Google wants to be in schools

Google is good at winning. We need to pay attention to google's inroads in k-12 and the tablet space.

iPads paried with the iOS app catalog made for easy decisions. Apple clearly had the best stuff a few years ago. I am not sure if that trend will continue. It will be interesting to see where we end up, if iOS will continue to win for our tablet of choice. With google apps, chromebooks and now an improving android app catalog, there is real competition.

The Reviews Are In: Android Apps Outshone iOS Apps In 2013 – ReadWrite:

A year ago, we could say with certainty that users preferred iOS apps to similar or equivalent Android apps, because we had the data to prove it. Now the 2013 results are in ... and this time Android apps have walked away with the affections of users.

Google is courting K - 12 education with Play for Education. They now have Houghton Mifflin Harcourt content in the Play for Education store.

Google Makes a Play for Educators; HMH Signs On
Read more at http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/02/03/google-makes-a-play-for-educators-hmh-signs-on.aspx#eswhP2caMvhHSlue.99

Google Play for Education is a "content store" specifically for educators that provides Web content, some free and some for sale, organized by subject, grade, and learning standard. That content can be distributed directly to devices in use by schools or classes. The program also sells tablet computers in bulk to schools and districts.
The materials to be added by HMH can be read on Android tablets, Google Chromebooks or online via the Play Books reader.

Moving away for iPad would be costly in many ways, but may gain us a more unified ecosystem and lower acquisition costs.

One thing is for sure, something will change.