The missing app…

Occasionally, I’m asked what apps seem to be missing for the iPad.

It seems that apps continue to develop to fill any gap that I perceive.

At one point, music notation was a sore point on the iPad, but Notion is filling that need quite nicely, with rapid updates.

The biggest missing app, for my use as a music educator, is music scanning software on the iPad itself. Symphony Pro, when it existed, had a very rudimentary scanning option that didn’t work very well…but it was amazing that they tried to include it.  I’d like to see an app that would utilize the iPad’s camera to scan music.  I think the Think Music Technology app would have potential in that area.  I can see how the conversion of hand written music to digital notation is an attractive idea, but I’d be interested in the app applying the same principles to notated/printed music.  And then, if the result could be as accurate (or more accurate) as Photoscore or SmartScore, and exported in MusicXML to Notion…think of the possibilities!

The other missing piece is access to the audio music libray on the iPad.  You should be able to write to and from that collection of music (right now, you can only get music out of it).  But iOS has writing access to that library shut down.  I have e-mailed Tim Cook about this.

What about you?  What apps would you like to see?  I do have comments closed on the blog, but feel free to send a tweet (@techinmusiced) or an e-mail techinmusiced@ g m a i l.com with your ideas.  I’ll add them in a future post, along with your name (unless you don’t want me to metion it).

That iPad isn’t just for “consumption” anymore…

There is a very distinct anti-iPad and anti-Apple crowd.  I know, until 2005 I was a part of it.  I bought my first Apple product, a 5th Generation iPod video in 2005, and my life was forever changed.  To that point, I had been all-Windows all the time, and I did my fair share of Apple-bashing.

Admittedly, Apple deserved some of it.  Apple apologists can wax poetic about the mid 1990s all they want, but the truth is that Apple was going down the tubes, and it took the rehiring of Steve Jobs to turn it all around.

The problem is that Apple of 2013 is very different from Apple of 1995, yet our educational systems are full of IT staff members that came into the system before or during that time period.  Thus they bring their anti-Apple biases to the table.  They block iPads, purchasing Android or Windows tablets, they block Apple computers, and they close their networks to Apple’s Bonjour services that are needed for many important iPad features such as Airplay (I saw a gadget this evening that allows an iPad to mirror without wireless for $299, specially created for districts who will not open Bonjour on their networks.  This is crazy.).

The main arguments against iPads?

1) The iPad is just for consumption.  You can’t create on it.

2) We can’t do what we need to do on iPads.

3) This alternative device is just as good, and it costs less.

4) We can’t open our network to those Bonjour services.

5) iPads are too expensive.

In this post, I’d like to address the first point.  Does anyone truly believe this anymore?  A related argument against iPads, in the consumption camp, is: “Microsoft Office isn’t available for the iPad.”  We keep hearing that Office is coming…but there are plenty of alternatives for the iPad, such as Apple’s own Pages and Google Docs (to name just two).  A recent article claimed that Microsoft may be losing billions of dollars by failing to offer Office on the iPad.  

There was a point in my recent past where I believed that I would still need a notebook computer.  As the ability of tablets continues to improve, and as the variety and ability of apps continue to improve, I am seeing that I was wrong.

I used to think that I would need a computer to store my media.  In reality, it is more efficient and secure to have other sources store my media for me (e.g. iTunes Match).  I used to think that I would need a notebook for music notation software.  Notion is proving that the iPad is a capable platform for music notation.

Now, can I do everything I need to do on my iPad?  Not yet.  But it is getting there.  MakeMusic just released SmartMusic for the iPad.  SmartMusic for the iPad doesn’t do everything that the computer version can do (at least not yet), but SmartMusic for the iPad does more than SmartMusic of 5 years ago. Pages for iPad can’t do everything that Pages for Mac can do, but it probably will.

And there are certain iPad apps that I already like better than their Windows/Mac versions, such as Keynote.

The fact is that the iPad is the most flexible computing device we’ve ever seen.  Its portability, light weight, and long battery life make it more practical than a traditional netbook computer.  The abundance of apps and excellent developers (some just waiting for the next idea) make the iPad able to do just about anything.

I used to say that there are things my MacBook can do that my iPad cannot; but there are things that my iPad can do that my MacBook cannot.  The truth is that I’m not sure how much longer it will be before my iPad can do everything my MacBook can do, and more.

The CEO of Blackberry recently stated that the tablet would be dead in five years.  Of course, this is coming from a company that has had zero success making tablets.  But what he says may have a ring of truth, because tablets may become what we know as computers.  Steve Jobs likened tablets vs. computers to cars vs. trucks.  Both will still exist, but trucks (computers) will be used for specialized applications, whereas cars (tablets) will be owned by everyone.

