If you were to read any educational technology magazine or
site the past couple of years, you might think that there was only one device
out there for use in the classroom.
While this may be pure hyperbole, it appears that the market for
computing devices is changing again…..surprise!
This week saw Apple’s
stock price tumble, largely seen as a barometer of things to come. Will this also serve as an indication that the
iPad’s dominance in the classroom may be waning? Already it is predicted that Apple
will be number two to Android this year in the overall tablet market.
From some of the press about trends in devices, one might
think that PCs are a thing of the past, but when one looks at recently
published numbers, that is hardly the case.
PC’s
sales have been impacted, whether by tablets or by a lackluster Windows 8
reception. Yet PC sales still are well
above tablet sales. And with Microsoft
now executing a tablet strategy, Microsoft is still the major player in this
game. This
week predictions surfaced that Microsoft may consider bringing back the
Start Menu to Windows 8 with boot to the desktop functionality in an upcoming
patch. This alone could alleviate a lot
of the pain association with schools and companies moving to Windows 8. Who has the time or budget to train our staff
on how to start a program, or shut down a computer?
While Apple’s iOS has made great inroads in education,
Windows is still a dominant player in the market and it is a safe bet that
Microsoft will continue to be a major player in education along with Google’s
Android and Chrome OS.
