The Shattered Potential of the iPad - Student's Perspective

[jb1280]

I basically reject the notion that the iPad or even a netbook are close to ideal tools for the tasks you are upset about.

Simply there are certain things that work better using a traditional computer. Academic writing is one of things.

Even if the iPad had multitasking and you could switch between safari and pages, would that make a great experience to write something solely on this device? I would argue strongly that it wouldn't. Just as I would strongly argue this is a terrible idea on a netbook.

With things such as pdf readers and marking pdfs, I would hold judgment until we see what people do with 3rd party apps.

I realize that some students like taking notebooks computers into class for note taking. This, however, is not a majority. When I was finishing my PhD coursework and at this time notebooks were ubiquitous, a strong preference was for paper notes.

I actually see this being something students would go for.

1. It seems like a great device to keep yourself organized in terms of the calendar app, storing syllabi, and things such as that.

2. It seems like an ideal place to keep ebooks such as style guides, manuals, dictionaries, et. al.

3. Email and communication over the net.

4. Access to journal databases and perhaps some sort of e-library with university library credentials.

 

[sparkyms]

I've only skim-read the thread, but thinking of multi-tasking... it would be cool in a situation like this if the iPad let you run the iPhone version of Safari (I guess this could translate to all apps) in the corner of the screen, allowing you to look at what you need.. copy/paste etc.

So it's not putting too much strain on that Multi-Core 1GHZ processor at least... haha.

 

[Unprocessed1]

Personally, I think we won't get multitasking the way we all think of it... I mean, I would like to open multiple apps and use a coverflow type interface, but I'm not sure we'll get that.

What I think we might see is a dashboard environment that runs in the background and lets us "multitask" using widgets. Much like you can double tap the home button to get a music app control widget, you could double tap the home button and get lots of widgets. A twitter app, an email checker, calendar, basic control panel, whatever.

It's not real multitasking but it does solve many of the issues of no multitasking. It doesn't address the OPs concerns of having reference docs and Pages or Numbers open at the same time.

I'd like a Palm OS style of multitasking, even 2-4 windows would suffice!

In terms of 3.2, I'm wondering how quick and easy it is to switch between, say, Safari, Pages, and Excel. Do you have to load your document/spreadsheet every time you switch, or will it automatically know you were on XXX.doc 5 seconds earlier and just open it automatically?

 

[Cynocephalus]

I basically reject the notion that the iPad or even a netbook are close to ideal tools for the tasks you are upset about.

Simply there are certain things that work better using a traditional computer. Academic writing is one of things.

Even if the iPad had multitasking and you could switch between safari and pages, would that make a great experience to write something solely on this device? I would argue strongly that it wouldn't. Just as I would strongly argue this is a terrible idea on a netbook.

With things such as pdf readers and marking pdfs, I would hold judgment until we see what people do with 3rd party apps.

I realize that some students like taking notebooks computers into class for note taking. This, however, is not a majority. When I was finishing my PhD coursework and at this time notebooks were ubiquitous, a strong preference was for paper notes.

I actually see this being something students would go for.

1. It seems like a great device to keep yourself organized in terms of the calendar app, storing syllabi, and things such as that.

2. It seems like an ideal place to keep ebooks such as style guides, manuals, dictionaries, et. al.

3. Email and communication over the net.

4. Access to journal databases and perhaps some sort of e-library with university library credentials.

I'd agree with you on most of that, JB, but I still worry that the iPad won't live up to its potential for students, based on what I've seen so far.

I think that students do want to be able to take notes in a notebook (rather than typing them.) That's why I think it is a mistake to not include a stylus and some way to hand write notes. Not only might students sitting in a class want to be able to do this, but so might people who are meeting people on job sites where it won't be easy to open your laptop and start typing notes. In those cases I'd love to have the ability to save my notes electronically, but it is often too difficult to have to open the laptop and type things down.

Furthermore, I really think the ability to take notes in your ebooks or on pdfs will be really important for students. I agree that the app designers may soon cover the ability to take notes in pdfs, but will be be able to do the same with ebooks? Are there copyright laws that would prevent us from editing electronic books? I think it would be really valuable for students sitting in their English class discussing "Hamlet" to be able to open their copy of the book and mark the passage that they discussed in class and link that passage to the notes they took on the discussion. Likewise, when they turn to the scholarly article in pdf that they were assigned to read with the "Hamlet" they should be able to jot notes in that article and link them to their own notes. That's where I see some of the potential of this device that is not easily met by a notebook that is bulkier.

 

[Unprocessed1]

Important hypothetical: Is it physically possible to write on the capitative multitouch screen using a stylus if an app is developed? The beauty of this device is the app store. I'm just wondering if the tech make it physically possible.

I'd be happy to pay ~$20 for an app that lets me use a stylus to write over word document, or spend money on a robust handwriting -> text software.

