Mlearning Article #3 Nook

“Evaluating the Nook Tablet for an Elementary School”

This article weighed the pros and cons of buying Nook tablets for an elementary school. At first, the author was skeptical about the advantages over paper books, since the e-books can be nearly as expensive as a paper-bound copy, and with the $199 cost of the tablet, savings could take a long time to make up for the purchase of the tablet. One reason that he gave for purchasing the tablets was durability. E-books don't wear out, so they will last long after the tablet has become outdated or broken. Another reason is web access, which allows students to access games, video, and learning activities. The tablets could replace the school's netbooks, which would help to justify the cost. The last reason he gave for purchasing them was that Nook books can be accessed through iPads, iPhones, Android phones, Android tablets, PCs, and Macs. This means that even if the school decides to switch to another tablet in the future, the books will still be useable. The downside to the Nook tablet is that apps will not be able to be used on another platform. The author concluded that the Nook tablets would be a good investment for schools, but suggests that the Kindle Fire might be a better investment since it uses an Android operating system (which appears to be around for the long run).

I really appreciated this article. I know quite a bit about Kindles, but not much about Nooks. I am not sure if e-books really are similarly priced to paper copies, as that has not been my experience when looking at e-books for Kindle. I think it may depend on the type of book, sales, etc. I had to agree with the author that the tablets will likely be used just as much (if not more) for their apps and web access as for reading. If e-books really are similarly priced to paper copies, I can see how e-readers (with no internet access) might not be a good option for some schools. However, with the apps and internet access, I think they would be an invaluable addition to any elementary school. I also wondered if the Kindle Fire might not be a better option, although I am not sure how much they cost (especially if books on Amazon are cheaper than Nook books).