Apple's Schiller disputes potential of Chromebooks

Apple executive Phil Schiller recently created a stir by claiming “Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they’re cheap testing tools for required testing.” He goes on to say that “students who use them are not going to succeed.” Chromebooks have a larger share of the K12 market than Apple even when combining the investment in iPads and macs.

Would I rather use my Macbook Pro than my Google Pixelbook (the cost is close for these two machines)? I suppose, but I can do 90%+ of what I do on my Mac on a chromebook and I have tried far less expensive chromebooks that are certainly capable for my work and for nearly every K12 applications. I think a better comparison is to compare a chromebook with an iPad. For many uses, the touch screen of my chromebook and the quality keyboard meet my needs for “serious work” and efficiency. I have a keyboard for my iPad, but the keyboard in a case just is less effective for those of us who may enter text for hours a day. The touchscreen is also superior for those of us who spend hours doing background work for our writing online. When it comes down to what I do, I prefer my iPad for reading and archiving and anything with a keyboard for integrating and writing. Apple hardware is great, but the power in nearly all my tasks is dependent on access to online services and I can access this power pretty much equally from multiple platforms. The Schiller position is something I would have endorsed in the Apple/Microsoft debates of the 1990s, but online services have changed the relevance of the hardware you happen to be using.

My personal experiences are obviously different from middle school and secondary students. However, as someone who explores the tools (apps) available for both iPads and chromebooks, Schiller’s claims sound more like marketing speak than reality. If schools have purchased chromebooks so students can take standardized tests, the issue is more with the intended purpose than the limitations of chromebooks. Anyway, educators with this limited view are going to move on to inexpensive windows machines if the cost and intended application are the issues. Those of us preparing educators and working with practicing teachers are not encouraging the approach Schiller describes and we recognize the importance of being flexible enough not to promote productive activities no matter the hardware available.

I remain a big Apple fan, but I would caution Apple to come up with a different message. The portrayal of how Chromebooks are used in many classrooms is misguided and simply inaccurate. The message also comes across as elitist and out of touch.