“I’m ready to declare that the iPad is the greatest disappointment in all of human history.” That is how well known Christian bloggers like Tim Challes and Justin Taylor have described the new computer tablet from the folks at Apple. Harsh reviews have come out against the iPad in recent weeks as people have jokingly referred to it as a bigger iPod, saying, “They just don’t get it.”
I humbly disagree. This is a great innovation in technology that can be used for the kingdom of God, and will be of great use to our community here at Biola University.
What exactly is it?
The iPad is a new tablet-style computer device from Apple that is less expensive and smaller than a laptop, but more useful and technologically advanced than an electronic reader, like the Amazon Kindle. The iPad will be able to handle most of the tasks that the average Biola student needs for a starting price of $499. That is remarkably less than a student would spend on a Mac computer for the same use.
Students will be able to download their school books online in a minute, email their friends, write their papers, browse photos and have access to 140,000 applications to help their life and ministry every day. The software is constantly upgraded, stable, and without viruses. For the price of $10, students can purchase a word processor or presenter software so they can create and playback PowerPoint-style slideshows in a snap. Students will be able to Skype with their missionary friends in Africa over a campus WiFi signal with the Skype app already available, and check up on that cute guy or girl in their class with a free Facebook application. Yes Biola, this will also help your dating life.
The iPad features a 9.7-inch diagonal screen and is less than an inch thick. That makes the device smaller than a magazine while it weighs 1.5 pounds. A full 10 hours of use on the same battery charge will allow students to type papers, watch videos, surf the web, send emails, and read books. A 16GB to 64GB amount of hard drive space will allow plenty of space for music, photos, and those videos of your favorite chapel speakers in action.
What it is not
It is not a laptop. You are not going to be able to edit that video in Final Cut or work on your Pro Tools session for your band’s worship album. It doesn’t use Flash, so you won’t be able to access some Web sites. There is no physical keyboard as the iPad relies on multi-touch technology similar to an iPhone to type on the screen. For that reason, typing a theology paper for Thoennes’s’ class probably won’t work as well. You wouldn’t want to smudge your fingers against a 10-inch glass screen while trying to write about the Immutability of God. Apple does offer a solution though and a full size keyboard attachment will be available for an additional purchase. This forthcoming keyboard dock is already being proclaimed as the “iPad’s best accessory.”
I am hoping to read and enjoy the ESV Study Bible on my iPad in full color. You won’t be able to do that on a Kindle.
