Why I chose the iPad for homeschooling

 I chose the iPad for myself our  homeschool:

I know that there are many tablets now on the market.  When I first saw the iPad I immediately thought about the possibilities of using a tablet for homeschooling.  I was a little hesitant to buy the first generation iPad because of the price.  I also kept hoping there would be a good Android tablet that was cheaper than the iPad.  After a year of waiting for Android, I finally decided to buy a second generation iPad.  I have not regretted that decision.  With five kids at home, the iPad is a favorite school activity.

Here are my top five reasons i chose iPad for homeschooling

• Large selection of quality apps (I can transfer iPhone apps to the iPad for free)
• Large screen so more than one person can look at it.
• Built with quality and size.  No cheap plastic.  
• Long Battery life.  I usually only charge it one or two nights a week.
• Instant on.

 iPad 2 vs. iPad

I bought a second generation iPad (16 GB) because it was the latest and it had a faster processor.  In hindsight I think I would have bought a 1st generation iPad with more memory.  The iPad 2 does have some nice bonus features but for most of what you need the first generation iPad will work.

Favorite feature:  Automatic on with the cover opened.  It is so nice to just open the cover and look something up and then close the cover and toss the iPad on the bed.

Least favorite feature: The camera:  It is low quality and the kids sometimes take many pictures that take up memory.  A close second least favorite feature is the 1 speaker!  It isn’t very loud especially in a family with four boys.

Ultimately it now comes down to the software.  Even though there are some good Android tablets on the market Apple has a good head start on applications.  The applications make the tablet useful.  The iPad is still the king of tablets.