I have also been hearing about USB-over-IP devices that might let us reach out to iPads connected to our network. At some point that might be an interesting possibility.

Again, I agree with everyone when they say that kids can learn to type effectively on a screen. Unfortunately, until all occupations and high schools make the switch to tablets, the students will still need to learn to type on a real keyboard effectively. For this reason alone I still feel keyboards with the iPads may be necessary for many (but not all) schools thinking of making the switch to tablets alone. I’m not sure how well learning to type on a touchscreen translates to the real physical keyboards. I would be interested in finding this out.

I grew up with physical keyboards and it took a little effort to transition to the on-screen version. After I decided to quit trying to bring the past to my iPad, I have gotten good with the on-screen keyboard. “Force” yourself to use it exclusively for a week and you will be surprised how fast you get. The kids don’t need practice, they are already good with them.

I agree with you that kids these days seem to type well on screens. It’s just that curriculums at many schools still require that kids are proficient typers using traditional computer keyboards. Our local high school expects that our graduates, for instance, will be proficient typers on their physical computer keyboards when they enter high school. These requirements may be evolving sometime in the future if we continue to see more tablets. However, for the time being typing on a physical keyboard is what most schools will still need to teach in computer classes. While learning on a screen may translate decently well to an actual physical keyboard, I am not sure typing lessons intended to prepare a student to type efficiently on a physical keyboard can be as effectively taught using an iPad – unless they are purchased with a keyboard. It would be interesting to see how well someone could type on a physical keyboard after being taught to type using only a tablet screen.

Offering a “last gen” device at a discounted price may not be the right solution either. Since the release of the iPad 2 – the original iPad has become dog slow to the point where iBooks 2 and the text books are nearly unusable. I can’t imagine schools being too happy when 1-2 years after initial purchase their iPads are too slow to handle the currently required iOS.

Finally – The discount for keyboards. I don’t think it’s at all necessary. Most kids adapt to the onscreen keyboard with very little difference between how they type on a physical keyboard. For those of us who have been on physical keyboards for 20+ years sure the transition is slow and bothersome, but for kids there is no transition – this is just how the keyboard is. We need to stop looking at iPads from the perspective of 30/40/50/60 year old’s who are stuck in our ways.

All Apple would have to do was add a forth row of number keys and some cursor arrows. Then they could change key maps with the shift or control key as has been done for years.

Then again kids quickly learned how to type text messages with two thumbs and a numeric keypad.