Please be assured that there is no obligation to purchase your iPad from Next Byte. If you prefer to look out for specially priced offers and purchase at another retailer of your choice, you are most welcome to do so. Large department chains will run specials for special events like Father's Day and Christmas. This will always be the cheapest option, however these retailers cannot supply iPads in the large numbers that we require for this program. Our Next Byte rep explains that warranty and after sales service is facilitated when purchasing through a Premium Reseller (such as Next Byte). The school receives no commission, rewards or any other benefit from our arrangement with Next Byte. The decision of where to purchase is totally up to you.
At some point in the first quarter of 2013 a new model of iPad is likely to be released. We will have no warning of when this will occur. It is expected that any new iPad model would be priced similarly to the current iPad 3 so the release will affect pricing of previous models. When a new iPad model is available, iPad 3 prices will be reduced. It is also likely that production of the iPad 2 will cease and existing iPad 2 stocks will then be priced to clear.
As is the case with any technologies, new models are continually being developed and this will be inevitable at some point during the 2 year iPad program. We will not be delaying our learning program to await the release of any new device. Pricing in the documents that follow is correct at the time of posting. We will communicate any changes in price or availability as soon as the information is available to us.
We have a few weeks up our sleeves as yet and we plan to hold off as long as we can. However, orders placed through Next Byte or the school will have to be submitted by mid-October to ensure delivery by the end of November when we will be holding our optional Setup Workshop evenings at school. You may prefer to rely on the Handbook we will publish instead, and wait longer to purchase. Your child will be at a great disadvantage however, if they do not have their iPad ready for the start of school next year. We have been advised that stocks can run low over Christmas and delivery times can be longer than usual.
In order that you have as much information as we can provide about these options, you can preview or print the order forms and Flexirent information below. Hard copies of all of these documents will be available at the school office by the beginning of October.
Just wondering about the ipad cover. I can't remember which one was recommended as the most durable and user friendly. I have used ones that allow the ipad to stand upwrite when using the key pad, but don't know how durable and robust they are. Another point about the covers is my daughter Aleisha has been looking at the covers at the shops and mainly going for the fashion styling of the cover then any practicality. Is the school going to limit the concept of unappropriate & unfunctional covers and advice only basic but highly functional covers instead?
ReplyDeleteThanks Therase - you get the gold star for the first ever Padwise comment (applause!)
ReplyDeleteIt's very difficult to recommend a most durable and user friendly cover as there are just so many available. We have looked at a few different types but there's no way we can review them all. You might be best to do some internet research on this yourself, preferably with your daughter. Covers can also add significant cost to the iPad purchase so we firmly believe this should remain a family choice. Personally I'd rather buy a cheaper cover each year than pay a large price for a cover that may not meet expectations, may get tatty and be difficult to clean, or that may end up being very similar to the cheap ones you can buy on eBay (for example).
We've tried to answer the cover question by putting forward a few suggestions in a previous post. You'll find it at http://5padwise.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/which-cover-choices-choices.html or by scrolling down on the blog. The cover I've purchased for the school iPads is my favourite and it's certainly meeting our needs at school. eBay stores sell them for around $12 in a rainbow of colour choices. You can call into the Year 5 room in C block to ask to take a good look at them, or see me in the library on a Monday or Tuesday and I'll show you why I like them. Basically, if you look at the list of features of that red cover on the "choices choices" post, that's really all you need.
Pre-teens obviously have their own agenda and may want to make a fashion statement out of it if they are given a choice. I would just advise that if you are going to give your children a say in the matter, that you set a price limit and have them read the post about covers so they can make an informed choice and respect the priorities of you (as the financier!) and their teachers (who will be managing the program). They need to know why the most attractive cover may will not be the best choice - for example, the pretty pink one with the sparkles may cast a shadow over the camera and ruin every photo they try to take... OR... the cool dude one with the skull and crossbones that they just HAVE to have, may not hold the iPad securely enough and therefore risk letting it slip out as they carry it down the stairs.
Hope you understand that other than these suggestions and recommendations, I'd rather let families handle the choice and purchase of covers. You all have different priorities and desired price ranges. What I CAN do however, that I hope will help you, is pop in and have a quick chat to the year 4 children next Monday. For what it's worth, I'll stress that they need to be sensible about the covers they plead for and keep the right priorities in mind.
Thanks again for your comment, Therase.
Hope everyone feels very free to continue this conversation, or to begin a new one - anywhere on the blog!