Chromebooks are an increasingly popular choice of hardware in the educational system, outnumbering all other devices, Apple included. That is one of the reasons why Apple CEO, Tim Cook, is not their greatest fan.
Without targeting his snideness specifically towards Chromebooks, Cook implied that affordable PCs draw their popularity from the fact that they are offering schools the cheapest way to put students through equalizing testing methods.
Apple has a long standing presence in the classrooms since releasing the mass market Macs in the 1980s. An education-oriented pricing policy comprised of hefty discounts for teachers and students alike helped the iPad manufacturer push its products into classrooms. However, the competitive pricing of Google's laptops made school boards turn their backs on Apple purchases.
It should me mentioned that Chromebooks are better suited for standardized testing since they are each equipped with a keyboard, an element lacking on an iPad. Also, they are significantly cheaper, and price is something that school boards consider when making new acquisitions.
In a recent interview with BuzzFeed News, Cook said that these devices that apply standardized methods of evaluation are "test machines," and pointed out that his company has quite a different approach to education.
"Assessments don't create learning," Cook pointed out.
"We are interested in helping students learn and teachers teach, but tests, no. We create products that are whole solutions for people - that allow kids to learn how to create and engage on a different level," added the CEO.
The BuzzFeed News interview happened as part of Apple's Hour of Code event, through which the Cupertino-based company aims to encourage children to take up easy lessons, allowing them to better understand computer science. As part of the program, over 400 Apple Stores will turn into informal classrooms.
During the interview, Cook pointed out that he sees coding as a vital subject matter in schools, just as English.
"Coding is a really important language to learn - as important as English, someday," Cook affirmed.
There is no denying that Google is on an ascending trend when it comes to selling notebooks in schools. Judging by users' feedback, it is also clear that children favor iPads for the entertainment value and intuitive user interface.
According to a study conducted by Google, Chromebooks will expand their presence until the end of the year and will outnumber all non-Google educational devices put together. That is a huge market share and the success of Google's devices was prone to cause some reaction from Apple's management.
Time will tell whether Google's optimistic forecast will be accurate, but what's certain is that most schools count every penny they invest, giving Chromebooks an edge over iPads.
