Seton Hill to Give an iPad to Every Full-Time Student

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Hear that noise? That loud thump is coming from all the graduating high school seniors across the US who are now kicking themselves for not applying to Pennsylvania’s Seton Hill University, which, for the record, is not to be confused with Seton Hall, the private, Catholic university which hails from New Jersey. According to an announcement posted on Seton Hill’s website, the Greensburg, Pennsylvania school is launching a new program which will provide a brand new iPad for every full-time student attending Seton Hill this Fall. The iPad-for-every-student program will be part of  the Griffin Technology Advantage Program which aims to put the best technology into the hands of  Seton Hill students.

Interestingly enough, Apple, with its iPad, is looking to fill a niche that Amazon tried to address last year with the launch of its Kindle DX. The Kindle DX is an over-sized Kindle 2 which features a 9.7 inch e-Ink screen with WhisperNet wireless connectivity powered by Sprint’s cellular network. The Kindle DX was designed from top to bottom for the educational market  in an attempt by Amazon to lure both academic textbook publishers and educational institutions to its growing eBook platform.

Last fall, Amazon worked with a team of Universities in the US to conduct pilot trials that placed the Kindle DX in the hands of students to see how it performs in an academic environment. Despite the success of the Kindle 2 amongst the general population, the Kindle DX was not highly regarded in the University trials.

Ken Frazer, Director of Libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was quoted as saying this about the Kindle DX,

“This version of the Kindle e-book reader missed the mark. It is relatively easy to envision an improved e-book reading device that meets the needs of the entire university community. Such a device would include universal design for accessibility, higher-quality graphics, and improved navigation and note-taking. “

Where the Kindle failed, the iPad may prevail with its integrated eBook software, drop dead easy user interface, excellent web browser, and slim, portable design. So what do you think, if you were a college student would you be fired up if you saw a stack of iPads waiting on the table during check-in?