10 Reasons not to buy a college student an iPad instead of laptop via dealnews.com

iPad3.JPG(Apple)

DealNews put together a list of reasons why you shouldn't by your college student an iPad instead of a laptop.

It's interesting and I've included the first 6 below -- go here to see the remaining 4.

1. It's expensive-ish

An iPad, at its most basic 16GB configuration with Wi-Fi connectivitystarts at $399 — and that's for last year's model. The latest model, which is packed with a retina display and all sorts of extra goodies, starts at $499. The higher-end models (that include 64GB of storage and 3G connectivity) can burn a hole into you wallet in the shape of $829 ... with additional per-month rates for data plans. Even at the cheaper end of the spectrum, we often find full-fledged laptops deals for about that price. Though the iPad 2 is close, it just doesn't make monetary sense to buy an iPad instead of a laptop.

2. It's not the best solution for note-taking or editing documents

A virtual keyboard doesn't have any tactile feedback. This tech is fine for a quick text on your smartphone, but the iPad's keyboard — which is a non-standard shape and size — is a bit more awkward. And say goodbye to touch-typing because your fingers will start drifting, and you'll soon wind up with a page of gibberish. (If your kid says, "But I don't touch-type anyway!" you can lay into them for wasting [INSERT THEIR KEYBOARDING TEACHER'S NAME]'s time.)

Further, if you do manage to struggle your way through writing an entire term paper on the tablet, editing is another headache completely. Using your finger tip for fine placement of the cursor is next to impossible, and it'll take you a few tries to land it where you need it. After several failed attempts, you'll be wishing you had a laptop with a real keyboard and mouse.

3. It's ultra-portable — and ultra-droppable

Light and portable means you'll want to take this tablet with you — and you will because, well, why not? It's so light! But taking it everywhere means there's a greater chance of dropping it anywhere, and breaking it. There will even be more of a chance that your kid will forget completely that it's in their bag and, as kids will, fling their satchel across the room — only to be rewarded with a gut-wrenching *crack*, followed by a cold-sweat-inducing *tinkle* of broken screen glass. Just tryforgetting you have a 5+ lb. laptop in your bag!

4. What makes it desirable to your teen is what makes it desirable to criminals

Your college kid wanting an iPad is second only to the desire of a criminal to steal one. It's so light (see above) and small that it's easy for a n'ere-do-well to quickly yoink and abscond. Sure, there are security locks you can use, just like the kind you can get for a laptop, but who — especially among the devil-may-care college-age set — really takes the time to actually use it instead of saying, "Pfft! It won't happen to me?"

5. It's too distracting: Games, apps, 4Gs, web-browsing, Twitter, and messaging beckon

The iTunes App Store boasts more than 500,000 apps — which is tantamount to over 500,000 distractions for your child, who's supposed to be paying attention to his professor. (Well, 599,998 distractions andtwo dealnews apps! WINK!) Angry Birds, too, will be calling during those long lectures, we're sure. But on the contrary, would anyone boot up DOOM or Minesweeper on a laptop in the middle of a lecture? Probably not. That's a commitment that doesn't allow them to lie to themselves that it'll be "just for a minute."

OK, apps are available on most smartphones too. But with the iPad, the temptation to stray is literally in a student's hands the whole time, since the device is also the tool they're continuously using to supposedly "take notes" during a lecture. As far as Twitter, messaging, and web-browsing go, they'll unfortunately be just as much of a nuisance on a laptop. But considering the iPad's portability, your child is more likely to tote it to class without fail.

6. eTextbooks are a marvel, but there's no secondary market

Your kid will probably make the argument that an iPad can display digital textbooks and, since the device is lighter than a stack of dead-tree tomes, you'd be saving the planet and them from years of backache and possibly a future addiction to painkillers / chiropractors. To this argument, you should tell them to wear their backpack over both shoulders, like one is supposed to, and they shouldn't have a problem.

Then, after a cursory examination of eBook prices, you might notice that they are generally cheaper than their printed counterparts, especially when you factor in Amazon's rental service. But keep in mind that there's no secondary market for digital textbooks, so that price you see for the digital version is the only price you'll get. You can't buy them used and you can't sell them back once the semester is over.

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