Apple’s 7.85-inch ‘iPad mini’ due later this year, report claims

[gb18]

Ipad killer?

http://www.bgr.com/2012/03/01/apples-7-85-inch-ipad-mini-due-later-this-year-report-claims/

[Beachgirl75]

I know the article says third quarter, but maybe that's next week's big announcement.

[Hiberny]

I doubt a smaller iPad is coming next week.  7" tablets are almost always a 16:9 aspect ratio.  The current iPad is a 4:3 ratio.  Changing the ratio would drastically affect the software and require developers to make yet another version.  A 4:3 7" tablet would just feel wrong  and be the misfit of its class.

Of course, I would love a 7" ipad.  As a teacher, that would fit my classroom much better than the current iPad.  I'd love to get a set of Nook Tablets, but without proxy support, they are totally useless.

[flyingtoastr Scribe]

I'll believe something digitimes writes when I get my iPhone 5 that they insisted was coming out last September.

Rumors are rumors are rumors.

[tuck229]

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Hiberny wrote:

Of course, I would love a 7" ipad.  As a teacher, that would fit my classroom much better than the current iPad.  I'd love to get a set of Nook Tablets, but without proxy support, they are totally useless.

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Why would the Nook be useless in the classroom? 

Not sure how proxies can be set up differently, but at my school, personal devices (tablet, smartphone, laptop) have to go through an authentication login the first time you try to access the internet.  You login as you normally would on a school computer.  Once authenticated, the device automatically connects to the web in the future.  Using the Nook browser, websites are blocked that are also blocked on school computers.  I have QuickOffice on my Nook, and it works really well.  Not the same as a laptop, obviously, but good enough to be useful.  Mine automatically syncs the device to my dropbox and googledocs, which is handy for students.  You can't access drives on the school/district from personal devices, but with services like dropbox, you can get away from needing to. 

For me, if the Nook Color and Tablet allowed bluetooth keyboard support, it would be an amazing tool for the classroom that was super affordable.  B&N has TOTALLY dropped the ball in selling tons of Nook tablets to schools by not catering to this market.  Tons.

[Hiberny]

Without proxy support, a Nook Tablet cannot access the internet in my district.  Without internet access there is no way to get new content onto them without taking them home.  I will not be carting 25 NTs home each time I want to update them.

I know my disctrict is not the only one set up this way.  While we are getting a proposal for B&N for our future ereader needs, there is no way we could use them, even if they were free.

(We have no system of authentication for new devices.  The only devices on our network are the school's and the teachers'.  Students are not allowed to bring their own devices.)

[Hiberny]

I should also add that I would prefer Nook Tablets for my students.  If B&N opened up their app store to all of the educational apps currently in Google Play the NT would be a perfect ereader for schools.