 

[Etnies419]

Snip

The problem I see with a stylus for the iPad is that it's not exactly like a traditional notebook. Apple would have to come up with a way of ignoring your hand on the screen. Sure, they can ignore unintentional taps, but it could be a lot harder to ignore the side of a hand.

I think that with apps like Dragon Dictation, note taking could become a lot better now. Obviously, they will need refinement, but just think of how easy it would be. Open the app, let the professor talk (draw any pictures/etc. in another app, with multitasking hopefully coming), and it would show up as text ready for you to review.

 

[Illuminated]

in 08, my high school, well entire school district got a grant. It was from Apple called the Smart Classroom 101 or something to that matter. It allowed the entire district to be wireless, all teachers had a macbook. Each department in the first year had a department set of macbooks for the students. Last year and this year, every classroom has a class set. I can see this iPad replacing the Macbooks easily. Maybe not right away, or all at once, but it will someday soon. It'll make computing easier for the students, making presentations utilizing touchscreen, (a technology many grade school students are not familiar with), etc...It can open up a whole new type of learning...paperless, seam-less transition of information...and with the iBookstore or w/e its called, all text books will be on there and the iPad...it IS the future...I can only see good things for the iPad...and it has functions not only in schools, but also in the business world...

...i'm in culinary school currently, but i can only imagine what technology can do for a kitchen...the head chef can use a special iPad that keeps information of what is instock in the kitchen at the exact time, what is left, what needs to be ordered, who is working etc...the servers can use these to take orders of the customers, and directly send it via wifi to the iPads in the kitchen so the chefs and cooks can know what to make...

...the auto industry can benefit with this too...the possibilities are ENDLESS...just think about it! It's 2010. We have a 10 inch multitouch machine that runs flawlessly. In 2011, it will have a camera perhaps, it will have the MacOSX perhaps...where will it stop? Who knows!? I believe it will only GROW in the years to come...



/rant

 

[kellen]

As a student, I agree. While people are saying it may replace textbooks, is it possible to highlight on it? I admit I haven't looked too much into if it can select text.

 

[Cyroceon]

To the OP: Great thread. You pointed out various problems that I have been thinking about during the past 24 hours. I wholeheartedly agree with your notions of unfeasibility with regard to student use. I would be all over this machine if it provided an environment conducive to taking notes/browsing the web at the same time. I would love nothing more than to leave the laptop at home, take the iPad to school, read on the way to/from, and take notes in class using it. However, in law school, I have to have multiple documents open at the same time, usually several cases and my notes document. The iPad will not cater to that need, and unfortunately, that may keep me from buying it even though I was severely interested in it before the keynote.

 

[jb1280]

I'd agree with you on most of that, JB, but I still worry that the iPad won't live up to its potential for students, based on what I've seen so far.

I think that students do want to be able to take notes in a notebook (rather than typing them.) That's why I think it is a mistake to not include a stylus and some way to hand write notes. Not only might students sitting in a class want to be able to do this, but so might people who are meeting people on job sites where it won't be easy to open your laptop and start typing notes. In those cases I'd love to have the ability to save my notes electronically, but it is often too difficult to have to open the laptop and type things down.

Furthermore, I really think the ability to take notes in your ebooks or on pdfs will be really important for students. I agree that the app designers may soon cover the ability to take notes in pdfs, but will be be able to do the same with ebooks? Are there copyright laws that would prevent us from editing electronic books? I think it would be really valuable for students sitting in their English class discussing "Hamlet" to be able to open their copy of the book and mark the passage that they discussed in class and link that passage to the notes they took on the discussion. Likewise, when they turn to the scholarly article in pdf that they were assigned to read with the "Hamlet" they should be able to jot notes in that article and link them to their own notes. That's where I see some of the potential of this device that is not easily met by a notebook that is bulkier.

You know, from what I have seen the details on the ebook app are rather thin at the moment. The fact that Kindle allows for bookmarks and annotations, I would be inclined to believe that this feature will be allowed on the iPad.

The device has a lot of potential but I think it really rests on developers to come up with something like inklet for it and for a little more imagination on the part of the publishers on future marketing decisions.

Apple has clearly given these two groups the platform to work with and the biggest role Apple has going forward is approving apps in a reasonable manner. Enabling multitasking is far less important.

 

[ct2k7]

With regards for content for students, books are only available in US. I'm a student, and each day it's looking less tastier.

 

[Ritte]

Important hypothetical: Is it physically possible to write on the capitative multitouch screen using a stylus if an app is developed? The beauty of this device is the app store. I'm just wondering if the tech make it physically possible.

I'd be happy to pay ~$20 for an app that lets me use a stylus to write over word document, or spend money on a robust handwriting -> text software.

I don't see why that's impossible. There's stylus for iphone and there are drawing apps.
It would be pretty easy to do a app for taking notes with stylus.

