Apple's iPad mini is designed to be an alternative to the smaller tablet and eReader devices such as Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, the Barnes and Noble Nook tablet and the Google Nexus 7.
What makes the iPad mini attractive to schools?
A starting price point of £269 (including VAT) for the iPad mini 16GB Wi-Fi model is someway below the iPad 2 16GB Wi-Fi model which is priced at £329 (including VAT).
The iPad mini comes with the same functionality and the rich array of iPad applications as the larger iPad. Schools can access the same education applications as those used on the larger iPad device.
Its size will naturally appeal to primary schools.
As a well being an eReader, the iPad mini can still be used as a productivity device in the classroom. This gives it a number of advantages over its competitors such as the Amazon Kindle device.
The Kindle App can be accessed on the iPad mini so students can still have access to Amazon's larger library of ebooks.
Apple's iBooks service has a growing library of digitally rich textbooks for the education sector.
Schools can author and distribute their own eBooks using iAuthor.
Students and teachers can highlight text and annotate notes onto the eBook.
Amazon's Kindle Whispercast software can be used by the teacher to distribute eBooks to the student's iPad mini.
The iPad mini could mark the start of an accelerated up take of tablet devices in schools. The device has lost non of the functionality and productivity of the larger iPad and its price point makes it affordable for many schools. The iPad mini will certainly engage and excite schools.
This video from Apple describes the iPad mini. Apple stresses that the iPad mini loses non of the functionality and productivity of the larger iPad.
