With so much going on with technology, it’s been tough to find time for a blog post or to even get my thoughts focused on a particular item. But why should THAT stop me from a blog entry?! I think it’s time to just start firing away off-the-cuff, freestyle (@martypark will appreciate that) and see what happens. Let’s go!
Let’s talk devices. What’s happened to the iPad? Once the darling and centerpiece of any technology conversation, slowing sales are causing people to ask questions. I’ve seen similar trends in K-12 as well. A year or two ago, I had school districts scrambling to order iPads by the cart-full. We had regional discussions regarding the best way to implement Apple’s Volume Purchasing Program. If you were the administrator showing up to a meeting without an iPad, you demanded answers from your technology leadership. I don’t hear as much about iPads at this point. The ‘buzz’ once associated with that device seems to have disappeared. To some extent, that buzz has transferred to the Chromebook. So… what happened?
I think part of it is price. Apple’s position over the years has consistently been that the customer will pay more for their products because they are better. If articles are being written debating whether or not your company has more cash than certain countries, it’s hard for anyone to question your strategy. That said, a consumer needs to feel like they’re getting value for that higher price. What is Apple giving me that someone else cannot? At one time, you could definitely argue that Apple’s tablet had better hardware and that their App Store had options that the competitors simply couldn’t match. Inevitably, competitors have caught up in some respects. Much of the rest of the tablet market has centered on an Android-based platform and the Google Play store. This allowed the development of applications on that platform to grow. With respect to hardware, it takes a pretty well-trained eye to discern between 323 ppi and 326 ppi. All of this is NOT intended to say that Apple doesn’t make a strong product or even perhaps a better product than its competitors, but it is fair to wonder if the competition is closing the gap and causing some to question whether the premium paid is worth the benefits gained.
Part of it, to me, can also be explained by the Gartner Hype Cycle. To be fair, Gartner had the iPad peaking in 2010, which is hard to believe since the first iPad went on sale in 2010. Rather than debate the ‘when,’ let’s just generally focus on Gartner’s five phases of any technology’s ‘hype cycle:’ Technology trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment and plateau of productivity. Likely, all of these devices are very far along the hype cycle path. I definitely see that initial ‘peak’ when talking to school districts, though. Someone attends a PD session or conference, is wowed by a piece of technology and then HAS to have it. When we get this piece of software or hardware, it will solve everything! To some extend, that may have happened with the iPads. In some cases, I know they were purchased before proper thought had been put into the actual planned use of those devices. It’s not the fault of the technology, but it’s a byproduct of the peak of inflated expectations. Some people ‘needed’ an iPad because their neighbor had an iPad.
It’s a pretty good time for KY K-12 technology. The legislative session was kind to us, with funding for increased bandwidth that, along with associated E-Rate reimbursements, will also lead to more money for school districts to invest in devices or other needs. For those technology leaders that can show effective planning and leadership, their districts should really benefit. I fear for those who cannot. Good tech leaders had better have these funds spent on paper. What devices do you plan to refresh over the next three years? Any ideas on WHAT you’ll replace aging devices with? (HINT: It may not be a one-for-one replacement of the same device) How’s your network infrastructure looking? Have you virtualized your servers and, if so, is that in need of replacement soon? Projectors? Interactive boards? Phones? Security cameras? Software? Management tools?
I’m also a fan of the ‘instant alpha’ and ‘smart lasso’ tools built right in to Preview on Mac OS X. You can cut out pieces of images and insert them into other images. It’s goofy, but kids will get a kick out of it and it lets you “make stuff”… like Mount Beardsmore!
That’s all for now. Things to do… take care!