It is possible that Apple could lose the lead in education (and tablets as a whole), but as for now, that isn’t the case.  In terms of music education, the software available for Android is limited (and often of exponentially worse quality than an iPad app), and music software written for Windows is mired in the use of a keyboard or tablet, losing any tablet advantage.

You can’t wait for the next trend, as you will wait forever.  But you can make a decision to go with a device that can be used today, with the tools you need today.

You can create content on an iPad.  And apps like Notion for iPad or GarageBand demonstrate that you can do so effectively and even efficiently.  Yes, you can use an iPad for content consumption, like any other digitial device.  But it is foolish in 2013 to say you can’t create on the device.  The next time you hear someone say this, please, call them on it.

It’s fine if you don’t like iPads, or if you don’t like Apple.  If that represents your point of view, be honest about it.  Don’t use a false mantra.  And this is coming from a recovering Windows addict.

Maine Chooses…HP Windows 8 Computers?

This past week, the news came out that the State of Maine, along with Hawaii and Vermont, had chosen the HP ProBook 4440 as the computer of choice for its middle school computer initiative, which began with MacBooks in 2002.

From the article, which has bounced around in various forms throughout the Internet (and is already being used by HP for advertising purposes), it appears that Apple has lost traction in the education field. As quoted by the Kennebec Journal:

In making the announcement Saturday, [Maine Governor] LePage said it is important for students to use technology that they will see and use in the workplace. He said the Hewlett-Packard operating system is the one most commonly used in Maine businesses.

And:

Jef Hamlin, technology director at RSU 34, which includes Old Town, Alton and Bradley, praised the decision. He said the HP option is cheaper once the hidden costs that come with Apple products are added in.

For example, Apple iPads do not come with keyboards, so the district would have to buy them in order to use the devices to administer standardized tests, he said.

“In general, the consensus is the iPad is a kind of a 'gee whiz' thing, but there is a lot of stuff you can't do with an iPad,” said Hamlin, who added that his district already uses Hewlett-Packard computers in some of its elementary schools.

However, the Kennebec Jounal makes some interesting points about the decision:

1. Although the governor of Maine said the HP was the lowest cost device, the iPad was actually lowest ($217 vs. $254, plus an extra $31 per device for installation and service)
2. The iPad was actually the committee's top choice, getting 93 of 100 points, where the HP was 4th of 5 choices with 79 of 100 points.
3. There are actually 4 approved devices, and the schools can apply $254 towards whatever device they want to use.

There has to be something else going on when the iPad is your top choice, but the governor goes with the 4th choice–and announces the HP as the winner, when it clearly isn't and schools can buy any of four devices whereas the entire state previously went with MacBooks. I would encourage reporters to see if HP has made any donations into Governor LePage's political activity accounts.

Jef Hamlin also loses credibility when he falls back on the old “iPads are for consumption, and you can't type on them.” This past fall, I was visited by a school that chose to go with the Apple MacBook Air because science teachers said their curriculum wouldn't run on iPads. I asked, “Instead of buying 13″ MacBook Airs at $999 for all your students, why didn't you look at going with iPads and class sets of MacBooks for classes with specific requirements (note: such requirements are often linked to STEM initiatives such as Project Lead the Way, where classrooms already have classroom sets of computers)?” In the long run, this STILL would have been less expensive than going with the MacBook Air for all students, and again, not all subjects–including music–can make good use of Notebook computers within the curriculum and during the rehearsal, when they actually can make good use of an iPad. To contrast Mr. Hamlin, there are also things that an iPad can do that a notebook computer cannot attempt to do.

Mr. Hamlin would have been more credible if he had said, “Students will need a device that runs Flash for state testing, because state tests and MAP tests still require it.” But even if that were the case, schools could install “traditional” computer labs in their schools, and then take tests like most schools, in waves of students in the same computer labs (as a note, most schools using iPads 1:1 see computer lab use diminish to almost nothing other than for standardized computer tests).

At any rate, Windows-loving/Apple-hating IT directors will certainly shift their district computers to HP, and some schools will follow the pack. But many schools will choose to stick with the existing Apple culture in education, and some will go with the iPad, opening new doors to all disciplines, not just the “tested core”:

Crystal Priest, technology coordinator for SAD 4, which includes Guilford, Sangerville, Parkman, Cambridge and Wellington, said Saturday she will recommend that her school district stick with Apple. She said the Apple iPads offer a richer educational experience, and that there are training costs associated with moving to a new system.

It seems like it is a crazy time to be a middle school educator in Maine, Hawaii, or Vermont.

 

Posted with Blogsy

The future of apps?

While it is Sunday evening here in Minnesota, it is Monday morning in Australia, where the MTEC conference is underway.  Barbara Freedman (musicedtech.com) is attending and presenting at the conference, and tweeted a quote from Dr. James Frankel (musicfirst.com) who presented a session on cloud computing for music educators.

