Ipads & E-Textbooks

I love technology - no question.  I'm a geek and proud of it - I know my dad would be proud.
That said, I have NEVER made the argument that computers would replace teachers, nor have I made the argument that bad teachers become good teachers with technology.
The fact of the matter is that great teachers who utilize technology effectively offer a great value to their students in this day and age.
So now we have teachers who can use computers effectively for grades and presentations and lectures and research and other stuff, and we have students who seem innately capable of exploring technology and are hooked on its multimedia/communication elements.  Blending the two together effectively so that learning takes place is NOT automatic.  For a school to effectively use computers in the classroom requires teachers who are willing to teach students who actually integrate the computer as a part of the learning process.
Now Apple produces a $600 tablet computer and signs a deal with the major textbook manufacturers so that it can offer Ipads to students with all of their textbooks available electronically.  Is this a game changer?
For us, it may well be.  I don't like students spending $400 annually to carry 100 lbs. of textbooks that they have to lug around.  What if they could carry around a "universal device" like the Ipad that contained all of their textbooks electronically.  Instead of lugging around a heavy object for hours on end, what if they carried around a productivity tool that enabled them to read, research, write, communicate, calculate....the list goes on and on.  A teacher could easily adjust to the availability of an electronic textbook - what's the transition? Having an electronic textbook that could also enable a student to write an essay, do research, prepare a presentation, etc. has significant value to me, especially when we are preparing students for college & professional careers in which these tools are and will be ever-present.

My guess is that we will thoroughly explore the Ipad/E-Textbook solution during the 2010-2011 calendar year to determine if it represents an academic, intellectual and financial benefit to us.  Here's the first article I've seen of a school that is testing the devices this summer: http://trib.com/news/local/article_f16bc845-df1c-54a1-a0be-196a42cb6ad2.html