Gadgets for Distance Learning

Distance learning is becoming easier as technology companies develop hardware and softwarethatmake it possible to learn, study and produce work anywhere and anytime.

These hardware items are amazing and as a rule today, they are internet compatible, which means the resources of the planet are always at your fingertips. The best of these hardware offerings are also the most popular.

The Apple iPad is a forerunner in providing convenience and accessibility wherever in the world you are. Different iPad versions offer slightly different specs and capabilities so if you are considering an iPad for distance learning it helps to know the differences. These could influence which iPad you buy to study with and it won’t necessarily be the latest version. The generation 3 for example is great for people in 4G coverage areas who may find greater distance learning versatility with the latest Apple offering. However, the gen 3 is slightly heavier and bulkier than the gen 2 or the gen 1 so distance learners taking courses with heavy reading loads my find this iPad a little less comfortable to read from over long periods. This is because of the increased weight and thickness; the gen 3 dimensions are 9.5”h X 7.31”w X 0.37” deep, 1.44 pounds (Wi-Fi), 1.46 pounds (4G).

Generation 3 iPad specs that will be of particular interest for those undertaking distance learning courses are:

Dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics are great for maintaining battery power even while generating super sexy presentations and graphics. This is further enhanced by dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics

This iPad is easy on the eyes even after long hours of study. The 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen, multi-touch retina display with IPS technology provides 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch of screen.

Available as Wi-Fi a/b/g/n only and Wi-Fi/4G for Verizon and AT&T so there is flexibility depending on where in the world you are using your iPad for distance learning. The storage on these sleek distance-learning machines is impressive with options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB and Bluetooth 4.0 technology.

If video and images are important for your distance learning classes, you may be taking audiovisual courses or even architecture, history or classics, then these features are for you. The iPad generation 3 boasts a 5MP camera, video recording with HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio and a front camera with video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera along with photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi (great for your Facebook updates too!).

The generation 3 iPad has built-in 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery with up to 10hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. That is the best power performance for iPad to date. For distance learning that requires long hours of study away from a power point, that’s good battery life.

The price of the latest version of iPad is not much more especially since the product is newer and does have a number of features that would be considered worth the money. The retina feature alone makes distance learning much easier on the eyes and is potentially worth the extra $100 all by itself. Images are significantly sharper and cleaner. For students, especially those taking distance learning courses, that makes for much easier viewing particularly for long periods.

The iPad generation 3 is just one fabulous tool for distance learning among a raft of other equally known and lesser-known hardware technologies available. As such, it’s a good idea to research what is available for distance learners in the way of gadgetry.