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Do college/university students need iPad?
About 2 years ago, we bought a laptop for our kid who was going to college. We thought that would be the right device to get. Fast forward a year later, the kid is now in university. More than 90% of the course mates use iPad for lectures because the course is heavy on group discussion and presentations. The lecturers do not hand out physical notes, an evolution that resulted from the pandemic and online classes. Everything is digital so students use their iPad to annotate a lot. During presentations, students easily transition from note taking on the iPad to carrying a small hand held device to the front of the class while my kid struggled with the big laptop. So, began our search for an iPad.
During our search we discovered that the iPad is now more than just a tablet. With the magic keyboard, and the powerful processor of the iPad Air 5th Generation, the iPad is slowly transforming itself into more of a computer than a tablet.
Where to buy and how long does it take for delivery?
On the 26th of March we went to Machines to enquire about getting an iPad for our college going kid. We were recommended to get the iPad Air. The sales person said that iPad 9th Generation and the iPad Mini was more suitable for basic stuff like giving to a kid for watching videos or playing games at home. On the other hand, the iPad Pro was more suitable for office use. We found out that the iPad Air 5th generation was about to be launched so we decided to wait.
You can compare the iPad Pro, iPad Air 5 and iPad (9th Generation) here.
We decided to get our iPad online from Apple to get entitlement to student discount of about RM200. You need to purchase using your student id to get the rebate. This is the short timeline of our order. Delivery was within 5 days of our order and in split into two packages.
Ordered online on Wednesday, 30th March 2022
Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil was delivered on Saturday, 2nd April 2022 (from Singapore)
iPad Air 5 was delivered on Monday, 4th April 2022 (from China)
You could also buy online from Machines during special promo days.
Is the iPad Air 5th Generation worth it?
To us, it is worthwhile to pay about RM200 more for the iPad Air 5 compared to the iPad Air 4 because of the more powerful M1 chip with next‑generation Neural Engine processor which is the same as that for iPad Pro.
There are two models ie Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Celular. We decided to go for the celular model because Wi-Fi connection at the college is poor. Hotspot via mobile makes our low end phone hot and run out of battery very fast.
You can also choose between 64GB and 256GB.
There are 5 colours, Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Purple and Blue. A lot of people are excited about the new blue. We like Purple so that was what we got.
Check out the iPad Air 5 full technical specifications here.
Do you need the optional Apple accessories?
The other difference is the Magic Keyboard has backlighting so you can use it in dim light, for example when the lecture hall lights are dimmed.
The Smart Folio keyboard can be raised at two different angles whereas the Magic Keyboard can be pushed to a desired angle up to a limit. However, unlike the Smart Folio Keyboard, the Magic Keyboard cannot be flipped around to the back of the iPad. It is not practical to sketch at an angle, so you would have to remove the iPad air from the keyboard if you wish to make notes from a flat surface. The Magic Keyboard is also rather heavy.
Obviously, you will also need the Apple Pencil to make annotations. Some students buy cheaper Pencils online. If you are planning to do so, make sure it is compatible by reading reviews so that you can have a smooth writing or sketching experience. Some students also buy pencil sleeves to give the pencil a better grip.
Alternative accessories
The answer to my original question of "Do college/university students need an iPad" depends on the type of course, how interactive is the course, does it have a lot of presentation, digital notes and it also depends on budget too. You can find cheaper alternative accessories online. However, do make sure to read the reviews to find out if they are compatible and fits your iPad.
Below are some alternative accessories we found online.
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Logictech iPad keyboard with trackpad f rom Shopee (Do check with the seller whether the keyboard is compatible for iPad Air 5
You can also search for similar accessories from Lazada.
Watch our unboxing video below. All images and videos are original taken by us using our home camera and music for the unboxing video was composed by my son.
