Christian College Offers Incoming Freshmen a Choice: iPad or MacBook

Incoming freshmen who enroll at George Fox University this fall will have a choice to make before they arrive on campus in August: iPad or MacBook?

With Apple’s unveiling of the iPad in January, George Fox, a Christian college in Oregon, has opted to give new students the option of choosing the new device or selecting its current offering, the Apple MacBook. For more than 20 years, George Fox has supplied a computer for each incoming undergraduate student to keep upon graduating. The cost is included in tuition.

The decision to offer a choice puts George Fox on the cutting edge of technology in higher education circles, according to Greg Smith, the university’s chief information officer.

“With this, we’re basically asking students ‘What computing system will work best for you?’” Smith said. “By giving them this option, they can choose between the iPad, a mobile device known for its networking and E-textbook capabilities, or the laptop, which offers more computing horsepower.”

The iPad features a 9.7-inch, LED-backlit IPS display with a multi-touch screen. At just one and a half pounds and a half-inch thick, it’s light and easy to transport. Like its mobile WiFi counterparts, the iPhone and iTouch, it is ideal for social networking and browsing the Internet. And, Smith adds, it could prove ideal for referencing E-textbooks, a trend whereby students can access their college textbooks electronically, with a goal for richer content and lower cost.

“The trend in higher education computing is this concept of mobility, and this fits right in with that trend,” Smith said. “At the same time, we realize there are a number of uncertainties. Will students struggle with a virtual keyboard? Can the iPad do everything students need it to do when it comes to their college education? These are the kinds of questions we really won’t know the answer to until we get started.”

For that reason, Smith stressed the importance of offering a choice.

“It would be reckless to make a switch and only offer the iPad,” he said. “We honestly don’t know everything about it. But by doing this, we’re opening the door to innovation. What we learn can influence the future of technology as it pertains to higher education.”

To accommodate the offering of a mobile device, Smith said plans are in the works to expand WiFi coverage in university dormitories. The service is already offered on most of the Newberg, Ore., campus, including on its main campus quad and academic facilities.

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