Tablet devices waste of money and attention

By Alejandra Arana |Staff Writer|

Tablets do not provide enough benefits for college students, plain and simple.

I was researching which tablet to buy because I thought it would help with textbooks and other materials for my classes. As my search went on,  I discovered that the tablets are best used by students for recreational use, not scholarly research.

The most popular tablets out there are the iPad2 by Apple and the Kindle Fire by Amazon. Both of these provide the consumer with the ability to listen to music, watch Netflix and of course read books.

The initial purpose of these tablets was to make books portable for the everyday person. Everyday people such as college students do not have the money to spend on tablets and don’t always use devices the way they were intended to be used.

It’s hard enough to concentrate in class as it is but add a tablet that is capable of accessing your Facebook or Twitter and your grade will drop faster than the number of Jonah Hill’s chins.

The iPad2 sells for $499 for a 16 gigabyte internal memory, the Kindle Fire sells for $199 for an 8 gigabyte internal memory. Students do not have the money to purchase these luxuries: our money goes to tuition, books and parking.

Apple has introduced interactive textbooks for the iPad2 that are supposed to enhance the learning experience for the reader.

The question is how much each download will cost and if is it worth purchasing textbooks from Apple if they will cost more than a hardcover book, considering we understand how much Apple normally charges for its products.

I chatted with an Apple expert and she couldn’t provide answers to most of my questions although she states that not all textbooks will be available as interactive ones.

Until Apple sheds more light on these books and can guarantee students the necessary textbooks at a reasonable price, I would hold off on purchasing them.

I  also recently learned from a friend who owns a device that the battery life of both tablets is weak and decreases the more the tablet is put to use. Tablets require frequent charging regardless of advertised battery life, and charging takes time from your busy schedule.

Laptops can cost a few hundred dollars more than other devises but they last longer too: usually several years or more. Laptops are made to be portable, easy to maintain and make a college  life easier.

“Everything the tablet can do my laptop can perform as well. There is no point to have it unless you are a big reader and want your books portable,” said student Megan Sewel.

Amazon, along with Barnes & Noble already offers the ability to read e-books on a laptop or desktop computer without having to buy a reader for them.

If you already have a laptop and are thinking of getting any kind of tablet don’t do it. Save the $250 for next quarter’s books or parking permit.