Apple has always been the product of choice for educators and students. The reasons for this are plentiful, and begin with the basic fact that Macs are superior to their PC counterparts. Most everyone who tries a Mac agrees that they are highly intuitive to use and simple to operate. The hardware and software on a Mac are both designed and produced by Apple, so there are no internal communication problems and the machine runs efficiently and smoothly. Whatever task a consumer sets out to do – be that create movies, music or simply write a term paper – Macs provide the best way for them to do it.
But in addition to simply being a superior machine, Apple has built in some additional incentives that make Macs even more appealing for students. Namely, Apple offers a student discount to students in any grade level who purchase a new Mac computer. This discount applies to MacBook Pros, iMacs, or any other Mac product. In addition to this student discount, Apple many times has other promotional offers such as free printers or iPod Touches. Nobody has it better than students and educators when it comes to purchasing an Apple computer.
At the present time, MacBook Pros and iPod Touches seem to have the most allure to academia. MacBook Pros are highly visible on campuses around the globe, and seem to serve students well. Even in classroom settings where Word documents are the preferred form of submission, MacBook Pros work tremendously with Office for Mac. Apple’s iPod Touch is also a favorite among students, not only for its entertainment value, but for its educational value as well. A great number of the applications available in the App Store are specifically geared for educational purposes.
Next month, the iPad is scheduled for sale in the United States, and this will surely add a new layer of what Apple is doing for academia. The chief characteristic of the iPad is its large touch screen, which happens to be just about the perfect size for e-books. And who utilizes books more than students and educators? The link here is clear, and it didn’t take publishers of textbooks to connect the dots.
Several textbook publishers are already under contract to provide their textbooks in a digital format. This will allow students to have all of their books on one simple device, essentially eliminating the need to lug around backpacks full of books. The digitization process has already begun for these publishers, and it looks like a new era of education is on the horizon. In this format, the books have a whole new capacity for coming to life. Students will be able to search for subject matter electronically, and even play videos to further explain the content. Moreover, digital books have will provide checkpoints and quizzes to better help students understand the material. The iPad will ultimately provide a much more interactive medium for reading than was provided by standard written works.
