One of my questions about this is why does it always seem like a good idea when it comes to technology? I think its especially true when it comes to Apple products. They like to market themselves much like coke, as an itegral part of ones happiness and all good times. The commericals for the current ipad make it seem like you if you don’t use apple products then you don’t love your family or that with an iphone you have unlimted power to control the universe. Neither of which are true. One is a big phone that doesn’t make calls, the other is small phone. But let me get off that soapbox and get to this:

Apple hopes its foray into digital textbooks for the iPad will impress educators and corner a huge, lucrative K-12 book market. But the high costs of the plan and the challenges of mobile technology could ensure that hardback books remain a classroom mainstay.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/03/11/2431762/a-move-toward-an-all-ipad-classroom.html#storylink=mirelated#storylink=cpy

My issue with this is that the underlying costs are actually greater. They don’t actually let kids take home books right now, but books are great because they are durable, long lasting with normal usage and they don’t require electricity and it hard to break a book. Ipads require mainaintence, a delicate touch and electricity. The discounted rate for an iPad is hardly a discount, and a school could get two computers for the price of one iPad (which makes perfect sense because no school in their right minds would allow a rented or purchased iPad to go home with the a child).
In summary I am against iPads in the classroom mostly because its financially irresponsible when the information that you need to teach is readily available in a more durable and cost efficient form. The encouragement of needless electronic proliferation because educators want to cater to students is an act of appeasement, and that never works.