iFixit
- Apple recently launched a new iPad that's targeted at schools.
- But iFixit gives the tablet a 2-out-of-10 repairability rating, suggesting that schools may need to pay Apple or repair specialists to do routine maintenance.
Schools that want to buy Apple's new $299 iPad might need to budget for more additional costs than an $89 "Pencil" stylus and a third-party keyboard case.
School IT managers might also want to keep a hefty fund for repairs when the kids inevitably break the fragile tablets.
iFixit took the new iPad apart and ended up giving it a rating of 2 out of 10 for repairability. (Be sure not to miss the very cool internal wallpaper iFixit made for the new iPad.)
The repair specialists docked points for extensive use of glue, difficult battery replacement, and foam sticky tape attaching the display to the front panel.
Although Apple products are never easy for amateurs to repair - the company uses special screws to prevent people from getting inside its devices - the iPad's lack of repairability could be a big problem given its target audience: children.
Even careful kids could end up cracking their iPad's screen. And eventually, the battery inside iPads needs to be replaced if it's to be used for several years. The fact that a school's technology manager can't easily do that himself or herself could cause headaches.
For example, a replacement battery and service costs $99 from Apple. Apple also charges $249 to replace the iPad's screen, although it may give discounts to schools that must service fleets of iPads. (Apple sells the new iPad for $329 to the public, but offers a discount for schools that brings the price to $299.)
Last month, Apple announced its new educational strategy at an event in Chicago. It's largely centered around creative play and the iPad. But as those kids run around doing schoolwork on their iPads and asking "what's a computer" they should be extra careful - the iPad is a fragile device, and it's not easy to fix.