Prior to the announcement of Apple’s forthcoming iPad, I had been eagerly looking forward to an Apple tablet computer.  I’ve already posted on my initial reactions to the iPad, but I will say that I do not think the iPad is well suited to the educational environment.  Lack of handwriting input, application lock-in, expensive, but necessary, accessories like a keyboard and iWork, and overall cost all play a part in my opinion. Further cementing it, is the apparent lack of any discount pricing for students and educators on the Apple store.

Apple, for many years now, has offered students and teachers a modest price break on new Apple computers.  The exact amount varies according to model, but for some of us, that discount makes a substantial difference.  With the release of the iPad for pre-order, I decided to see how much of a discount Apple was extending to students and teachers.  Imagine my surprise when I saw the education store pricing is identical to the regular price.   Apparently, Apple itself is not considering the iPad as a computer, but an enhanced iPod device (Apple discontinued education pricing on iPods sometime in 2006).

I think this is an unfortunate decision as it takes away yet another incentive for individual teachers and students to purchase iPads for use in classroom settings.  (Note: I’m not able to determine educational institution pricing for the iPad at this time.)