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Microsoft And Apple Target Schools In War With Chromebook (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes:
"Google [is] commanding 58% of U.S. K-12 schools. Windows is in second with around 22% and the combined impact of MacOS and iOS are close behind at 19%," reports TechCrunch, citing figures from consulting firm Futuresource. But now Chromebooks are under fire from cheaper iPads and Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 Cloud laptop with its cloud-based software. "For many schools, the dream of a one-device-per-child experience has finally been realized through a consumer technology battle waged by the biggest names in the industry... Fostering an entire generation of first-time computer users with your software and device ecosystem could mean developing lifelong loyalties, which is precisely why all this knock-down, drag-out fight won't be drawing to a close any time soon."
That raises an interesting question. Do Slashdot readers remember the computers that were used in their own high schools -- and did that instill any lifelong brand loyalty?
Yeah, still have a slide rule or two. K+E (Keuffel and Esser). It's too bad that slide rules are not used anymore. A slide rule makes you actually think about what you are trying to do, and teaches the relationships between numbers and their magnitudes. And concepts like logarithms naturally follow from its use. On the other hand, a TI-35 calculator will teach you to be a good data entry clerk.
The value in Chromebooks isn't ChromeOS, but the Google services. Once a school is using them a student can login to any Chromebook (or Chrome on a computer at home, or Google apps on iOS/Android) and have all their stuff right there.
Freedom of the OS running on the hardware isn't the problem, it's the freedom of the backend. Google is about to run away with the market because their backend offering is so much cheaper and so much more compelling. Apple have nothing that compares, and Microsoft's server/domain model seems ancient in comparison.
No malware, easy to use. Generic browser interface. They're cheap and reliable ideal for computers.
Apple are overpriced, have a User Interface almost no-one will use once they hit the corporate environment, people may have them for their home PCs, but few at work. They do have the advantage of fewer viruses. (yeah, I know if you're doing art stuff, and wearing sunglasses indoors, you may use a Mac in your office- but I'm talking about the majority of people).
Microsoft products would be a midlevel price and a User Interface worth learning from the standpoint, they will probably be using MS for most of their careers. The problem is, Microsoft gets expensive with maintenance and preventing the kids doing stupid things and downloading viruses.
For kids and schools, Chromebook just make way more sense.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch