One of the schools up here has had iPads for over a year now. I think it has been very successful for them. There are a lot more educational apps for the ipad vs other windows and android tablets.
I would challenge this.
Given that for the past 20 years the defacto standard in schools has been wintel.
and most programs that have been written for educational settings in those past 20 years will run on windows 8, (except the 16 bit ones obviously, but they were written a bit longer than 20 years ago). (anything made and compiled on windows 95 and upwards will likely run on windows 8).
plus educational establishments will already have familiarity, training and existing licenses for any applications that will run on windows.
Whilst what's available for Ipad has been limited to a few years of design, a lot just ported from the iphone to a bigger screen, some developed for the ipad, but most at cost. and probably still waiting to be approved for adding to any kind of state approved syllabus.
I would think that there are FAR more educational programs, (that can be run in non-metro mode) than there are apps for either Iphone, or android, (or iphone+android.) -of course this won't be true of all variants of the windows 8 type devices as the arm powered devices won't have all software ported and compiled for them.
(which of course is also true of my previous post championing Linux devices -there are less educational applications than other solutions.)
Truthfully if schools wanted to get tablet devices, and were willing to pay large amounts of money for the devices, they'd do better to buy windows 8 machines.
which will work seamlessly with their existing networks, existing printers, existing software, existing documents in proprietary formats, existing back office software for attendance etc, and existing group policies regarding access / program installation /restrictions etc...
Of course, I still argue that tablets are not needed. (laptops, or micro computers such as the Raspberry pi are "good enough")
the $199 OLPC is good enough.
the $100 OLPC tablet is even better for the money.
I guess what I'm saying is:
"as a tax payer, I want value for money"
As an It buyer I can get 30 ipads @ $500 each and equip 1 class with computers.
OR I can buy OLPC tablet at $100. except now I can buy 150 and equip the who school (5 year groups of 30 per class) with the same budget.
And I'm still likely to be able to exert more control over my Linux tablet as a more enterprise level tech than I could have over an ipad.