[Sadsfan]

I am a head teacher of a school in England, and we have just bought an ipad to use for a child with additional needs. Now, I hate using the ipad and its not cost effective when looking at school budgeting. If there is a playbook 10" coming out I think it could do well in schools due to security but it needs some extra things to help it sell. I see these as being:
1 The ability to be used by different users and keep their data seperate.
2 The ability to get data from the playbook onto a server running windows.
3 Be able to print directly from the playbook onto any printer
4 More educational software.

Otherwise all tablets may lose out to windows tablets which would be able to integrate easily with many school windows networks. Does anyone know/think that RIM could do this?

[dusdal]

I am a head teacher of a school in England, and we have just bought an ipad to use for a child with additional needs. Now, I hate using the ipad and its not cost effective when looking at school budgeting. If there is a playbook 10" coming out I think it could do well in schools due to security but it needs some extra things to help it sell. I see these as being:
1 The ability to be used by different users and keep their data seperate.
2 The ability to get data from the playbook onto a server running windows.
3 Be able to print directly from the playbook onto any printer
4 More educational software.

Otherwise all tablets may lose out to windows tablets which would be able to integrate easily with many school windows networks. Does anyone know/think that RIM could do this?

1. Not sure if this is possible currently.
2. Set it up on the wifi network and you can drag and drop. There are also multiple apps for doing this in alternative ways.
3. There are plenty of apps for this currently. One simply called 'print'. Just install the client to a PC connected to the desired printer and voila.
4. Agreed, though I have found many university websites work quite well on the playbook thanks to its open format.

[Sadsfan]

The network is the most troubling, as I'm sure you can find imagine that security is the major issue. As yet i cannot access any network drives from my playbook to drag and drop. I will discuss this further with the IT guys at the local authority.

[jpash549]

Seems like most educational users might find a cloud service helpful. Folders can be set up for each student and access restricted as needed. They could also be accessed through the local server for individual computers. If you can find a friendly IT guy locally perhaps you can get some good advice on what might be a suitable way for you meet your needs at reasonable cost. Of course this assumes you have suitable wifi. With the PB there are reasonable cost apps to wirelessly transfer files over a LAN, i.e. local area network. Also you can install for free blackberry desktop software on your lap top and connect the PB with USB at which point the BBPB appears to be a flash drive to the computer and files may be copied to the computer. This is also the way you make a backup of files on the playbook. At the present cost I think you might find the playbook very economical and very useful at your school with many additional features.

[kill_9]

The network is the most troubling, as I'm sure you can find imagine that security is the major issue. As yet i cannot access any network drives from my playbook to drag and drop. I will discuss this further with the IT guys at the local authority.

The Android application called Ghost Commander allows mapping to Microsoft Windows network drives.

[notfanboy]

I am a head teacher of a school in England, and we have just bought an ipad to use for a child with additional needs. Now, I hate using the ipad and its not cost effective when looking at school budgeting. If there is a playbook 10" coming out I think it could do well in schools due to security but it needs some extra things to help it sell. I see these as being:
1 The ability to be used by different users and keep their data seperate.
2 The ability to get data from the playbook onto a server running windows.
3 Be able to print directly from the playbook onto any printer
4 More educational software.

Otherwise all tablets may lose out to windows tablets which would be able to integrate easily with many school windows networks. Does anyone know/think that RIM could do this?

I know you're asking if you can make the Playbook work, but any advice would be remiss if it did not mention alternatives that hit all your points perfectly.
If you are ruling out the iPad, the upcoming Nexus tablets is a better fit for your needs, as well as your budget.

1. Android 4.2 allows for multiple user accounts on one device, with data and preferences kept separately.
2. You can easily access windows shares. In fact there are a variety of different ways to transfer data: Shared drives, bluetooth, ftp, all the cloud providers, USB host, website upload - and you can do this all with one extra app.
3. Google Cloud Print is awesome and works with Windows and Mac as well. In addition you have a choice of highly rated print apps.
4. Huge application store, but not as deep as iOS obviously. You can also choose to download flash. Paired with the excellent javascript engine, you can then use stock browser or Dolphin browser for a "fuller web" experience than the Playbook.