At the current time, the entire iOS experience is based on the app experience (and you could make the case this is true for Android, too). Could apps be obsolete in five years, 2018?

Certainly, the entire computing experience could become web-based, such as the Google Chromebook.  This is hard to comprehend in 2013, when the Chromebook is not a complete computing experience.  I know this because I own one.  But five years of technological advancement should certainly yield a better web-based experience that what we have today.

Perhaps Steve Jobs saw this trend before anyone else, as the original iPhone had no App Store and no second-hand apps. All “apps” were web-based (Here is a list of web apps that you can still visit).  But later the App Store appeared, and today the App Store is a huge business for developers and Apple.  Could all devices (including “traditional computers”) go 100% web-based in the future?  We already have web-based programs for “traditional computers,” such as those offered by Music First, as well as Office 365 and Google Docs.  Could these services make apps obsolete?

Certainly, it could happen.  But I’m skeptical.

First, wi-fi (or wireless data) would have to be ubiquitous and low cost.  Everyone would need to be connected all the time.  I drive from the Twin Cities of Minnesota to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area on a regular basis.  A large portion of that road (I-94) is a major highway that only has EDGE coverage from AT&T.  This has been the case for the last four years that I have owned an iPhone.   How are we going to get affordable wi-fi or wireless data everywhere if we can’t get it on a major highway (I’ve been told the service on that road is the same for most cell carriers)?

Second, developers need to get paid.  There are some developers who offer their work for free, such as the developers of open source software like MuseScore.  Most developers, however, want to benefit financially from their work (so do you and I).  This means that web-based programs will either be based on subscriptions or ad-supported.  While you may choose to pay for some of your services, or deal with ads from others, there is a point at which consumers will tire of endless subscriptions.  One of the benefits of the app store is the fact that (for most apps) you can buy it once and it is yours (actually, the license agreement is more complicated than that, but for the sake of simplicity, you buy the app which gives you the right to use it).  There is a problem with the current app store where all updates are free–and this is simply not sustainable over time.  At some point, Apple will have to allow for an App Store 2.0 so that developers can re-sell their (greatly updated) apps and continue to benefit financially from the process.  Most users will be happy to pay for that second generation of apps, knowing the bargain that the App Store represents.  Consumers will NOT want to pay continual fees for all the apps that they use.

Third, HTML 5 has to improve a great deal before it can offer apps with equivalent function to what you can create on the OS of an existing tablet (or computer).  For example, Noteflight is an amazing service and what they are doing with HTML 5 is outstanding.  But can Noteflight truly compete with Finale, Sibelius, Notion, or MuseScore?  Not yet.

Finally, I think there is appeal to “owning” your own apps.  I am 40, and people from my generation struggled to move from purchasing physical copies of music (8 Tracks, Cassettes, and CDs) to digital music, which, incidentally, it turns out you don’t own, either (tip of the hat to Dr. Joseph Pisano, who tweeted this story).  I’m not convinced that users want everything to be web-based, otherwise, we would see the Chromebook destroying the competition (It isn’t…it is become a niche product).

At any rate, I could be wrong.  Everything could be cloud-based in 2018, and apps could be gone forever.  It should be noted, however, that Dr. Frankel works for Music First, which is a company that packages cloud-based software for education.  It should also be noted that I am reacting to a tweet that could be out of context.  However, the use of the word “obsolete” is purposefully strong word choice.  Even though I disagree with the opinion, I certainly respect–and even like–that it has been stated.  It is fun to think of (and discuss) what the future holds for technology (in education, in music education, and in life).

My personal guess is that we will see more HTML-5 based web apps, and that we will see more programs that rely on cloud computing but still offer a native app on the devices on which they are being run (a hybrid of sorts).  And I think there will still be individually purchased “on device” programs and apps for computers, tablets, and phones.  As Steve Jobs once said, traditional computers will become need-based (like trucks) as most consumers (and I would add, educators) will need a tablet (like cars).

Since the Mayans were wrong (or we were wrong about the Mayans), it looks like we will have a chance to find out, either way.  Check back in 2018 for the answer.

A different view (same conclusion) on iPad vs. Android Tablets

Earlier today, Fraser Speirs tweeted about an article from Mark Cunningham, who has been implementing a 1:1 Android pilot (140 devices) for the Edinburgh Council.

