[android tablet] Google Play Store

[beany1]

Hi all,

 

Just wondering if anyone uses Android Tablets in their school? I've been asked to purchase some tablets, now we currently have a few iPad's but due to their price and un-fix-ability I would like something cheaper like the Nexus 7. So instead of 10 more iPad's we could effectively purchase ~20 Nexus 7 tablets.

 

I called Google this morning in regards to the Android Apps store and was told I will be able to sync apps to 8 devices so I would have to use 3 different Google accounts, which seems ridiculous but maybe less so than gifting Apple apps numerous times. Is this what other people have found/been told?

 

What are peoples thoughts on going this route? Searching Google comes up with lackluster results...is nobody using them in schools? Apart from the highly expensive "child friendly" versions that is.

 

Primarily this is for internet research for primary school children.

 

Cheers.

[universally_challended]

I've been researching Android tabs for weeks now. 8 app installs per account is news to me, but saying that maybe it is the case. bugger

[CyberNerd]

So why not use the students google apps account?

[beany1]

Wahey, replies!

 

8 Installs per account - I'm thinking less annoying than trying to gift apps to numerous email accounts? 24 x Nexus is 3 accounts so buy app 3 times. 10 ipad's is buy 1 app gift to 9 email accounts.

 

We don't use google apps sadly would love to but were pretty much stuck with our internet/email.

 

Ordering is a joke, companies actually charge more than Google do, so buying from Google which will require 3 separate purchases as you can only purchase 10 max. Ordered one as a trial, but to be honest the way I will set it up I have done on my galaxy s2 and it works pretty well.

[mossj88]

More an FYI than anything else

 

The screen on the nexus 7 is directly attached to the touch sensitive bit so the slightest crack to the screen and you have to replace both (I think the manufacturer quotes £150 to do this)

[beany1]

Cheers Moss,

 

To be honest the rate were getting through iPad's this cheaper tablet is much more preferable to replace. In a year we have had 3 screens and 1 volume rocker broken out of 13. which Apple have quoted £260/£280 something like that to replace - can get the iPad 2 brand new for £260!

 

Oh and that's the case with the iPad, the glass and digitizer come bonded together, so far haven't had much luck in repairing works fine for a while then the digitizer stops working correctly!

[laserblazer]

There's a US article http://mashable.com/2012/10/05/tablets-vs-textbooks/ which has a couple of interesting points.

[Achandler]

Companies like Ebuyer usually have Nexus in and at the same price as Google, not sure if they limit you to number of purchases though.

[beany1]

Cheers articles not bad - same as others I've read. It's not very specific, no age group, no usage scenario. Etc. For us we don't have the resources to buy more laptops / pc's so tablets have there place with us anyways!

 

Looked at ebuyer before, £158 without VAT! Most companies are the same.

[laserblazer]

The thing that encouraged me from the article was the consideration about the relative benefits of a digital screen v. written text. I'm not sure that is given any thought in a lot of schools. They simply get the technology to keep up with the Joneses.