Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Had a Nice Session With Apple Yesterday

I was at a session with some Apple engineers yesterday and the topic was Apple's Lion Server (10.7.1)  I now manage a number of iPad labs and I wanted to explore some possible tools for doing that job better.

I think I was at the meeting about a week early.  10.7.2 is due out any minute now as is iOS 5.  7.1 does a lot to control hardware both iOS and X on your network.  Plenty of tools to help supervise kid use of the network.  If you are looking for ways to help control what apps kids can use and their privileges while on your network, Server is the tool that will help.

I wonder what 7.2 is going to do to improve on 7.1.  I didn't bother asking many questions about what is next, because I know that those Apple engineers won't say a word before its time.

But I have an idea or two for Apple.

How about a way to push App installs out to iPads without having to connect to a computer?  I have several labs and it would be great if we are going more to the network with iOS 5 to have the ability to tell the labs that they need to get this app from this account at the app store.  Without having to physically go to the lab or hunt all the iPads down.  Maybe that script is in there, but if it isn't...

If we are going to the cloud with iOS, I would love to have a way to lock the kids' iPads down enough so a student can't really add an app to an iPad on or off of our network.  That ability may be there already, and it is just a matter of applying a strategy with Lion Server, but I just really don't want to have to remove a bunch of waste of space apps on 100s of iPads.  The off-our-network scenario is pretty spooky to me.  But I don't want to lock the iPads up in the building if kids need them for special project at home or if we ever go to a 1:1 program here.  Please, Please, Please for this tool.

Well, mark me down as waiting for 10.7.2 and iOS 5.  AND a bunch more training.

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