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Charlie Osborne
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Students: Don't get an iPad. Please.

By | February 4, 2010, 8:16am PST

Summary: Unless the iPad has wizard-like magic built in (unlikely, it doesn’t even have Flash) then just don’t bother with it and avoid it like the plague;

The iPad and the Kindle are two of the most banded-about tablet devices to date. With weeks of rumour and speculation finally revealing the Apple tablet, today Amazon is found to have invested further into mobile “Kindle-like” technology to rival the iPad.

My opinion of the iPad is not that of a positive one. It lacks Flash which whether you love it or hate it, is still an integral part of the web that we use today, irrespective of whether HTML5 video integration will have a major effect on the plug-in in years to come.

Satirist Charlie Brooker sums up entirely my feeling for the device, using words which I could only have dreamed of. (Some strong language, edited where possible).

Yet the kicker for me is the paperless student concept, and the ability to read and take notes. The whole point behind “reading” a degree instead of studying for one is because the vast majority of undergraduate degree programmes involve more reading than anything else. In theory and from my personal experience, you could probably scrape a high 2:2 at very least just from reading the course materials that are asked of you and nothing else.

The need for reading is massively important, and while I still believe a Kindle or an iPad will not negate the need for paper and physical reading materials, it could have a positive effect on storage space, overall costs and literature capacity.

But it still entirely depends on whether the necessary reading materials will be available for such devices. This is a big but, and not one that can be solved overnight no matter how hard Google tries to.

And students still don’t want to read books or materials on a screen. It isn’t in our nature to and with screen/eye fatigue and general rigmarole of having to become adept with the technology we are given, it’s far easier to scribble a note on the margin of a laboriously complicated chapter.

In my opinion, there’s nothing besides the fashion and the fun element behind the iPad that could justify even the relatively low cost of $499. It may seem to be aimed at students and academia but in practice, you’d be better off with the best of both worlds.

Would you get an iPad, and why?

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Topics

Material, iPad, Tablets, Notebooks, Corporate Communications, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Marketing, Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from the Huffington Post, Business Insider, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

Talkback Most Recent of 128 Talkback(s)

  • good advice
    your money are far better spent elsewhere!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Linux Geek
    4th Feb 2010
  • Lol, our money are far better spent elsewhere? nt
    nt
    ZDNet Gravatar
    SystemVoid
    4th Feb 2010
  • Education
    "your money are far better spent elsewhere!"

    Could I suggest spending some of that money on a grammar lesson?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    jragosta
    5th Feb 2010
  • Never try to correct someone grammar on a blog!
    For most people, English grammar my come easy for them, That is if
    English is your native language. Lots of people will have English as a
    second language. Or them may have problems with any language.

    That fact that people are trying to communicate with you. If they get
    there words mixed up or misspelled don't take it the wrong way.

    Blogs are for putting your idea out to the public, anyway you can. If
    you need something done correctly, go join a library , most of the
    books should be ok for you to read.

    Have a good day.

    F?r die meisten Menschen, Englisch Grammatik meiner kommen leicht
    f?r sie, das hei?t, wenn Englisch ist Ihre Muttersprache. Viele
    Menschen haben Englisch als zweite Sprache. Oder sie haben
    Probleme mit jeder Sprache.

    Die Tatsache, dass Menschen, die versuchen werden, um mit Ihnen zu
    kommunizieren. Wenn sie dort ankommen Worte verwechselt oder
    falsch geschrieben nehmen Sie es nicht der falsche Weg.

    Blogs sind f?r die Umsetzung Ihrer Idee an die ?ffentlichkeit,
    trotzdem k?nnen. Wenn Sie etwas richtig gemacht haben, gehen sich
    einer Bibliothek, sollten die meisten der B?cher sind in Ordnung f?r
    Sie zu lesen.

    Have a good day.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    MacNewton
    30th Mar 2010
  • What's wrong with his grammar?
    It matches perfectly with the grammar in Zack's piece.
    It is pure verisimilitude! happy

    ALL YOUR MONEY ARE BELONG TO US!!!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DeusExMachina
    5th Feb 2010
  • You don't like the iPad. We get it.
    So, now explain how it personally affects you if someone else
    does to the point where you feel the need to castigate them?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    frgough
    4th Feb 2010
  • You love Apple. We get it.
    I know I know, you're going to talk and talk and talk about what gives someone the right to decide for others what worth spending money on.

    But you forget to mention that they're not forcing you to not purchase one, denying you the right to too, but instead offering some advice, or a point of view not considered by you, OK?

    Funny how you express your opinion on why people should buy an Apple product, yet you yourself castigate those who express opinions on why they shouldn't buy it.

    Maybe he feels strongly against the iPad because he's seeing something you don't in reference to his current situation vs yours.

