University is handing out iPads like candy

College libraries have been lending laptops to students on short-term loans for years. Clearly, computers are deemed to be essential for work and education alike. But as ubiquitous as Coca-Cola? At Drexel University in Philadelphia, yes. The university recently teamed up with the Free Library of Philadelphia to create a vending machine that delivers iPads with the push of a button. Each is available for a four-hour loan to anyone with a student ID or library card. The trend is to provide extra-easy access to the widest range of people. Best of all, the tablets come pre-loaded with educational and other intellectually enriching apps, many of which would be prohibitively expensive for individual users to buy. While the iPad vending machine may seem like a costly invitation to theft or vandalism, it turns out that the delivery system itself is something of a trend: Drexel has successfully done it before in the form of a 24-hour laptop dispenser. Do we see a smart watch dispenser in Drexel’s future?