Technology is taking over the way we socialize, conduct business, shop, and learn. In some ways, the gadgets and gizmos are a godsend that fill a precise void in our lives, in others, they’re useless time-wasters that only contribute to the ADD of America. The argument for the iPad supports both sides, but with Apple’s launch of iBooks 2 in January, and the inclusion of high school textbooks, some critics think Apple may be revolutionizing education, while others argue it only furthers the money-driven divide between the rich and the poor.

The first issue to enter the debate is cost. We know that textbook publishers make a pretty penny by updating the Table of Contents and releasing a new edition. College students may be fooled, but high school supervisors rarely fall for this trick. More often than not, public high schools are using textbooks that are so old they’re inaccurate. We’re not talking so-old-twitter-wasn’t-yet-a-word; we’re talking about books written when the gravity was still a theory.

That may be an exaggeration, or merely my high school’s M.O., but updating textbooks every time new science comes out is incredibly unrealistic when millions of teachers are without jobs. If the U.S. Government wanted to supply an iPad to every student in America, it would cost us $27 billion. That’s enough to pay a year’s salary to 675,000 teachers. On the other hand, the cost of supplying a brand-new school with a complete set of textbooks is staggering. When starting from scratch, the cost for iPads is about 50% less than that of textbooks. If you’re on the fence about iPads in America’s schools, check out the infographic below to see just how affordable or expensive it may be.

Created by: Online Teaching Degree