    Or are you a full time student at the moment, and can speak for those others like you?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    John Zern
    4th Feb 2010
  • He said don't get an iPad Please...
    and the video expressed his opinion. The are all matters of fact.

    It has not been confirmed that this device will not support flash, but even if it doesn't, flash websites suck anyway, and the attack surface is enormous. You have to allow the content to run, and of course if a flash site is maliciously crafted, your device in PWND.

    It is simply him telling students is insatiable hate for Apple.

    Oh and in case it matters I graduated 2 years ago, and plan to go back to build more onto my degree. And I would tell him to go stick his rant where the sun don't shine. I buy devices that work for me, not because Apple or Microsoft runs on them, but because they intuitive to the way I work, play, and learn.

    As for the iPad I will reserve my judgment for when it is actually released, and I can get my hands on one. Which is more than I can say for the author.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Snooki_smoosh_smoosh
    4th Feb 2010
  • Maybe he's upset
    Because he won't be able to feed his Farmville habit with the iPad wink

    http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=3225&tag=col1;post-3225
    "Considering the game is so hefty on the computer?s resources through Flash consumption and CPU usage, even with scaling the graphics down a notch, even moving the mouse can be laggy, slow and sluggish."

    Why do people call for flash on a mobile devices when even Zack knows it's a horrible resource hog?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    4th Feb 2010

  • ZDNet Blogger

    You're not wrong...
    nt
    ZDNet Gravatar
    zwhittaker
    4th Feb 2010
  • What? No Farmville
    Then My Mom won't want one. wink

    IMO if they want to drop $500 on a touch screen device that is so limited on functionality and has to resort to proprietary closed applications then more power to them. I still think the market for these devices is young and Windows or Linux will do a better job and iPad V2 will come out with nothing more than slight hardware updates and a software update and the V1 users will not allowed to download the software update even though it is compatible with the device.

    IMO the iPad is not much more than a toy and should be treated as such.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bobiroc
    4th Feb 2010
  • Can't do it on the Kindle either...
    ... which is what the iPad is often compared to, yet, schools (most, anyway) are so keen to use the Kindle anyway.

    Now, as a school assistive device, which would a student find more useful? Kindle or iPad? I'm betting on the iPad, despite its lack of Flash and inherent sun light difficulties.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    WarhavenSC
    4th Feb 2010
  • That whooshing sound
    is you missing the point.

    The blog author is just all whiny that someone else might buy something
    he doesn't like.

    I couldn't care less what kind of computer you buy or don't buy. My
    sense of self worth, unlike the blog author, is not defined but what you
    choose or don't choose to do.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    frgough
    4th Feb 2010
  • Yes we do indeed Love Apple
    But just like you love everyone in your family, we also get mad at some
    of the things Apple try's to pull off. When that happens we are the
    first to speak out against them. For example, we (Most of use) like to
    use Firewire ports, When Apple removed it from some of its products
    (Like the iPod) we really tore into them for it. But after a year or 2 we
    realized that it did't matter if the iPod was firewire or USB.

    As for the iPad, a lot of us did't understand why it has't a camera.
    Apple does't really gives use any reason why it does what it does, only
    later on do we find out that they were right in the first place.

    As for people who do't like or use Apple produces, maybe this is't the
    right blog for you. So move on folks, find some other place to
    complain.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    MacNewton
    30th Mar 2010
  • What!?!?!? LOL!
    @frgough
    While on the one hand, I agree that there should be no need to castigate anyone just because they like a product some one else doesn't like, (and I don't see that in this article) you must be kidding to make it sound like castigating others for liking particular products is something new around here.

    The fact is that the Apple loyalists are practically world renowned for doing exactly that. Many of the Linux fans are not much better. For example, many Apple enthusiasts refuse to accept the fact that while they find an Apple computer and OSX suites their needs and interests best that for others, the majority in fact find Windows suites their needs better. For this particular brand of Apple loyalist much of their reasoning for Apple being best for them simply revolves out of their contention that its because Windows is simply so bad. Perhaps you can follow the problem that leaves them with. I will explain;

    If the reason you use a product and feel its the best is because you say the alternative product it just god awful and unusable, your explanation runs into trouble when others say that the the alternative product actually runs fine for their needs and they like it better. All too often the only retort available is to castigate the others and tell them they are simply out of their minds and don't know what they are talking about, and unfortunately thats exactly what far too many Apple loyalists resort to, because they almost have to after making ridiculous claims against Windows.

    So as far as castigation around here goes; there is plenty to go around. I would suggest if you have the least interest of your point accomplishing anything at all you should hold it in reserve and then unleash it the next time you come across the many many Apple loyalists who live to castigate others who don't prefer Apple over Windows.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Cayble
    28th Sep 2010
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