Is anyone using the IPAD ?

[Karen Anderson]

Is anyone using the IPAD, either as an e-reader, or for other applications.  How do you manage the ownership and application purchasing in your schools?  Who controls the Itunes application and synchronization.

 

[Mary Alice Powers]

Karen-
Our IT person is keen on getting me iPads to try for our students because he says it's great for magazines and other apps....so I'm interested in this discussion as well. I'm wondering how iPads compare to Kindles.

[Sarah Kinder]

I would imagine that the glossy, computer-like screen would be hard on the eyes after awhile. Does the iPad have a setting that gives it a more matte finish for reading??

[Linn McDonald]

I put on a matte screen cover that also hides fingerprints. It's a BEAR to put on, but it works really well. This has made my reading experience on the iPad much more enjoyable.
That said, the iPad is quite a bit heavier than a Kindle or Nook, so holding it for long periods of time is not comfortable. I can't really see myself reading a book on the device, but browsing a magazine is wonderful due to the high resolution and color capability of the iPad.

Sarah Kinder said:

I would imagine that the glossy, computer-like screen would be hard on the eyes after awhile. Does the iPad have a setting that gives it a more matte finish for reading??

[Michelle Burns Jurkiewicz]

I would have to agree. The ipad is very heavy compared to the Kindle. And the Kindle app is just an app that doesn't include the eInk. So it's like reading on a computer screen.

[Jason W. Eckert]

We evaluated the iPad before choosing the Kindle - what we found is that the iPad had a very short battery life, and the glossy screen was difficult to read in our classrooms (which have flourescent lights). Moreover, when you read a textbook, you often read and re-read sections in a more intensive way than simply browsing the Internet (which the iPad was designed for) - I tried to read a textbook on a topic that I knew nothing about on the iPad but my eyes started to water after half an hour - on the Kindle DX, I was able to easily read the whole textbook in one sitting (about 4 hours) because the e-ink display was just like paper. Another reason we didn't use the iPad is because we don't want students playing games in class or trying to connect to our campus WLANs (the Kindle has a wireless connection that can only connect to Whispernet).

[Will DeLamater]

Neat to hear about the DX's in use. We haven't heard much about this particular model recently and wondered if it is still being purchased in any significant numbers.

Jason W. Eckert said:

We evaluated the iPad before choosing the Kindle - what we found is that the iPad had a very short battery life, and the glossy screen was difficult to read in our classrooms (which have flourescent lights). Moreover, when you read a textbook, you often read and re-read sections in a more intensive way than simply browsing the Internet (which the iPad was designed for) - I tried to read a textbook on a topic that I knew nothing about on the iPad but my eyes started to water after half an hour - on the Kindle DX, I was able to easily read the whole textbook in one sitting (about 4 hours) because the e-ink display was just like paper. Another reason we didn't use the iPad is because we don't want students playing games in class or trying to connect to our campus WLANs (the Kindle has a wireless connection that can only connect to Whispernet).

[Mardy McGaw]

I have an iPad and I have great battery life which makes it a joy to use! I am not always searching for the power outlet! What I like about the iPad is I can read my books from which ever company I have used to purchase my eBook. I have the Nook App, the Kindle App and iBook app. I am spending time now reviewing the differences and advantages of each of programs. I want to be able to highlight text, take notes, save them and share them with my group. Still investigating, I will let you know what I find!

[Will DeLamater]

Mardy, very good point about the access to multiple stores, something that other ereaders do not generally offer.

Mardy McGaw said:

I have an iPad and I have great battery life which makes it a joy to use! I am not always searching for the power outlet! What I like about the iPad is I can read my books from which ever company I have used to purchase my eBook. I have the Nook App, the Kindle App and iBook app. I am spending time now reviewing the differences and advantages of each of programs. I want to be able to highlight text, take notes, save them and share them with my group. Still investigating, I will let you know what I find!

[Kathleen Nester]

I have my own personal IPAD and use it for many applications...I love it! I also installed a matte screen protector. I have no problem reading on it. It's much heavier than my Nook. I use it mainly for news, email, facebook, internet, games, etc.

[Sara Rhyne]

We have a cover which acts as a stand and this is an advantage. With the iPad sitting upright I can eat and read at the same time (grin). And a quick swipe at the screen rather than finding the button makes it easy to change the pages. We have all the readers loaded too, variety is nice. Kindle is still my first choice for just plain reading.

Kathleen Nester said:

I have my own personal IPAD and use it for many applications...I love it! I also installed a matte screen protector. I have no problem reading on it. It's much heavier than my Nook. I use it mainly for news, email, facebook, internet, games, etc.

[Kathy M Burnette]

I just bought four for our school library. We are looking into having an dedicated email address that only me and the two tech people can access. I've been reading http://spiers.org - they have 115 iPads! and http:/www.ipadinschoools.com.

I'll be using these with a couple of special needs students - ones who are on level and ones below - since I will only have 4. I'll load it with the Nook app since it has the same books as the Nooks we check out of the library.

Check out those two blogs, they are incredibly helpful!

[Jason W. Eckert]

Those are aweseom websites, but the URLs should be http://www.ipadinschools.com/ and http://speirs.org/

Kathy M Burnette said:

I just bought four for our school library. We are looking into having an dedicated email address that only me and the two tech people can access. I've been reading http://spiers.org - they have 115 iPads! and http:/www.ipadinschoools.com.

I'll be using these with a couple of special needs students - ones who are on level and ones below - since I will only have 4. I'll load it with the Nook app since it has the same books as the Nooks we check out of the library.

Check out those two blogs, they are incredibly helpful!