Important lessons on warranty and repair turnaround from a Scottish school trying Android devices: cunniman.net/?p=1352

—
Fraser Speirs (@fraserspeirs) April 06, 2013

Every now and then, I receive feedback (in person, in an e-mail, on a forum) where an Android tablet owner is upset about the continued success of the iPad, particularly in education (and although it is true more and more Android devices are being sold than iOS devices, iOS is still maintaining a huge percentage of web usage, profits in the industry, and available apps).  Mr. Cunningham, after using Android devices for a year, has this to say:

…After much consideration iPad / iOS is the platform which best meets the needs of our secondary learners. There are two fundamental reasons why I believe we need to change from Android tablets to iPads this year: 1.  Availability of rich learning content All too regularly I come across a fantastic app only to discover that it’s available only for iOS and not Android. I don’t have an exact figure, but I would guess that maybe one third of the educational apps are designed for iOS only (some great examples are GarageBand, Explain Everything,Foldify, KeyNote, Puppet Pals, Brushes, Geoboard to name but a few). Of course that might change in the future as Android continues to catch up, but as things stand this is a problem. 2. Device (and company) robustness As I highlighted in my previous 1:1 posts, Toshiba (note: Toshiba and not Android) have let us down. Badly. The project this year has been hampered by a return to base warranty issue which has meant that at times we were without 20% of all devices and the time to repair was on average a completely unacceptable 4-5 weeks. This was down to a manufacturing / build fault, but despite numerous requests for support Toshiba spent 6 months saying there was nothing they could do. Would Apple have sat back if one fifth of their devices rolled out to a school were faulty? I doubt it, and I doubt Apple would allow such build faults to get past their quality control processes. (I should point out that 7 months into the project Toshiba finally visited our school to review all devices, but in my opinion this was too little too late). Would other Android companies such as Asus or Samsung be any different to Toshiba? Possibly, but I don’t know. Just to be absolutely clear, I am neither an Apple or Android promoter, I just want to ensure we are providing the best educational tech tools to meet the needs of our learners. Currently, in my opinion the iPad is the tablet device which best meets our needs. And next year? Well, who knows…

The topic of this blog is (and remains) the use of technology in music education.  Although I do not have the ability to purchase all devices, I make an attempt to buy a few (such as my Android-running HP TouchPad and the Samsung Google Chromebook, which I am actually using to type this blog post) and to get to big box stores to play with other new technology that I can’t buy.  Cunningham’s two issues are true in music education as much as any other field in education; but I would add that nearly every other technology solution–particularly when it comes to computing, other than the iPad–fails miserably in the music classroom, as well in the classroom of other electives.  My firm belief is that in the current era, when a school chooses another platform for computing (Android, Windows Tablets, Windows PCs, Chromebooks, even MacBooks), they are sending a message that the electives are not important in education, and that technology does not matter in those fields.

Yes, I am pro-iPad.  But I am also pro-technology.  A fellow teacher at my school recently gave me a bit of grief for buying a Chromebook, saying, “The biggest Apple Fanboi I know just bought a Chromebook!”  He was joking, but I replied rather seriously, “Don’t confuse my love for Apple and their solutions with my overall interest in technology and its use in education.”

Put another way, there may be a place in your life for a Chromebook, and Android Tablet, a WIndows PC, or a MacBook.  As I have mentioned, I am using a Chromebook at this moment.  But if you are pursuing a 1:1 educational situation with any of those devices instead of an iPad–then that effort is misplaced, particularly if you endorse a well-rounded liberal arts education.  If you don’t support a well-rounded education, then buy everyone a Windows PC or a MacBook, and be honest about your philosophy of education (most decision-makers are afraid to be honest about this, or deny that they have that bias).

As Cunningham notes (and in fact,so did Fraser Speirs, when originally writing about their adoption of the iPad), “Currently, in my opinion the iPad is the tablet device which best meets our needs. And next year? Well, who knows…”  But here is the thing…you should never buy something for what it might do, but instead buy it for what it currently does.  One of the problems with Android devices is the issue of fragmentation (multiple versions of the OS running on thousands of devices), although the iPad is starting to experience fragmentation, too (The three-year old first generation iPad cannot run iOS 6, and thus a large number of apps).  I know of a number of schools buying Android devices that say, “We expect the app situation on Android to improve.”  And it has–a little.  But Apple’s platform has continued to develop as well, and so has the Apple App Store.  If you are going to spend limited education dollars on technology, you need to have an ear to the ground about what is coming–but also be aware of what the device can do right now.  If you compare Apples to Apples (terrible analogy in this case), then the answer has to be iPad.

Final Note: Fraser Speirs followed with some additional tweets about Mr. Cunningham’s experience with faulty tablets and down time, which he also discusses in his article.  It HAS to be unacceptable to lose 20% of your technology platform at times (as happened in Mr. Cunningham’s situation).  Mr. Speirs noted that he could get a device replaced within a day, versus 4-5 weeks with the Toshiba tablets.  Granted, there are probably better quality Android tablets on the market that would have the operational durability we’ve seen with iPads…but this is a part of the discussion to consider when Android tablets are chosen over iPads.

Post Script: I managed to crash the Google Chromebook while writing this post.