Kindle Paperwhite

I read a review of the new Kindle Paperwhite, thinking I might consider it for my ereader grant, but the review points out two potential problems for our school situation:

1. The Paperwhite doesn't have an audio out port, and we like to have some struggling readers listen along while they read the text.
2. It doesn't come with a separate adapter, so I would need to purchase one for each device we order.  It is too cumbersome to try to recharge every device on a computer.  I do this currently with the iPad2 I have in the library.

I saw an iPad2 in action last week at a staff development day, as each of our high school students has one, as well as teachers who have gone through training.  The question we were discussing as we were looking at it was: Is the iPad too much for what we want it for?  We need to look at the cost vs. what the purpose of the device really is.

The high school students and librarians find it useful because they can access databases and other research sources through the iPad, but our elementary students would only be using it for reading for now.  We would download apps such as Google Play and the Kindle app for our ereader software.  We also looked at Mackin and Follett as possible sources of ebooks and will continue to research those options.  With the iPads we could expand our use of the device beyond reading ebooks to having apps for math or other subject areas.  Would we really do that, and how would we manage that with 518 students and just a few devices?

One more may enter the mix if the iPad Mini is introduced this week as some have speculated.  I'd like to see the specs and actually hold one to see what I think, along with thousands of other people, I'd guess!

Lots of questions, more research to come, and then a decision needs to be made by the beginning of November, when the grant applications are due.