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This is exactly why K-12 institutions need to spend more time developing their own cloud services.

Ning is no longer free….

I hope your district hasn’t focused on staff development tied to free services.

So I finally got my hands on an iPad to play with for a few days.

My initial impression is that it is a big iPod. There seems to be so much possibility with this device, but most of that potential seems cut off at the knees by Apple. But before I start down the negative, lets look at the positive.

Things that I like or find appealing about the iPod:

1. The interface is so intuitive that my 18 month old could interact with an interactive storybook within minutes of showing it to him. Without a doubt the single most compelling part of the iPad is the touch interface. The potential for clever developers to create complex programs that require little to no training has some real potential.
2. As a eBook reader it blows the Kindle away. The high resolution screen with color adds a depth to any text with images and color that just isn’t comparable in other reader devices that I’ve seen.
3. It is a great gaming platform. Much like the WII did in the console world, I believe the iPad, with it’s touch interface and accelerometers, will create an entirely new compelling gaming experience.
4. The battery life is awesome! In today’s busy world having a device with a 10+ hours battery is huge!

Now to the things that I don’t like:

1. Apple’s closed ecosystem. I don’t have the choice to do anything with my iPad with out Apple’s blessing.
2. The iPad is primarily a consumption device with limited capacity to do creative work.
3. It doesn’t replace anything that I already have to carry with me. I still need my laptop and my phone so why an iPad?
4. As a school IT administrator, I also haven’t seen any tools that make managing or imaging a fleet of iPads easy or even feasible on a larger scale.
5. It hasn’t shifted my paradigm.

After several days of playing, I really feel like the iPad as a metaphor for computing is a set back. Proprietary device with proprietary software and a closed operating system that is missing key web-based technologies (i.e. Flash and full Java support). How is this a good thing?

I see the potential in the technology in the device but I’m seriously at odds with the business model of the iPad ecosystem.