iPad vs. other tablets

I'm looking into purchasing a few sets of tablets for K-12 teachers to check out and use with students in classrooms and on field trips. I'm trying to decide which tablets would be best for this -- I'm looking at the iPad2, but mainly just because it's so prominent in the market right now. I'm wondering if there are any other tablets (Android?) out there that have similar capabilities and might be better suited for my needs. Any advice is MUCH appreciated.

Specifically, we need the tablets to be able to:

record and edit video
take photos
record and edit audio (interviews, podcasts, etc.)
run probe apps (to test water quality, etc.)
surf the internet (create blogs and wikis, as well as watch videos and play some online Flash games)
use Google docs
run student-created apps (I was sold on the Google App Inventor for Android, but now that MIT is taking over management, I'm wondering if shelling out the $99 for the Apple App Developer would be better -- specifically, we're looking at middle and high school students creating apps)
run general education apps

Thanks in advance!

Tags: ipad, mobile, tablet

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Permalink Reply by Mark Moriarty on September 18, 2011 at 10:35pm

I have an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and while it is a good tablet it doesn't have the range of apps available that the iPad does. As it runs android it is a more open system which depending on your needs is a good and bad thing. If you wish to lock down a system so that it is easy to use and less configurable then the iPad is better but if you wish more flexiblility than the android system is very good. It is less censored than the iPad which is a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. In our system (mainly primary schools) the iPad is better in that it is easy to use, has a far greater number of quality apps and the teachers don't have to worry about too many setup options. I have an iPad 2 and it is great in the classroom.