Tablet suggestion

[DanTheLacky]

This is going to be a fairly vague request (but the one I got was just as vague).

Looking for some suggestions for student tablets, haven't been given a budget but I'm fairly certain it won't be a lot.

Told it will be roughly a class set od devices (25-30 I'm guessing), just for web browsing, emails, shared files and some apps (they don't know what apps or what they want to achieve by the sounds of it).

Have been told if I do some research they won't just ignore me and by iPads haha.

Thanks in advance.

[just_david]

given all the tablets out there i still think ipads are the best. get some rugged cases and they should last really well.

 

Can't say I've ever been impressed with any android tablet I've had come my way, or any windows tablet sub £500

 

Don't forget to factor in the cost of some management tools too.

[mikeprice]

We have some Linx windows tablets

helpful as they connect to the windows share with no problems so file sharing is OK

 

yyou can get them with a detachable keyboard which acts as a stand as well - which helps - and protects the screen

 

I also found that when they wanted 'internet research' it turned out that they 'automatically assumed' that it would come with Word or PowerPoint so they could copy and paste into something

(but they hadn't mentioned that bit)

[hardtailstar]

IPADS!, IPADS!, IPADS!

[mikeprice]

IPADS!, IPADS!, IPADS!

 

nnnnoooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

but seriously

it depends on the teaching and learning requirement - if they are just needed for occasional connection to the WWW then why spend the money

 

just check out exactly what they are needed for and check out potential battery life and life of the machine

and what 'apps' they need - or are just expecting to be available

 

and find the cheapest that does all that - and will continue to do it for the next 3-5 years

[southhamster]

Have you looked at learnpads?

Management is a doddle. The hardware is not as good as an iPad but much much cheaper. Our oldest 4 year old set of 32 has lost about 8 mainly due to the old power connectors not being robust enough but all the newer ones are all still working fine.

[hardtailstar]

nnnnoooooooooooooooooooo

 

That was a joke, we both work at the same school and they have previously said only ipads would do!

[Liam]

I have iPads, hate them although to be honest they server a purpose.. nothing more than an output device though. We also have 30 Linx. Cheap and cheerful but the kids love them.

I’m not looking for some cheap android ones just for revision purposes. Need to deploy some apps centrally and be able to mange them ideally

 

Any suggestions?

[CHSGM]

Our school facilitates both iPads & Linx 1010 tablets and personally with the correct management, iPads are a breeze to keep on top of and are much more preferred by staff and students.

 

Linx tablets are also of use, although we had to by hand make a charge n sync travel case and workgroup them in the end due to continuous issues when on domain.

 

Alongside Profile Manager, iPads are brill

[atcoates]

Apple DEP and MDM are brilliant and the hardware is rock solid in a decent case.

[DanTheLacky]

I think the only reason that I am not being pushed to go with iPads is because they don't have the money for ipads. They even asked about the kindle 7s the other day *shudders*

[mthomas08]

This is going to be a fairly vague request (but the one I got was just as vague).

Looking for some suggestions for student tablets, haven't been given a budget but I'm fairly certain it won't be a lot.

Told it will be roughly a class set od devices (25-30 I'm guessing), just for web browsing, emails, shared files and some apps (they don't know what apps or what they want to achieve by the sounds of it).

Have been told if I do some research they won't just ignore me and by iPads haha.

Thanks in advance.

 

Depends really what you want to do with them.

 

I'd say iPads but it's a lot of money.

 

We currently use Google so we went down the route of Android. If you want simple 7" ones, look at Google Nexus comparisons. If it's simple day to day stuff - there's no real advantage to spending a fortune on iPads. Price range I would look at £150-£200. Don't go for the cheapest you can find because they will be a bit sluggish at times (think Tesco Hudl). We trialled it and it's not for long usage.

 

I would also consider not getting a 7" one but the next size up. We had all sorts of issues with the small screen ones because some websites do not work well - especially in regards to online interactive activities. It will boil down to exactly what they want to do with them.

 

Be warned:

If a company says "it works on tablets" make sure you get that from more than 1 rep

Don't expect everything to work on them

Chargers are easily broken

Charging ports are almost as easy to break - and when it's ruined it really is ruined - talking board replacements

Easy to smash a screen

Kids will install things they shouldn't - no matter how many times you tell them not to

Factory reset doesn't always mean - factory reset. We had to send one back because the student did something incredibly weird (it effectively overwritten the factory reset - so no matter what.... P0rn apps were appearing).

Just because it's a tablet doesn't mean it can be altered in such a way - we had to factory reset quite a few every month (similar to above - weird things were happening)

We didn't lock them down because it's not what the school wanted to do (I would have)

The Apps are not as 'brilliant' as some think - we had a few that replaced our software (netbooks) and they were deemed not worth the effort

 

iPads are not immune to the above. Some would BYOD iPads and they too had very similar issues.

 

After the tablets we did a U-turn and went to netbooks. If you have along list of questions - ping them my way. We attempted BYOD/ICT Schemes and have since pulled the plug. Although yours if on a much smaller scale. You may have much more success for a single group of them.