?There’s no denying that iPads have been vital to BHS and its technology-based teaching style, but many haven’t looked into the alternative: computers. Many schools use computers, ranging from Dell laptops to MacBooks, or Chromebooks to Samsung computers. However, with how advanced these computers can get, why are we stuck with iPads? I think that BHS should switch to computers instead of using iPads. Chromebooks are cheaper, lighter, and faster than school iPads.

One reason might be the school’s budget. Technology becomes more costly as the hardware improves. Our school iPads cost the school $300 each, and they buy about 450 iPads for each student. Let’s compare the price of iPads to Google Chromebooks, which costs $229.10 each. The school would be saving $70.90 per Chromebook. The total cost for the iPads is $135,000, whereas the Chromebooks cost $103,050, which would save the school a total $31,050.

Another reason for using iPads might be for simplicity or easy functionality. The iPads have a touch screen, and can be opened with a couple quick taps. The iPad may function quicker, but the Chromebook trades this off for several functions. For instance, the Chromebook has a keyboard and a trackpad, and can download documents and files quicker from the internet. The Chromebook is also more secure, having to have an 8 character minimum password compared to Apple’s 4 number passcode.