[notfanboy]

Another note:
iTunes University is one of the big differentiators for iPads. TunesViewer is a free alternative for Android, but it isn't as good. Another interesting one is eduPort, a portal for content from MIT, UC, Stanford, Khan Academy, and others.

[pixieloulou]

As a lecturer in an FE college in England for students with ASC, who is still arguing with the I.T department to buy us some tablets for our learners, I am struggling to convince them of the benefits of the Playbook. Our system uses Citrix so I am hoping that learners can log in to their accounts and access files and folders. We are trying to get an email enabled printer to help with printing, and I have downloaded a few Android apps ready to sideload for learners (dictionaries, reference apps, mind maps, numeracy and literacy games, ebook reader and comic reader).

A few of my colleagues keep mentioning how the ipad has better apps, but as we are a post-16 unit, I don't think many of them are age appropriate.

I made a list of everything I wanted to do with the tablet, then really thought about whether it would benefit the learners or distract them before deciding to request the playbooks. I have taken my personal playbook into work with me, and my colleague has done the same with her ipad. We have found that although the ipad does have more apps, the students preferred the smaller and lighter playbook to work on.

I am hoping our I.T department will purchase our tablets soon, then I can do a full write up of how my learners have managed with them.

Good luck

[kill_9]

As a lecturer in an FE college in England for students with ASC, who is still arguing with the I.T department to buy us some tablets for our learners, I am struggling to convince them of the benefits of the Playbook.

In all my years as an IT practitioner have never understood organizations which allow the IT department / group to dictate what will or will not be deployed in support of the organization's mission. Who runs the organization? Surely not the IT department.

[dave_h_946]

OP: You really need to specify (not to us/not here) what you mean by saying special needs. And I think that is what will determine your decision.

I think of the four criteria you set, the most important (and the one that will provide a benefit to the end user) is Nr:4. APPLICATIONS.

Being a support worker myself I have many times thought to introduce modern technology to my work so I can provide more stimulation to service users. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything useful for PB. For these kind of things, the bigger the market - the more apps to suit every need and therefore for this matter I would consider either an iPad (it would have been my first choice as it already offers many apps for these kind of situations) or something android.

[pixieloulou]

In all my years as an IT practitioner have never understood organizations which allow the IT department / group to dictate what will or will not be deployed in support of the organization's mission. Who runs the organization? Surely not the IT department.

Unfortunately in my college, the head of I.T pretty much gets to choose what equipment is purchased or not. He also has a business account with Apple as he is looking to introduce an iPad scheme where you get it from the college and a percentage of your monthly salary pays for it each month. I think because of this business deal he has with Apple, he wants us to use iPads with our students. I don't have a problem with using one, I'm just more familiar with the Playbook and have worked out exactly how I can integrate it into my lessons. I shall keep fighting them until they eventually get sick of me and buy a Playbook for my classroom!!

[notfanboy]

Unfortunately in my college, the head of I.T pretty much gets to choose what equipment is purchased or not. He also has a business account with Apple as he is looking to introduce an iPad scheme where you get it from the college and a percentage of your monthly salary pays for it each month. I think because of this business deal he has with Apple, he wants us to use iPads with our students. I don't have a problem with using one, I'm just more familiar with the Playbook and have worked out exactly how I can integrate it into my lessons. I shall keep fighting them until they eventually get sick of me and buy a Playbook for my classroom!!

You are more familiar with the Playbook, and this is a legit reason as to why you would want to use it personally. But for the school, shouldn't you be asking what would be better for the students?

[jpash549]

If he has a personal business deal with Apple sounds like you should call the cops or gendarmes or mounties or somebody.

[pixieloulou]

I already said earlier that the students tested the ipad and playbook and preferred the playbook for its size and ease of use.