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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Google Nexus 7 initial impressions and review

I just got a Google Nexus 7 tablet yesterday as a gift from my wife for our 10th wedding anniversary which was Saturday (she's so cool, isn't she?) and absolutely love it. Here's my initial thoughts, impressions, and review.

I have an Android smartphone (HTC Droid Incredible 2) that has a 4 inch screen. I also have an HP TouchPad tablet (running webOS and Android through CyanogenMod) with a 10 inch screen. The Nexus 7 has a 7 inch screen. I love the 7 inch display. It's nice and big for better viewing, more stuff on the screen at one time, but it's small enough to hold in one hand. I can even do some great typing with it for notes on Evernote.

As I turned it on, it asked for my Google account info (email address and account password) and then asked if I wanted to restore it from my account, which I did. It immediately started downloading the apps that I have on my smartphone and even updated them automatically to the version for the Nexus 7. This was a big time saver since I didn't have to manually install any apps.

Once that was done I started to organize my screens and start using it. It's a dream to use. Lightning fast, easy to navigate and customize. You can customize the apps on the launcher page and menu, add widgets and more.

I love the stock Android experience too. It is running Jelly Bean, and actually had an update as soon as I turned it on. There are some great features in Jelly Bean that I'm starting to learn about and the Nexus devices get the updates first. The notifications are great (similar to webOS, which is no surprise since the same guy designed them both) and so is the multitasking. I'm just starting to use Google Now, which is very cool.

The build quality is excellent and the texture of the back of it makes it easy to hold. I can easily hold it in one hand and use the other hand to navigate apps and enter data.

The display is beautiful and the apps render very quickly. Having Chrome as the browser is also a great feature and allows you to have the full desktop Chrome experience on a tablet. You can even sync your open tabs and bookmarks across your devices

So far, I have been using it for my normal daily routine: Feed Reader, Twitter, Evernote, iHeartRadio, Google Music, Netflix, Facebook, and the like.

I think the 7 inch format is perfect for media consumption, and I've actually been able to do a lot of creation with it, especially with Evernote and Google Docs. Typing on the screen is easy to do. It's big enough to easily see the screen, but small enough to be very portable. I am using it as my primary meeting/conference/travel device because it has been so easy to use Evernote and Docs on it for notes and creating content.

I purchased the 16GB model. After all of my apps and offline data for Evernote, Drive, and Music installed, I still have over 12GB left. 16GB is not a lot if you want to carry a lot of offline movies or games, but for my needs its perfect. It was $249 for the 16GB model, and I got $25 towards the Google Play store to get apps, music, or movies. I purchased QuickOffice Pro and a bunch of music and still have some left over. It comes with the tablet and a USB cable and wall charger. I've ordered the case from Google and should have it soon.

The only downside for some will be the limit of 16GB of online storage and the fact that there is no rear facing camera. For me, it's not an issue because I use a lot of online resources, like Google Drive and Dropbox and Sugarsync, and I probably wouldn't take too many pictures with a tablet. I can take pictures with my smartphone and within seconds they are synced to my Sugarsync account and available anywhere.


If you want a tablet, take a good look at the Nexus 7. It's easy to use, inexpensive for a tablet, easy to use, the 7 inch size is perfect for carrying, consumption, and some creation.

I am even more convinced that a better alternative to schools buying an iPad, is to buy a Chromebook and a Nexus 7 for the same price.

I did not receive any compensation or favors for this review. I just like my device. 

Related:

Nexus 7 web site - specs, gallery, features and more

Android for Education Resources

Evernote for Education Resources

Google for Education Resources

Microsoft Surface - Windows 8 Tablet/PC - announced

Microsoft has just announced the Microsoft Surface, which is a Windows 8 tablet, measuring 10.6 in and 1.5 pounds. So, is it just another tablet? Not quite. It has a few very cool features, like running full Windows software, having a touchscreen that includes pen/stylus input (very cool for drawings, annotations, math and science) and a cover that has a built in, super thin, keyboard and touchpad.

It's pretty cool when you think about it, especially if you work somewhere that uses Windows OS and software and if you want pen-based input for drawings, science, math, etc. The keyboard built into the cover is also a nice touch and makes typing much easier on the tablet.

The unknowns: launch date and pricing. Initial reviews from tech sites are pretty positive.

Is this something you'd look at for yourself or your school?


Here's a video about it:

Amazon has some big announcements today - looks good for education

Amazon is having a major press event right now and they have announced some pretty cool things. I rarely cover things that aren't free, but these products are going to be really good for education.

A new Kindle for only $79 - this is an amazing price for an e-reader. It isn't touchscreen, but is smaller, lighter, and faster than previous Kindle's. It works with Amazon's cloud network. It is cheaper than any single textbook I had in college 20 years ago and is the same price or cheaper than the science textbooks we use at school. This is a great device for students and schools to use instead of regular textbooks.

Kindle Touch - $99 for a touchscreen Kindle that has a new interface and display, extra long battery life, and free cloud storage. There is also a 3G version for $149.

Kindle Fire - a $199 tablet. 7" screen, Gorilla Glass, 16 million colors, dual core CPU, 14 oz, a fast browser, and has access to millions of books, magazines, TV shows, movies, music, and Android apps. This is an amazing price for a tablet! A smartphone costs this amount on contract! This is a full featured tablet that is an amazing deal. I would recommend this for students, teachers, schools, and my friends. I already have an HP TouchPad, but I'm really tempted to buy one of these for myself as a birthday present in November. I would have loved to have had one of these in college. It's available for pre-order now and ships in November.

These devices are a great price and full featured and are a great option for schools looking for e-devices or for students and teachers looking for something great. Your data is backed up and stored on Amazon's cloud service, you can access your books form any Kindle reader and the cloud reader and they are less expensive than any other devices.






Note: I am not compensated in any way by Amazon for this article.