Chrome Book vs. iPad For School Uses
With technology developing into what it is today, many new uses for technology have become available. One of these uses includes a school environment. Many students prefer to take notes, create documents, read online books, etc. from their computer or other device instead of the conventional way. Two of these “devices” are the Google Chromebook, and the Apple iPad.
Physical Features
| Feature | New iPad | Chromebook |
| Size | 9.7 Inch Multitouch Screen, 1.44 Pounds, 16-64GB Storage | 11.6 Inch Screen, 2.2 Pounds, 100GB of Free Google Drive Storage |
| Battery Life | 9 Hours (not including gaming or other intensive usage) | 6.5 Hours |
| Applications, Operating System | iOS (limited to iOS applications) | ChromeOS (only internet applications) |
| Hardware Features | Multitouch Screen | Full Keyboard, Trackpad |
| Price | $499 (16GB) $699 (64GB) Non-4G Models – 64GB 4G Model $829 | Starting at $249 |
The Break Down
Both devices are capable of doing extraordinary things, each having their own stregnths and weaknesses. The iPad is a great multimedia interactive device, and the Chromebook is a great internet accessible laptop. For school usage however, the Chromebook seems to pull ahead of the iPad in many of the required fields.
The Keyboard
One of the flagship features of the Chromebook is that it has a keyboard, a real keyboard. The iPad has an on-screen virtual keyboard, but it not like the real thing. Using a keyboard is essentials for note taking, creating documents, projects, presentations, etc. The keyboard on the iPad just doesn’t live up to the Chromebook’s, and in this field, the Chromebook wins, which leads into the next point:
Document Creation
The Chromebook has the ability to take advantage of the Google Suite, which includes Google Documents, Presentations, Spreadsheets, etc. The iPad has the ability to take advantage of the Apple Suite, including a mobile version of Numbers, Keynote, and Pages. The mobile version meaning some of the features on the desktop version are not available, simply because they become too difficult to use without a keyboard/mouse. The Chromebook also has the ability to save documents to the Google Drive, or a flash drive for use on other computers. The iPad only allows storage internally, or using a third-party application. In this field as well, the Chromebook wins again.
Interactivity
Because of the large, multi-touch display that is standard with the iPad, you can do many things such as editing images, browsing the internet, using the multitasking features, etc. with ease. The Chromebook still uses the standard trackpad that people are used to using on laptops. With the iPads ability to touch anywhere on the screen; to interact it with it in that way, leads the iPad to victory in this category.
Overall – School Usage
Overall, the Chromebook seems to be the favorable choice for school usage. The iPad lacks the features that allow it to be helpful for documents, notes, text-books, etc. It also creates distractions from school work such as social networking apps, cameras, games, etc. The Chromebook, with its full keyboard and laptop-style design, allows the editing of documents, notes, in a very easy and portable way, especially for the price.
I agree with the comments about the keyboard and the document creation features. Maybe I’m just old and set in my ways, but I cannot imagine typing and revising an entire essay using the touch screen keyboard on an iPad! While the interactivity of the iPad touch screen can make for quick and efficient browsing, reading, and scanning, it can also be a challenge in terms of editing (copying, pasting, selecting text, etc). Thanks for posting all of these details. I can’t wait to get my hands on a Chromebook to play with!
Ms. Robichaud, I have been trying to find an app that allows you to edit Word documents easily. I just found easywriter+ ($0.99) and textkraft ($3.99)is the “professional” version. I have not had time to check them out, but they are supposed to be good for this.
Let me know if you find an app that works.
Ps … sorry we spoiled Downton Abbey for you today!
How about “iPad AND Chromebook”? I have a Samsung Chromebook and it does make it possible to power blog, email or wordprocess (full-sized, external keyboard). If your WordPress site is set up to “post via email”, you could take notes on the Chromebook, using an email program, and then post them to your WP site. If allowed to take a picture of notes on a whiteboard, you could append those images to your typed notes. *Currently, you can call and “post by voice” to a WP site, so you could record a lecture (if allowed), or make audio notes. And, a shared WP site would be great for a Study Group.
An iPad takes good photos, and pretty good video, and for about $15 you can get an attachment that lets you hook your iPad up to a standard camera tripod. I found an iPad app ( Video Recording Teleprompter – http://vrt2.com/ ) which makes it easy to record video of you speaking, while you are reading the text from the iPad screen.
The Chromebook hooks up to an HDTV with a standard HDMI cable, so you could push the video from your Chromebook for a larger audience to see. “Chrome Remote Desktop” is an app that allows you to operate a Windows PC via your Chromebook.