Top 5 Reasons Chromebook beats iPad

Apple iPad

Apple iPad

It's time for a reality check. Just about everyone caught the 'must have fever' when Apple introduced the tablet. Since then it has seen a number of new versions and improvements, not to mention all of the copycat clones who have since introduced their own tablets. The craze to get the latest greatest gadget may finally be on the wane. No matter how much you want it to, it simply can not replace a notebook proper without the attached keyboard. It's just they way to make use of the gadget and using a screen keyboard means you sacrifice some of that precious screen space real estate. That is something no one wants to do or can afford to do if they hope to be productive.

Google Chromebook

Fortunately we no longer have to shell out $400-$1,000 or more for a notebook/laptop these days. There are many more choices and the new trend these days is to forgo the notebook/laptop altogether and just 'Go Chrome'. Google's Chromebook is finally catching on and for all the right reasons.

The following highlights the top 5 reasons why Chromebooks are better for students in school and for you at home than the Apple iPad.

Google Chromebook

Students view the iPad as more of a “fun” & “fashionable”-”popular” device, while the Chromebook was thought to be the device to “do better schoolwork”. The Chromebook's keyboard was probably the deciding factor — especially since the new Common Core online testing requires a keyboard. Apple's iPads have so far been, just an attractive gadget of choice at both ends of the economic spectrum and little more than a novelty gadget. It's just not that easy to be as productive with a tablet than it is with a real notebook and Apple notebooks are nowhere near the prices of the new Chromebooks.

It's also far easier to manage several Chromebooks than the same number of iPads, because the Chromebook files live in the “cloud,” students can be up and running in seconds on a new device if their machine should fail or break. Apps can be configured for all of the devices with just a few clicks.

Educators are quick to emphasize collaboration, and they found that Google’s Apps for Education Suite is easier to use collaboratively on Chromebooks.

Google Chromebook

Especially important for School Systems to consider are their budgets. The Chromebook is the least expensive of the devices to consider, with a retail price starting at $279 while the Apple iPads starts at $399. There are many other tablet/laptops available, but all of them are much more expensive or at least more expensive than the Chromebook, although schools often do get discounts for bulk purchases and tax credits. Rather than keeping up with the trends Administrators and Educators alike are becoming more focused on teaching kids what they call the skills of the 21st Century — The Four C's of Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical thinking and the Chromebooks are the easiest and most cost efficient ways to achieve that goal.

1. They are more secure - The Chrome operating system is not a standard operating system. There's no hard drive and no software to install—there is nothing for a virus to attach itself to. The Chrome browser is one of the most secure browsers and it's always up to date, there's never any need to upgrade. 
2. They come with Device Management - Administrators can control the usage and they are quick and easy to set up.

3. They can be easily shared – They are better for sharing because everything is stored on the internet.
4. They Boot-up in 8 Seconds & last for 8 Hours or more!
5. They are your best bang for your buck!

No matter what you end up choosing for yourself, you should at least know that the future is in the clouds.