Brand new iPads have made their way into the hands of Johnston students this past week. Students are finally parting ways with the home buttons and defective keyboards that countless have struggled with. The new iPads will bring a fresh start to the second semester.
“We made the decision to switch iPads now due to the condition and lack of reliability of the old Rug-Ed keyboard cases and inability of Rug-Ed to supply us with replacements. It would not have made sense for us to spend $800k on new cases that would have only been used for a little over a year,” technology specialist, Brandon Kowalsky said.
A majority of the student body has experienced some issue with their past keyboards. A replacement for everyone at that rate would be unmanageable. Most students have seen improvements in their new devices. However, the switch has been a controversial topic among students.
“Initially, I was really excited about getting new iPads because it’s always fun getting new technology, but once I got the new one, I realized how much I missed my old iPad,” Macy Miller ‘26 said.
For many students, the new iPads have been an adjustment. The initial proposal to the school board for the technology refresh was Oct. 27 and the iPads came out less than two months later. It was a quick turnaround, but for many students, the timing wasn’t ideal.
“My initial reaction was ‘why are we getting them now?’ I was a little excited but at the same time it’s the middle of the year and almost the end of the semester. [It was] a bad time in my opinion,” Sophia Sampson ‘26 said.
The transfer process between the iPads took two days for most students. They returned their previous devices and chargers, and the next day they received their new iPads.
“Overall, I’d say the process was smooth. We were able to collect and distribute almost all of the iPads during the two-day period. Unfortunately, some students lost Goodnotes data that either didn’t get backed up or didn’t back up correctly,” Kowalsky said.
Students were expected to back up their GoodNotes through Google Drive. However, for some, they had lost their notes and materials through the transfer.
“My Goodnotes took two days to fully transfer because everyone was trying to do it at the same time. I also had to re-login to all my apps and websites which wasn’t fun.” Miller said.
The transfer has been an alteration for JHS students. Understandably, it’s taken time to get used to and to understand all of the new features.
“We were given enough time to set up the new iPads and all my teachers were understanding when things didn’t work yet,” Sampson said.
Despite the debates between students, the iPads are here to stay. In the years to come, their durability and performance will be tested. For now, students have the joy of writing their essays on their functional keyboards.
“Both staff and students have been very happy with the new iPads and keyboard cases,” Kowalsky said.