
Two Billion Laptops? It May Not Be Enough - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/business/18digi.html?hpw
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samratjp
Hmm, at $250 a pop, OLPC is on the price range of a netbook. iPad is a few
steps away as well. It's very much possible that the iPad could get to this
price range, if not even cheaper with the economies of scale for a project
like OLPC. Yes, I realize OLPC needs a crank, etc. But, what's not to stop
Apple from coming up with iCrank (I also believe Apple has created a new niche
of developers iCranky using their iPhone OS 4.0 - but I digress).

Before you point out about Apple's closed platform, do think about how easy
the App store is and how much more depth of interactivity and detail the iPad
could bring to learning.

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thwarted
Cranks are not esthetically pleasing. And if Apple did create iCrank, you'd
have to go to the Apple store to have someone replace it when it broke off.
But we both digress...

But seriously, they said the same thing about computers in general, about
their ability to bring more depth of interactivity and detail to learning.
Somehow I doubt lack of specific kinds of technology are the major hindrance
to learning today, at least in developed countries, er, ahem, the US.

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samratjp
iCranks jokes aside, the biggest point that's important is that great teachers
with decent tech can make wonders but great tech can't necessarily fix broken
teachers.

Well, the education marketplace in the U.S. is not that organized and I can't
think of that many great apps out there I would personally use in an academic
setting. The reason why I think Apple has a whack at this because the iPad is
very primal in the way you interact with the device; but the App store is what
makes the iPxx successful.

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thwarted
You think Apple has a whack at bringing technology into the
classroom/education because the interaction is primal? Never mind that Apple
has traditionally had a major share of the education market, I don't think
specific technology or UX/UI is the major hindrance to continued/increased use
of computers in the classroom, it has more to do with finances, politics,
perception of what it means to be "computer-literate", the lack of
applications that are truly educational (rather than mostly rote memorization
and bookkeeping (the kind that exist now that we agree that we wouldn't use in
an academic setting)).

