Here is another idea. Get the Mac by following the link below. Apple gives you an ipod touch with the purchase. Sell the Ipod Touch and use the money towards an Ipad. You will end up with a Mac laptop, Windows desktop, and an Ipad. All bases are covered.

Apple Back to School - Education Store - Apple Store (U.S.)

Originally Posted by lowlife

Here is another idea. Get the Mac by following the link below. Apple gives you an ipod touch with the purchase. Sell the Ipod Touch and use the money towards an Ipad. You will end up with a Mac laptop, Windows desktop, and an Ipad. All bases are covered.

Apple Back to School - Education Store - Apple Store (U.S.)

There ya go.... Sounds like a good plan

I think it hinges on a few criteria. I have an iPad that I bought for teacher's college and at home I have a rather powerful PC desktop. The plan was to have the main workload done at home as an actual computer is unbeatable, especially for large workloads like making huge lesson plans that can take hours and days to complete. During class I would use the iPad, it's small, light and easy to carry and I think for my abilities a pretty handy device. Usually my need for multitasking (say btw books, internet and typing) is limited so whatever strain I put the iPad through it is more than capable and no problems to switch back and forth (using a JB iPad with Proswitcher and Backgrounder helps even more on the multitasking front).

I am a horrible typer but found the onboard keyboard pretty fantastic for my limited typing abilities, I actually prefer it to the big klunky keys I have on my Dell keyboard at work. However, the plan is to get the Mac bluetooth keyboard and use that in class, or in the library for when I need to work and whatever the iPad can't do I supplement at home on my desktop.

Already I am torn btw Docs to Go and iWork. Docs to Go is clearly the best in my mind if using MS Office btw home PC and maybe school PC's. It has the least formatting issues from Docs to Go to Office Word and Excel. However iWork is easier and better docs program in my mind, better made, easier to see and use. So if complex formatting is not an issue then go iWork or Numbers, but any crucial integration with MS Office then go Docs to Go.

Then lastly, any docs made, images, PDF's, or school based material I transfer and manage via Dropbox. I think Dropbox is better than Google Docs and has better access and ease of use. However as both are free options I would suggest using both and sticking with what you prefer over time.

My suggestion would be the Macbook. The iPad is great and sometime is all you need but it can't replace a "real" computer with a full OS. I think you will have to manny format shortcomings with the iPad as you will be fine as long as you create a document with it but not so much opening someone else documents if you are collaborating. If you had a laptop I would suggest the iPad.

Thanks for the info on iWorks. Others have mentioned it as well.

Here is another idea. Get the Mac by following the link below. Apple gives you an ipod touch with the purchase. Sell the Ipod Touch and use the money towards an Ipad. You will end up with a Mac laptop, Windows desktop, and an Ipad. All bases are covered.

Apple Back to School - Education Store - Apple Store (U.S.)
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Do that, you'll cover a lot of the cost of the iPad when you sell the brand new, unopened, iPod Touch. If need be, for cash purposes, take a spec hit on the macbook and put that saved money toward an iPad.

Also, it's been years since I've properly used iTunes on a PC but doesn't it suck? Using iPad with iTunes all the time to transfer files will be painful if itunes is really crumby

Interesting discussion. I have a powerful Mac Pro desktop at home for heavy editing and computing, and the iPad for general internet/light use. I have a samsung NC10 I will be selling because it just collects dust since I got the iPad

That being said I am going to see how the iPad does on its own for at school activities when school starts in about a week. If it doesn't prove up to the task I've been lusting after a unibody mac pro for some time now ....