Mobile devices for 1:1 programs

I saw this on the Eduro blog. This isn’t an article though, it is a YouTube conversation. I just realized that their YouTube link doesn’t work so here is the correct link. So they discuss whether or not 1:1 programs should be built with mobile (iPads, tablets, Chromebooks) since students use mobile devices much more than laptops or desktops?

Spoiler: Laptops aren’t going anywhere.

The argument made is that laptops can run certain programs and do certain tasks that mobile devices. For example, but not limited to, Photoshop, professional video editing apps, professional website building apps, database creation apps, professional (or robust) publishing software, serious spreadsheet programs and so on.

Does this mean that schools that opt for iPads, Chromebooks or other tablets in schools? No, not at all. These devices have their own merits: cost, durability, integration with your current systems (Google Drive, Office 365). Also, you can have an IT lab or laptop cart that contains those devices with those special programs.

The bottom line is this. When students leave school and start a profession more often than not they will be handed a laptop or have a desktop. It’s pretty simple. I wrote a post about The future of smartphones and teachers where I dream about having my smartphone be my primary and only computing device. The sad truth is we are not there yet. One day.

What do you think?

Source: IT Babble Blog and Podcast