The first seven exclusive "Steve Jobs schools" have opened their doors across a number of cities in the Netherlands. Starting from today, schools in the Dutch cities of Sneek, Breda, Almere, Emmen, Heenvliet and Amsterdam will start teaching students according to the principles of the O4NT, or Onderwijs voor een nieuwe tijd (Education for a new era), which emphasizes the role of the iPad in an elementary school environment. The program, which was first proposed by Dutch officials back in March 2012, gives every child access to a "virtual school" through an iPad and helps them develop information and communication technology (ICT) and information processing skills, collaboration techniques and a critical, problem-solving and creative mind.
The O4NT foundation is currently in talks with a number of school boards across the Netherlands and they hope that more schools will sign up the model next year. The program has a number of benefits: apart from teaching children useful skills, school hours and vacations are a lot more flexible under the new model — as the "virtual school" is accessible round the clock, 365 days a year (although the Dutch Ministry of Education is currently preventing this scenario due to legislative restrictions) — and the ICT-based approach also has a major impact on the role of the teacher. According to O4NT's press release:
In the O4NT approach, teachers will no longer simply convey knowledge to a group of children; they will be transformed into coaches that support children with their individual and group projects. Because educational apps are used for basic skills, the learning process can be completely adapted to the individual child’s learning speed and style.
O4NT is also planning an international version of the program, allowing Dutch expatriate children around the world to attend full-time education via their iPad. O4NT International, as it has been dubbed, is expected to launch in early 2014.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Just cut this crap and give a proper school, with proper teaching, and maintain a degree of discipline. A lot of children abuse their privileges, and blame the school for that. iPads can work well for textbooks and interactive programs, but should never take the job of the teachers.
The first seven exclusive "Steve Jobs schools" have opened their doors across a number of cities in the Netherlands. Starting from today, schools in the Dutch cities of Sneek, Breda, Almere, Emmen, Heenvliet and Amsterdam will start teaching students according to the principles of the O4NT (http://o4nt.nl), or*Onderwijs voor een*nieuwe tijd*(Education for a new era), which emphasizes the role of the iPad in an elementary school environment. The*program, which was first proposed (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/23/dutch-committee-proposes-to-build-steve-jobs-ipad-equipped-classroom/) by Dutch officials back in March 2012, gives every child access to a "virtual school" (https://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/02/dutch-officials-set-to-open-11-ipad-only-steve-jobs-schools-for-children/) through an iPad and helps them develop information and communication technology (ICT) and information processing skills, collaboration techniques and a critical, problem-solving and creative mind.
Image (https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-21-at-2.41.58-pm.png)
The O4NT foundation is currently in talks with a number of school boards across the Netherlands and they hope that more schools will sign up the model next year. The program has a number of benefits: apart from teaching children useful skills, school hours and vacations are a lot more flexible under the new model -- as the "virtual school" is accessible round the clock, 365 days a year (although the Dutch Ministry of Education is currently preventing this scenario due to legislative restrictions) -- and the ICT-based approach also has a major impact on the role of the teacher. According to O4NT's press release:
O4NT is also planning an international version of the program, allowing Dutch expatriate children around the world to attend full-time education via their iPad. O4NT International, as it has been dubbed, is expected to launch in early 2014.
Article Link: First Seven iPad-Only 'Steve Jobs Schools' Open in the Netherlands (https://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/21/first-seven-ipad-only-steve-jobs-schools-open-in-the-netherlands/)
Sad news, I live there not that that's important but paper textbooks are way better for your eyes in my opinion, altough using iPads for some tasks isn't really bad but meh, we'll see.
I think there is no scientific reason why there should be any difference between paper and iPad books for eyes.
But no real stylus suport in iPad makes it quite limited for education.
Backlit displays are more tiring for your eyes than paper or e-ink displays, and research has shown that prolonged exposure to bright backlit displays (before going to bed) can cause sleeping problems.
The economics of education make all the pie-in-the-sky idealism about education moot. Now that we're getting useful data on the effectiveness of both new & traditional education systems long-term, we're finally seeing just how prohibitive the total costs of traditional education are to its continuation.
Like it or not, change is coming.
Looking at data is only a small piece of the picture. Most of education is social and can't be taught on an iPad.
You have to learn that you need to wait your turn, not everyone can talk at once, that you will be judged by third parties, how to put up with bullies and ignorant people, how to avoid getting in trouble, how to deal with dating, differences in background, diversity, varying talents, handicapped people, sports, music, etc.
This data obsession is beyond stupid..it's one of the biggest problems. Schools exist for far more than any test score and I deeply question outlays of valuable--very limited--resources on new technology.
I'm not a luddite either....I like tech or I wouldn't be here. But, I also don't doubt that a kid would see far more benefits from having 10-1 student teacher ratios rather than 35-1 and iPads.
