03-08-2012, 02:09 PM
Ombligo wrote:
My school district is evaluating tablets, this will help keep the ipad at the front of the pack. The biggest stumbling block is a Mac desktop is required. The district isn't crazy about buying Mac's just to manage the iPads.
I'm suggesting to just buy a couple MBP and let power users oversee everything. Like many school districts we are wedded to Dell (they really do offer a great pricepoint on the lease.. Apple doesn't come close)
It's a weird workaround but consider telling them this, or something like it:
The new Configurator app works on a max of 30 iDevices at a time, so really, one copy of 'Configurator for each classroom.
Each classroom has a Dell on the teacher's desk; each Dell has a separate monitor.
If the District budgets 20 or so iPads per classroom (OK, probably not that many, but whatever), "all they have to do" is budget for "one more Apple" --- the cheapest Mac Mini. Toss in a KVM switch.
A more practical, less costly way would be to just buy one Mac and have someone at the school to push out common updates as fast as they can. In other words treat the Macintosh purchase as just another software license, not a leased piece of hardware. Funny how companies will sometimes spend like there's no tomorrow for software and nothing to run it on.