My Auggie on left, iPad 1 on right
(both are on my Tablet Stand, which is included with my Auggie)
(Click pics for larger images)
The wildly popular
iPad (both 1 & 2) are truly *great* devices, especially for AAC
(Aumentative & Alternative Communication) but they are also great
for the sheer number of things you can do with them. And the user
interface is just beautiful; Apple did a great job.
But there are several reasons NOT to get an iPad. Click here to see them.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a BIG fan! Just look at all the accessories I've made for them since they were released. Also, I have several apps for them! (Slide 2 Unlock, RadSounds, and soon Spell-A-Word, Point To Pictures, and more).
There are about 10 AAC apps out now for the iPad. Some of them even can scan using my Tablet Switch Interface or Tablet Super-Switch. Some are great, others are good, and others are pretty limited. The most popular and full-featured one at the moment is Proloquo2Go, soon to be made 'switch-friendly'.
In comparison, I include, on my Auggies, PTP-PC (which includes the BoardMaker libraries), which I wrote this with the help of *many* SLP's, and it's stood the test of time (6 years now). It has features that no other AAC software has, for the 'earlier' functioning populations, because of my many years of experience with these types of users. Several features are Limits (for perseverating learners, Consequence sounds and Show Fullscreen pic for AAC training. These, and other features in PTP-PC are definitely not in P2Go. Things like expanding the chosen pic to fullscreen for different time lengths. This comes from me working with 'earlier' functioning learners that need more than just a repeat of the label sound and blink the chosen picture to indicate their choice and then putting that picture/text up in the Sentence Bat. Then there are my Consequence Sounds, which accompany the fullscreen expansion, once again for earlier funtioning persons that need that.
But there are several reasons NOT to get an iPad. Click here to see them.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a BIG fan! Just look at all the accessories I've made for them since they were released. Also, I have several apps for them! (Slide 2 Unlock, RadSounds, and soon Spell-A-Word, Point To Pictures, and more).
There are about 10 AAC apps out now for the iPad. Some of them even can scan using my Tablet Switch Interface or Tablet Super-Switch. Some are great, others are good, and others are pretty limited. The most popular and full-featured one at the moment is Proloquo2Go, soon to be made 'switch-friendly'.
In comparison, I include, on my Auggies, PTP-PC (which includes the BoardMaker libraries), which I wrote this with the help of *many* SLP's, and it's stood the test of time (6 years now). It has features that no other AAC software has, for the 'earlier' functioning populations, because of my many years of experience with these types of users. Several features are Limits (for perseverating learners, Consequence sounds and Show Fullscreen pic for AAC training. These, and other features in PTP-PC are definitely not in P2Go. Things like expanding the chosen pic to fullscreen for different time lengths. This comes from me working with 'earlier' functioning learners that need more than just a repeat of the label sound and blink the chosen picture to indicate their choice and then putting that picture/text up in the Sentence Bat. Then there are my Consequence Sounds, which accompany the fullscreen expansion, once again for earlier funtioning persons that need that.
Do not assume that
handing an AAC device to someone automatically makes them capable of
using it! Sure, you might think that statement is common sense,
but I see people falling victim to this trap all the time! *AAC
Training* is essential, especially at the 'earlier'
levels! Many times my Point
To
Pictures
software is *needed*, available for desktops, Auggie, and soon for
iPad.
So here we go!
So here we go!
| Auggie |
iPad
1 |
|
| Size (in 'landscape' mode) |
9.5" x 7.5" |
9.5" x 7.5" |
| Screen size |
7.5" x 5.75" |
7.5" x 5.75" |
| Capacitive touchscreen (requires electricity from body) |
Yes |
Yes |
| Can use pointers |
With
"3
Musketeers"
trick |
With "3 Musketeers" trick |
| Multi-touch (means you can use 2 fingers to
expand pictures, etc.) |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Weight |
1.5 lbs |
1.5 lbs |
| Power
button |
More
challenging,
but
can
touch
anywhere
when set up with specific power
setting |
Accessible, easy menu button |
| Menu button*** |
Accessible, TOO easy! |
Configurable |
| Startup time |
Several options from instant on to 10
seconds |
Instant on |
| Processor
speed
(you'll never notice the difference) |
1.6 GHz |
1 GHz |
| Storage
space |
16
GB standard, options for 32, 64 |
16, 32, or 64 GB |
| Battery
life |
5-3
hours
depending
upon
power
options |
10
hours |
Keyboard |
On-screen, bluetooth, or through included USB adapter |
On-screen,
bluetooth,
or
through
USB
dongle
of Apple's Camera Connection Kit |
| Internet
connectivity |
WiFi |
WiFi |
Switch/scanning capability |
Any
program
from
cause/effect
to
complete
computer control
(CrossScanner).
Requires Bluetooth
Switch interface or Super-Switch,
or
USB
switch/interface
through included USB adapter |
Only with switch-friendly apps. Requires Bluetooth Switch Interface or Super-Switch |
| Web
page
compatibility |
Any
(including
those
with
Flash,
Silverlight) |
'Standard' pages only |
Alternative input capability |
Through
included
adapter,
USB
ports
that
connect
any
USB
device
(mouse,
trackball joystick, head tracker, etc.) |
None |
| Assistive
Tech.
device
capability |
Any
and
all |
None
except
switch(es) |
Internal speaker |
Weak, comes with Tablet Speaker for use as AAC device |
Weak, requires Tablet Speaker for use as AAC device |
| Built in microphone |
Yes |
Yes |
| Webcam/camera |
Yes |
iPad 1 - no, iPad 2 - yes |
| External CD/DVD connectivity |
Yes, through included USB adapter |
No |
Price |
$999 (includes PTP-PC AAC software, MJ PCS picture library and Neospeech high-quality voices; includes Tablet Speaker; includes Carry Case, includes Tablet Stand |
$866 ($499 (16 GB), then add Carry Case $79, Tablet Speaker $69, Tablet Stand $39, and Proloquo2Go $180, to be comparable with Auggie) |
Applicatons available |
Any Windows software, including my PTP-PC
AAC
software (included), or
SDPro |
140,000+, only from Apple Store; does not run "Mac" programs |
| Special
Needs
software |
Any
of
the
*thousands*
that
have
been available for the past 20 years |
Limited, but growing selection |
*** Menu button - The iPad, like the
iPhone and iPod Touch, has a very
accessible menu button that takes you to the menu screen of the iPad
itself, where you launch apps from. This is a real problem for
some users that enjoy opening/closing applications. In other
words, if you are in Proloquo2Go, for example, and excellent AAC app,
the user can press their menu button at any time and they will *exit*
the app! Not good. With my PTP-PC AAC program on the
netbook (or PC), I can lock them into the AAC software. You can NOT
prevent the user from doing this on their iPad. *This is a major
consideration*!