs-more-than-apps-to-win-over-educators/ 
• What educators think about Apple’s new iPad. Can a bunch of new apps make up for the high price? https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/28/apple-new-ipad-education-teachers/ 

And don't forget that Professional Development and well designed curriculum and lessons are the really important thing.


The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is easier to deploy and manage, less expensive with a stylus, and can do pretty much anything.





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Acer launches two new Chromebooks designed for the Classroom

Acer has announced two new Chromebooks specifically designed with the classroom in mind. The C910 is a 15 inch Chromebook and the C740 is a 11.6-inch Chromebook. Both have durable shells and reinforced hinges and can withstand up to 130 pounds of force and an 18" drop.

Both can be configured with 2 or 4 GB of RAM. The C740 starts at $259 and the C910 starts at $299 and has options for 16 or 32GB SSD and 1366 x 768 or full-HD screen. Battery life is 8-9 hours and you can get either an Intel Broadwell Core i3-5005U or Celeron 3205U. Having used an i3 Chroembook and Chromebox, I highly recommend getting this option for exceptional performance.

Both go on sale in February.

We have thousands of the C720 Chromebooks and the work great and hold up well, but these two new ones are even better.

Related:

Google for Education Resources (includes Chromebook resources)

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Acer has some new Chromebooks coming

According to this article, Acer has some nice new Chromebooks coming in early 2015. My district has around 6,000 Acer C720 Chromebooks and they are great - fast, powerful, relatively sturdy and a great price. These new ones sound even better. I'm a huge believer of Chromebooks as an technology tool that works great in schools.

The first one is the Acer C740 which is supposedly going to be a rugged Chromebook with Intel's 5th gen Broadwell processor with a starting price of $259 for 2GB RAM/16GB SSD and $279 for the 4GB RAM/16GB SSD. I recommend 4 GB of RAM. The rugged features are a huge plus for education. There will also be a 32 GB SSD option, it will have AC WiFi and Bluetooth 4, USB 3 an SD Card Reader and HDMI out wiht a 8.5 hour battery life.

In addition, the article states that Acer will introduce a 15.6 inch Chromebook with the same specs as the C740. This is great for those wanting a larger screen.

Both are great news for the education market. Keep and eye out for more information on these and other new Chromebooks.

Update of my experience with the Acer netbook

I received an Acer Aspire One netbook a few weeks ago from Acer through a special program (http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/06/acer-one-netbook-review.html) and I love it. Mine has a 6 cell battery and lasts for over 6 hours with Google Chrome and OpenOffice running. I am getting used to the smaller keyboard and use it when I teach at other sites (paramedic, EMT, and CPR classes).

What I really love about it is it's size. It is small and lite, but still easy to use. My classroom at the high school has the small desks with the side desktop, so a netbook fits much better than a full size laptop. I've been able to use every web page, web application, and software that my students would use in my class without any problems and it runs faster than many of the desktops at the school. I'm working on getting funding to purchase a classroom set of them for next year because they are so useful. I want to be able to give every student a computer to use in my room. The netbooks would also allow us to bring them outside when we do experiments.

I am pushing netbooks vs. full size laptops at the school because of cost and size. They do everything the students need them to do.

ACER One Netbook Review

I have recently acquired an ACER Aspire One Netbook to review for possible use in school through the ACER K12 Seed program, which gives you a netbook to review with the option to purchase it at a discount after the review period. I would love to be able to have 1-to-1 computing in my room and I believe that a netbook could make that possible. They are cheaper than full size notebook pc's, fit better on desks, and do everything we need them to do. They have wi-fi, so the students can access Google Docs, the internet, and their email, along with the online programs and sites that we use in class. Their size also makes them easier to store securely.

The model I received is the Blue 10.1" monitor D250-1185. The blue cover is a beautiful, dark shade of blue that is a welcome break to plain old black or white.

It has Windows XP Home Edition, SP 3 pre-installed, along with a 60 day trial of Office 2007. The trial offer is not an issue since I use OpenOffice or Google Docs anyway. The CPU is an Intel Atom running at 1.60 GHz with 1GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard disk drive.

Startup took under 1 minute, which is faster than my Centrino laptop with 2GB of RAM.

The processor is powerful enough to do email, web surfing, document editing, and much more. I wouldn't recommend it for any processor intense applications, but it is more than adequate for 90% of what most people do with a computer.

The size is great. It has a 10.1" (diagonal) WSVGA TFT LCD screen, which is easy to read, even in bright light. It is 10.17" long x 7.24" wide x 1" thick. Yes, it is only 1" thick. It only weighs 2.95 lbs. with the six cell battery.

The six cell battery is a 48.8 W 44oo mAh Li-ion pack with a 6 hour rated life. I found it to be pretty accurate, with average battery life running over 6 hours.

The ACER is very comfortable to hold and carry also.

It has a built in web cam, built in stereo speakers, built in microphone, a multi-card reader which supports SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro and xD cards. Finally, a use for my old SD cards now that my smart phone uses micro-SD cards.

It includes Wifi (802.11 b/g) and a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. Built-in Bluetooth and WWAN are available as options.

The keyboard is 89% of the size of a full-size keyboard. I have very large hands and I was able to use the keyboard with minimal issues. After a few hours of use, I had adapted to the smaller keyboard without issues. My wife, whose hands are smaller than mine, had no problems using the keyboard. The Touchpad is a nice size, with two buttons below it and multi-touch commands.

The Aspire One has a variety of I/O ports, including the multi-card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, headphone/speaker/line-out jack, microphone in-jack, the ethernet port, and the DC adaptor port.

The built in speakers are adequate for one person to listen to in a quiet environment. They do not have enough volume to use for much beyond one person without much background noise. They are angled downward at the front of the case, so the surface can deflect some of the sound. I found them fine for my own use. Headphones or external speakers are recommended for any other uses.

I found the Apsire One to be very responsive and easy to use. I was able to do everything that I do on my desktop, including photo editing, web surfing, video watching, and more. I would expect the Atom processor to have some issues with major multimedia editing and creation, but then again the netbook was not designed for that kind of work.

The only accessory I would recommend is a protective sleeve. I bought a neoprene one at Staples for under $20. It protects from scratches, bumps, and moisture.

Overall, I would rate the Acer Aspire One as a 9.1 out of 10. It was easy to set up and use and did everything I needed it to do. It is very portable and easy to carry. It is inexpensive. It is a great option for schools looking to initiate 1-to-1 computing. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great netbook. I am definately buying this when the review period is up. It will come in handy for me and my wife to use, both at school and as a great mobile device.