One of my goals for ISTE10 was to locate an Android “slatet/tablet” I could purchase and compare with Cindy’s iPad. I did not see much, but did locate the Entourage Edge ( see image).
The Edge looks something like a Kindle and an iPad joined together with duct tape. The duct tape comment is no reflection on the company – this is how I would make such a device. The price in the mid $500s seems reasonable given the combination, but I was only interested in the web access device. I get the concept – it appears to assume educational reading material in the “Kindle” window linked with web content on the other device. Very handy in this configuration, but cost is higher and it is heavy (3 pounds if I remember correctly). I wonder if the Internet-device would be sufficient.
I attended a group session during Edubloggercon that considered whether the iPad (or similar devices not yet released) would be sufficient for 1:1 initiatives. The two experts leading the discussion did not think so and were concerned with production capabilities of the iPad. I was not certain what capabilities are supposedly missing. Video editing was the one example. I wonder if either expert has ever actually done any video editing on a net book. This is a miserable task in my opinion. Purchase a couple macbooks for the occasional video project.
I will purchase some type of Android product in the next month or so.
Written on an iPad in the car (not driving) somewhere in South Dakota.
You will certainly want to read reviews before getting too excited – here is a review from TechCrunch.
