The Wikiness

	MacBooks	iPad2s
cost n=11 units	$9891 =11 MacBooks	$6,000 = 11 iPad2s
ease of use	requires keyboarding and mouse manipulation skills user interface (UI) is easy, but keyboard based	very intuitive, requires little instruction or adaptation user interface (UI) is instinctive
availability of academic programs	many that are written only for OSx many more that are web-based	not many yet for iOS, but a growing number of “apps” many more that are web-based
printing capabilities	WiFi, connected, and bluetooth enabled printing	WiFi, connected,  and bluetooth enabled printing
designed for	content creation and consumption	content consumption

Question 1: In terms of overall features and performance which one do you think is better?  Provide a rationale?  

Questions of comparative merit (“which is better?”) in technology all depend on the purposes to which the technology will be put. The tool’s overall features and performance can only be evaluated with respect to the end user’s intentions.  If measured solely on a scale of application volume, the MacBook would win, since it has much of the same functionality of the iPad (mostly content consumption), but also more options for content creation than the tablet. It holds memory and accessibility advantages over the iPad, too.  And since our elementary students need to learn keyboarding (touch typing), the MacBook may also have the advantage of a built-in keyboard and mouse. It is also more closely resembles most other computers the child is likely to encounter away from school. 

Since it is one elementary classroom we are outfitting, where touch typing and “traditional” keyboarding is required, along with the engaging “gamified” and “visualized” content of the tablet, I would suggest a combination of both types of machine for the room, according to the following itemization.

In this way, the features of each machine are made available to all students, who can rotate between team (duo/trios with MacBooks) and 1:1 activities (iPads).  With both types of machine in the same wireless environment, total class engaement (with light supervision) would be possible.