Author has more snark than knowledge
With Microsoft's Surface Go handily undercutting Apple's iPad Pro line [..] and the continuing march of Google's Chromebook, Apple's new iPads have their work cut out
That statement makes no sense. The iPad Pro line is in a completely different class than the low-end Surface Go or Chromebooks. They are not competitors...unless you count the handful of $1000-1500 Chromebooks out there (and why would you?)
Apple already has an education-targeted 9.7 inch iPad that was refreshed last fall. It starts at $329, and I've seen them as low as $249 on Black Friday type sales. It supports (but does not require) the less-expensive version of the Pencil, which is admittedly less desirable than the new one but the price delta could make a difference for a school that's buying a lot of them. All iPads (regular, Air, Mini, Pro) work just fine with numerous 3rd-party Bluetooth keyboards, not just Apple's branded one. Plus, there are literally tens of thousands of decent-quality and inexpensive cases and accessories for iThings.
I also don't understand the "cable revenue isn't going to make itself" snark about keeping the Lightning connector on the new models. First off, the Pencil version that these iPads use plugs into the Lightning port for charging, so it would be stupid to use a different port. Moreover, I'd be willing to bet that the new models will mostly be bought as upgrades by people or orgs that have older models -- and thus will already have lightning cables. And anyway, a cable comes in the box with the product.
It's fine to dislike Apple; they're not easy to like sometimes. But at least do your damn homework and write an honest critique.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
