iPad or Chromebook: What’s better for your budget?

iPad or Chromebook? Chromebook or iPad? A debate that rivals Mac or PC, blue or red, Star Wars or Star Trek. Regardless of which education technology side you’re on now, there’s no denying that schools only want what’s best for students and educators, at a price that works within their budgets.

For many, this led to Chromebook being the device of choice due to its enticing upfront cost ($249 for Chromebook; $294 for iPad). In the short-run, this seems like the logical route for budget-strapped schools. But how long do schools typically keep their technology before purchasing new? Two years? Three years? Four years? More?

Where the iPad vs. Chromebook debate gets interesting
We partnered with technology trade-in company, Diamond Assets, to see if Chromebook really is a better value than iPad. For Chromebook schools, the results may surprise you.

When looking at residual value, iPad always comes out on top.

This is money that schools can put toward the next technology purchase. By looking at a total cost of ownership (TCO) model, as opposed to upfront cost alone, schools can save significant money in the long-run, over the entire lifespan of their technology.

With technology buyback companies paying top dollar for iPad devices, and little to nothing for Chromebook, it’s time for schools to reconsider their approach to education spending. The best educational technology is also the best for a school’s budget — and we have the stats to prove it.

Best time to trade-in iPad devices
Timing is everything, and to get the maximum return on your iPad investment, there is a good and a great time to sell your technology to a trade-in company. While most schools save their technology refreshes for the summer, presumably because class is not in session, they are missing out on thousands of dollars by waiting. The market is flooded with devices during the summer, so buyback companies pay less — upwards of $25 less per iPad.

Quick math: $25 x number of devices you’re trading = A LOT!

To ensure you get the absolute most out of your education technology, we created an e-book that takes a deeper dive in to the cost savings of iPad over Chromebook, as well as the cost savings and benefits of moving your iPad refreshes from summer to spring.