New iPads?

Last month Apple introduced the new iPad, the third generation of the best-selling device. Chatham Hall has been using the iPad 2, the second generation in our Pilot Program. Just to make sure we are all confused, this new device is not called the iPad 3 or, as expected, the iPad HD, but instead, just the iPad.

The new device will have some features that will be helpful for our program and some that will not make much difference at all. The feature that is being touted as the great innovation is a new retinal display screen that will have 4 times as many pixels per inch as your HD TV. The images are crisper and the visuals really pop out. Most all of the apps we use have upgraded to take advantage of this new screen. However, for teaching purposes this feature will be nice, but not have much of an effect.

What will make a difference for me, and for us, is that the camera (both still and video) has been upgraded to 1080p with audio noise reduction and image stabilization. This will make for better pictures and video for classes. I am also excited about the fact that the new iPad will allow documents, movies, pictures, and other content created on the iPad to be shared more easily with others and with a computer. This has been an issue in my classes as girls make longer and more sophisticated movies about various topics. Getting those movies off of their iPads and onto my computer to view and to grade has been a gymnastic exercise with strange contortions. More often than not it has meant editing out important scenes in order to get the file size down to the manageable limit. I look forward to this new freedom.

Another great feature introduced with the new iPad, but not dependent upon it, is the a new iPhoto app that allows for editing of photos and easier beaming of photos from one iPad to another. Along with the upgraded camera this will be a nice feature.

What does this all mean for Chatham Hall? Well, it does not mean that we can afford to replace all of the current iPad 2s with the new iPads. But now that we are allowing girls to purchase their iPads from the school, and will be encouraging them to bring their own in future years, it does mean that the device is getting more usable for education all the time.

Ned Edwards,

Chaplain