iPad vs Kindle vs Netbooks vs Books: What’s Best for Students?
posted by Mark on March 10th, 2010
With the introduction of Apple’s iPad in January, questions abounded regarding its potential impact on digital education. Could the iPad revolutionize how students learn? With textbook publishers jumping on board to develop iPad-compatible versions of their books even before the product was available for sale, the Apple product seemed to take the lead in next-generation educational technology. But what about Amazon.com’s popular book reader the Kindle, or the recent glut of affordable, stripped down laptop computers dubbed “netbooks”? Can any of them compete with good old-fashioned books? Here’s a rundown of what each has to offer.
| Criteria | Kindle | iPad | Netbooks | Textbooks |
| Price | $269/$489 (DX) | $499/$829 loaded | $250 to $700 | $700-$1,100/year (but often resold) |
| Weight | 10.2 oz./18.9 oz. (DX) | 24 oz. | Generally 2 to 3.5 lbs. | Generally 12 oz. to 4 lbs. |
| Display | 6 in./9.7 in. (DX), black and white | 9.7 in., color | Generally 7 to 12 in., color | Whatever size the book is |
| Storage | 2 GB / 4 GB (DX) | 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB | Generally 150 to 250 GB | One book |
| Battery Life | 7 days | 10 hours | 2 to 15 hours | NA |
| Connectivity | 3G wireless included | 3G wireless for $130 plus $15 or $30 per month | All have wireless networking; some come with 3G wireless for a monthly fee | NA |
| Keyboard | Built-in physical keyboard | Touch-screen keyboard (peripheral keyboard costs extra) | Built-in physical keyboard | NA |
| Functionality | Just a reader with note taking function | Multi-function | Multi-function | Just a book |
| Multitasking? | Only one book at a time | One program at a time | Yes | Whatever you can do while reading |
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. The Kindle is light, has a long battery life and doesn’t charge extra for 3G wireless connectivity, but it’s only in black and white, is very limited in what it can do, and recent trials by students using it as a study tool proved disappointing. Netbooks are in color, have larger screens, storage and functionality, but they’re bulkier and can be more expensive. The iPad splits the difference, featuring the Kindle’s smaller size but with a color screen and expanded functionality closer to netbooks. However, the fully-loaded iPad is the most expensive of the three technologies, and it still lacks the ability to multitask (details on this limitation won’t be known until the iPad’s release, but imagine not being able to listen to music or read an e-book while surfing the web).
For all the advancements in technology, however, good old-fashioned books still have the upper hand in widespread acceptance, thanks to: 1) tradition, 2) lack of a learning curve, 3) ease of note taking, and 4) the tactile nature of flipping through a book. For many people, reading an e-book on a digital display is no replacement for an actual printed text, but even for those who enjoy using readers like the Kindle, the experience of trying to study — with the requisite note taking — is markedly different. The Kindle enjoys wide recreational use, but it has a large mountain to climb to become widely accepted as a study tool that could replace textbooks.
The iPad might face similar hurdles. Thanks to its multiple functionality (not to be confused with multitasking), it will no doubt be popular as an entertainment device for surfing the web, playing games and listening to music, but from an educational standpoint, these functions might serve to distract students from their scholastic pursuits. Furthermore, while some might view the iPad’s touch screen as an advantage, when trying to take notes, it might prove unwieldy.
Indeed, accurate, affordable pen-based handwriting recognition capability might be the major hurdle for many students unwilling to convert to any form of book replacement technology. Neither the Kindle nor the iPad features such functionality, and because of the cost, it’s rare in the budget-conscious netbooks.
Time will tell, but despite their bulk and cost, hardcopy textbooks appear here to stay. For now.
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March 12th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Being a college student I believe renting textbooks is the best thing going for textbooks. I used http://www.textbookstop.com to rent textbooks and buy used textbooks. When I was finished with the textbooks I was able to return them their affiliate. Great Service!!! save me tons. Thank you
March 18th, 2010 at 1:33 am
The other critical issue is whether the textbook required is currently available in the appropriate format.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:03 am
The iPhone and the iPod Touch don’t do multi-tasking but allow music playback while you are doing things which don’t provide their own sound such as web surfing. The iPad should be the same except application switching should be very fast.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Textbooks stood the test of time because of its affordability and simplicity. Though the current readers look really novel, I don’t think it’s as easy to use as a texbook. If people accept them, that’s because they’re new technology, traditional books are still the best textbooks around, so far.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:42 am
You state “imagine not being able to listen to music or read an e-book while surfing the web”, with regards to multitasking on the iPad. Presuming the iPad has the same capability as the iPhone, you will be able to listen to music using the iPod player and browse the web at the same time with Safari. Multitasking limitations on the iPhone (or iPad) generally relates to third-party apps.
April 6th, 2010 at 11:21 am
im loving the ipad personally. what do you think of it now? was it upto your standards?
June 1st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
you forgot the Nook reader. and Kindle will run for 2 weeks with wireless turned off.
June 1st, 2010 at 2:07 pm
oh and the big difference in screens