“The Christian college in Oregon has opted to give new students the option of choosing the new iPad or selecting its current offering, the MacBook,” Sellers reports. “For more than 20 years, George Fox has supplied a computer for each incoming undergraduate student to keep upon graduating. The cost is included in tuition.”
Sellers reports, “Greg Smith, the university’s chief information officer, says students may choose the iPad either because they already have their laptop of choice or because they believe the iPad is truly the more functional computing device for them to be a successful student. Smith suspects the MacBook will be the more popular choice for students in professional programs such as the engineering major, film major or computer science major who need that extra computing power.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Attribution: TUAW. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
I’d take the Mac Book and pick up the iPad later.
Obviously a Macbook unless I already had one then the ipad. The macbook is much more useful.
Yeah. Gotta go with the MacBook.
The iPad isn’t a replacement for a laptop. It’s something different.
Take the MacBook, sell it, pick up an iPad and pocket the difference.
I only got a toaster when I went to college
I can still remember my sister had a abacus in high school. No kidding!
Got to figure a lot of those students have their laptop of choice, so giving them the option saves the school money.
Why on earth would you choose an iPad? Definitely take the MacBook and go out and buy an iPad.
@Spark…
You got a toaster? I got mono.
I would like to know how anyone can assume a product is much more functional than another product that isn’t even available yet?
@ theloniousMac
You got mono? I upgraded to stereo.
@jarrettdailynews
Well I think from Stevo’s presentation we have a pretty good idea of what the iPad will do, don’t we?
The Macbook is probably the move for most. Larger screen, superdrive, larger HD, etc.
Can always pick up an iPad if they want.
Even if you own a MacBook go for the MacBook, you can sell one and probably buy the iPad at a profit.
The only reason they are doing this is to generate buzz…Ultimately the final specs, features, ship date, ANYTHING… has not be finalized on the iPad.
Right, this is not free; remember, it is added to tuition. So, to me, the choice still is just which I would want to buy… you’re (notice, not YOUR – sorry, just venting from reading that mistake again this morning) buying it anyway.
Sell it and get a DellDJ or a Zune and keep your virginity for life!!
Up until a couple years ago Fox supplied the computer of the student’s choice, Windows or Mac. My wife was in the minority when she started her sophomore year and chose a Mac. Each year more and more students abandoned Windows, and finally a couple years ago the university went all Mac and stopped offering Windows machines. Yes, the computer or iPad is included in your tuition, but at about $40K per year for tuition the cost is trivial. The school is run on a wireless network covering all 100 acres or so, meaning class schedules, registration, news, class lectures, etc. are available on line. I expect that a lot of students will opt for the iPad if it replaces a stack of hardbound textbooks. Who said Quakers were unappreciative of technology?
When I went to school all we had were slide rules. They were digital all right, but didn’t have a user replaceable battery.
Of course we also had to walk to class barefoot in the snow and it was uphill both ways and always into a headwind.
@Orenokotodazo – Added into is not the same as included in. Tuition doesn’t change depending on the choice.
My day: VAX/VMS mainframe with a dumb terminal, writing pascal programs. We dont need no new fangled technology! Take the macbook and get ma and pa to srping for an ipad as well. Double the love.