The big winners and losers from Apple’s new education product introduction
Who and what gained the most from the company’s announcements.
Apple’s media event in Chicago was unique, from the venue to the laser focus on a single topic to the lack of a live video stream. But like all Apple media events, some parties walked away strengthened— and others were left looking sad by the side of the road. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the company’s special event.
THE WINNERS
The ipad
Apple hasn’t always shown the kind of love for the ipad that it has for its much more successful cousin the iphone, but
this day was the ipad’s day to shine, and that’s an important day in any product’s life. The ipad has gained momentum since Apple split the product line in two, and both the $329 ipad (see page 37) and the pricey ipad Pro models have seemingly sold well.
Apple’s cheapest and most popular model didn’t just win by being the center of attention, though. It also picked up a sixth-generation update that included a faster processor and, perhaps most importantly, support for the Apple Pencil ( go.macworld.com/apnl). With that, the ipad became a platform for a collection of sketching and notetaking apps that will make it that much more versatile, whether you’re a student or not.
Teachers and students
Apple’s hourlong event, and the hands-on sessions at Lane Tech College Prep High School, were love letters from Apple to teachers and students. Among the product announcements, teachers got a collection of new tools to better administer their classes, and students get to benefit from advanced augmented reality features as well as the Apple Pencil.
Chicago
Since Macworld Expo left New York City in 2003, Apple has held only one major media event outside of the San Francisco Bay Area: the 2012 unveiling of ibooks Author in an education-themed event in New York City ( go.macworld.com/19ny).
In a partnership that dates from the early days of the ipad Pro, Apple continues to partner with accessory maker Logitech to build products that Apple wants to exist, but not necessarily enough to build itself.