By taking notes I want an app taking notes as my handwriting looks like. Not interpreting the writing to digital characters.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I'd like a Palm OS style of multitasking, even 2-4 windows would suffice!

In terms of 3.2, I'm wondering how quick and easy it is to switch between, say, Safari, Pages, and Excel. Do you have to load your document/spreadsheet every time you switch, or will it automatically know you were on XXX.doc 5 seconds earlier and just open it automatically?

I agree with that. I have a Pre and I like the cards metaphor for multitasking. I would expect that Apple would do a CoverFlow interface that does essentially the same thing as WebOS's cards if the add "true" multitasking.

Another option might be running one iPad app (apps like iWork) but letting you run several iPhone apps concurrently in an expose/Dashboard type interface. That or the Dashboard-widget type concept I described earlier. Dunno what they will do - I would like a full multitasking environment, but would be happy with widgets or something else like that.

Important hypothetical: Is it physically possible to write on the capitative multitouch screen using a stylus if an app is developed? The beauty of this device is the app store. I'm just wondering if the tech make it physically possible.

I'd be happy to pay ~$20 for an app that lets me use a stylus to write over word document, or spend money on a robust handwriting -> text software.

They make a stylus for the iPhone, should work no problem with the iPad (same technology in the screen). It's pretty simple/cheap - just a metal pen-like tube with a piece of conductive foam inside. If/when I get an iPad I will probably pick one up - I remember them being about $10, which would be worth it just for doodling (I'm not an artist-just for fun). I agree that an annotation mode for a PDF/document viewer would be an excellent use for this. Actually if they added the camera from the 3GS (autofocus, pretty hi-res) to the iPad, and maybe a little LED flash, it would be awesome to take a photo of a page of text, write all over it, and save it to a PDF.

 

[Unprocessed1]

I think I'm much more optimistic after reading the responses to this thread. I think the stylus/word program is almost a given, it would sell like crazy if it's well made.

 

[Ritte]

I've already contacted a developer about it. (Stylus/noteapp)

 

[ct2k7]

I've already contacted a developer about it. (Stylus/noteapp)

And i've already started it.

 

[Ritte]

And i've already started it.

The more the merrier.

 

[Cynocephalus]

Actually if they added the camera from the 3GS (autofocus, pretty hi-res) to the iPad, and maybe a little LED flash, it would be awesome to take a photo of a page of text, write all over it, and save it to a PDF.

Now that's a useful idea. It might be a little like a portable scanner/copier you could use when in the library. Heck, I can see students taking a photograph of the whiteboard in a calculus class, just to have a record of the notes on the board.

 

[ct2k7]

The more the merrier.

Woo Thanks

 

[MTI]

For all the input junkies . . Apple has confirmed that their BT keyboard will sync with the iPad. That suggests that other BT keyboards will find their way to the party.

 

[Unprocessed1]

It could be even easier to use a bt keyboard than an apple keyboard.

 

[Monkey Butler]

As it stands now, when I go to class I have to carry around usually something like 10kg of books. So in that regard the iPad would be great. However, when I'm listening to the lecture I currently have to have the PDF of the lecture slides open as well as a text document to take further notes. With the iPad I currently couldn't even do that. And then when I have tutorials and I'm working through cases in my textbooks, I need to be able to highlight things, write notes in margins, dog-ear or use post-its to bookmark pages so I can go back to them, all of which is, again, currently impossible with the iPad.

So yes, a stylus handwriting/note-taking/highlighting app would be great, but I don't really understand why it couldn't have been implemented from the get go. There wouldn't be copyright issues if the notes weren't actually saved onto an existing ebook/PDF but as a kind of overlaid document, and this would make note-sharing between student much easier. Not to mention the fact that I still remember the pain of having to go through Shakespeare plays in high school finding every single reference to a particular motif. A way to highlight, bookmark and easily browse every reference to eyes in King Lear would save a lot of school kids a lot of time and effort.

So yeah, basically I agree with the OP, and hope that stylus-based apps are possible, because as it stands now the convenience of having less to carry around is vastly outweighed by it's lack of the most basic functionality of a paper textbook and notepad.

 

[iphonegeek786]

Ill probably use this as a college student. I am in high school now and will be a sophmore next year. I will buy it hope to keep it through college.

 

[SteveSparks]

Thinking back to my college days.

Let's see, carry around laptop, physics book, calculus book, OR carry around this thing.

Hmm. I'd have traded my invite to the kick butt band party at the Sig Ep house, and paid 499.00 for one.....

Exactly, If you can highlight with your finger and then top where you can type out a short note. It's huge! The books alone are amazing use the for the device. I use a Kindle for some books but it is slow, I think the iPad will blow away the Kindle with its more uses.

 

[Sparced]

If it had an optional stylus so I could write equations and draw simple circuit diagrams straight inside Pages then it would be my dream device.

Right now I'll probably get one just to use at home. No point taking it to college as much as I'd want to show it off.