HOW WE GOT IT WRONG: IPADS
BY DYLAN VOLK ‘28
Everyone — at least the enlightened crowd that reads The Eye — heard the early news that the student body would be receiving iPads in the 2026-2027 school year. However, as you all have seen by now, this was incorrect. Macbook Neo’s will be gracing the hands of Saint Ignatius students next year.
From The Eye’s perspective, announcing iPads was quite literally “breaking news,” and it was one decision away from being true. Senior Eye leadership believed that the process was nothing short of a done deal with informal conversations with an administrator and IT staff.
And, if it wasn’t for a case, it might have been.
After having spent months researching options, the iPad seemed to be the right answer for the school’s needs. But the lack of a keyboard meant that each iPad would need to have a separate detachable keyboard, a durable case, and a stylus.
Because the school wanted to make sure the complete package and its cost could be announced, the decision was delayed as they sought a solution. Finding a case that would last four years at a reasonable cost proved tricky.“The only cases durable enough were too expensive.,” said Associate Principal for Academics Mr. David Sabol. Then, in November, Apple announced the release of the MacBook Neo, an affordable option that changed everything.
With a powerful processor, extended battery life, and reputation for durability, the MacBook provides the same advantages as the iPad, but without the drawbacks. Administration also pointed to the lack of “Find my” technology on the pens and keyboards associated with the iPads, which could lead to theft or easy misplacement.
The introduction of Macbook Neo’s will surely lead to a plethora of changes for the student body. Getting used to the Mac OS will take some adjustment, and training will be given during student orientation in August. However, according to Mr. Sabol, over 50% of the students already utilize MacBooks under our current BYOT program. Students will certainly be more aware that they can be monitored at any time throughout the day on school WiFi. However, it seems that the Administration is choosing to leave both the New York Times Games and Chess unblocked for most of the day, at least leaving students some form of digital entertainment.
Time will tell if the Neos will bring as much joy as the current BYOT policy, but many students are pleased to actually be getting a laptop of some form instead of an iPad.
