Comparison of Tablets for schools based on their Uses

Apps

A quick and  simple assessment based on the gross number of applications available for tablet uses could lead to a very wrong and dangerous assessment.  If someone, like me, simply looked at the number noted that while there are 700,000 iTune applications and compared this to 580,000 android applications it would seem that in this category the systems are very close with Apple having a slight advantage.  This would be erroneous.  First of all recognizing that the it is not a simple comparison between iTune and Android, but a comparison between Itune, Amazon Android, Barnes and Noble Android and Google Play Android.  This fact begins to widen the gap on the shear number of apps.  Furthermore taking the redundancy of applications for each system in the Android App market.  Also distinctly changes the count.  So instead of 700,000 to 500,000 as a comparison in reality it would be more like 700,000 to a distinctly fewer number.  Therefore the Apple iOS has a distinct advantage in this category.

Books

In the consideration of Books in the choices of operating system the first and most obvious consideration would of course seem to be number and availability of books.  If a tablet is going to be used in schools its access and ability to display books would be crucial.  While each of the Android Suppliers have some different advantages in this regard to Apple iOS, the fact that Ipads can offer books from all 4 major suppliers nullify their advantage. 

Google's lack of folder system is a serious drawback.  A obstacle of Apple is the fact that the Mac system is unable to display any of the books market, even Itunes.  But as the scope of this comparison
does not include Mac books it is not considered in the evaluation.

Internet/Cellular service

First dealing with the question of Cellular vs Internet, while I am sure that there are some schools that have a problem with WiFi, I am equally sure these are the minority.  Also since WiFi is much easier to monitor and control the site that the students can connect to it is most advisable for a school to just plan on WiFi whenever possible.  If the question was for an individual that needed constant access then the cellular service would be more important.  If this is important given the above situation then Apple seems to have an advantage.  If it is just about WiFi then the Android systems have the advantage over the iOS because of the limitations of Ipads to run Flash.  While there is a way around this, the reality is, the more complicated it is for a teacher to use or teach with it the less likely it is to be used. 

Magazines/Newspapers

None of the systems have an advantage or at a disadvantage. 

Movies/TV/Video

In this category it seems that the Androids systems have a slight advantage, but this is not very important issue for school use.

Music

Google and Itunes have the advantage in this category, but this is not a very important factor for a school system.

Software

As was mentioned in the article this category applies primarily to Microsoft Windows tablets. The fact that they use a system that is generally familiar to the majority of teachers is very important.  But the Google Documents, that are so similar to the Windows Office production system does a lot to nullify this advantage.  So this is not the silver bullet that it once could have been.

After comparing these uses the overall winner seems to be the Apple iOS, or Minis'.