Students often find themselves overwhelmed with choices of technology for school usage – iPad or the Lenovo laptop? In the upper school, it is as per school policy that only juniors and seniors can use alternatives to the school-endorsed Lenovo laptop. However, iPad usage amongst students at Taipei American School has significantly increased in recent months. 

Students benefit from the multifunctional aspect of this device; the iPad can be used to assist students in taking aesthetically pleasing notes and creating art.

Honors Advanced Design and IBHL Visual Arts student Jessica O. (‘21) utilizes art-specific apps on her iPad, including Procreate and Affinity Designer. Procreate allows students to engage in digital illustrations, while Affinity Designer allows students to create layouts, illustrations and various types of arts. “If you have more creative interests, then I definitely recommend [purchasing an iPad],” Jessica said. 

iPad 11 Pro and Apple Magic Keyboard user Chris C. (‘23) uses the iPad to take notes. He uses specialized note taking apps such as OneNote and GoodNotes. “[On the iPad,] you write prettier than any other device,” Chris said. Using the Apple Pen to write on the iPad is also a lot smoother than using the stylus on the school endorsed Lenovo laptop. 

Many iPhone users will be familiar with using the iPad because of its similarities. Thus, the transition to newly using an iPad for academic purposes may be a smooth one. 

To accompany the iPad, many students purchase the Apple Pencil and the Apple Magic Keyboard. The Apple Pencil costs approximately NT $3000 and the Apple Magic Keyboard costs approximately NT $9000, resulting in a total price of around NT $ 42,000 for all three products. 

While the prices of multiple Apple products may appear excessively high, the total price of all three Apple products is still lower than that of  the latest TAS-endorsed Lenovo Yoga X13 model, which is NT $55,500. Afterall, purchasing the laptop endorsed by the school guarantees technical support from the school Helpdesks. 

The price difference between an iPad with its accessories and the Lenovo laptop should be taken into consideration when students are deciding on their choice of technology.