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Apple's push for iPads in education stalls as LA school district offices raided by FBI

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Dec 03, 2014, 9:23 AM

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Apple Tablets

Apple's push for iPads in education stalls as LA school district offices raided by FBI

It is no secret that Apple traditionally bets huge on the education market, priding itself on the proliferation of iPads in schools all over this country, and several others like Turkey, for example. Let's not forget also the iTunes U undertaking, but the goal to slip an iPad in every student's hand, and load it with courses from there, is slowly starting to evaporate.

First it was the advent of Google's cheap Chromebooks, which allow one and the same machine to be easily used with different accounts, unlike the iPad, not to mention how much money schools save by using those device in lieu of Apple's tablets. Granted, the modest Chromebook doesn't have the cool factor and the app ecosystem of the iPad, but comes for two Benjamins or so, while when you equip an iPad with the much needed for school work physical keyboard, the price for the schools can easily triple that.

The Board voted unanimously for Apple because iPad rated the best in quality, was the least expensive option and received the highest scoring by the review panel that included students and teachers

Case in point now is the LA school district, whose offices just got raided by the FBI, forcing them to hand boxes full of documents about the bidding process on a $1.3 billion order for 550, 000 iPads.

The money was supposed to go to buying the tablets from Apple, and loading some Pearson educational software on them, but the grand total has ballooned so out of proportion, that it now warrants a federal investigation. This doesn't bode well for Apple's educational push, in a time when the tablet market comes crushing down, and after Apple issued a dedicated press release to brag about the deal with the LA school district back in the summer.

source: Apple & LA Times

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.