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98 Comments
- szelij, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18It's a damn good deal. You don't need a high-end latest tech model for schoolwork. $48 is a deal...goddamn we should do that sort of thing here.
- Raider007, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11it looks like a lot of people's reading comprehension isn't really that good based on the replies.
read it again people, they aren't buying the laptops from apple for $48, they are paying the remaining balance on the laptops if they want to keep them. the state is the one that has been paying for them for the last 3-4 years. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9> OSX is FreeBSD with Darwin over it
BZZZT, wrong. Mac OS X has an XNU kernel, based on Mach, which together with a BSD userland is called Darwin; what makes it 'Mac OS X' is the Quartz-powered Aqua interface. Thanks for playing, try again. - SkeletaLlama, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I live in Maine, both my younger brother and sister got laptops through this deal. They can bring them home and access the internet through our WiFi to do their schoolwork. They also have WiFi in the classrooms. It's a really fantastic program. Other than a few breakages due to carelessness (parents are required to pay for insurance on the laptops), it's been a big success. I wish we'd had this when I was that age. All our school had was a few iMacs that were offline with a single black and white printer.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7A lot of those kids are gonna get jacked for their *****
- Haplo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Linux is not *BSD and vice versa. It's perfectly possible to dislike one and like the other.
- merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Schools have _always_ gotten good deals on apple hardware -- at least they have around here; of course I live within 30 miles of Apple's main campus in Cupertino.
It's a big marketing move, I guess.
1) Make schools an offer on mac hardware they can't refuse
2) Kids grow up using macs in schools
3) Profit! (when said kids theoretically grow up and buy macs) - Logan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@retral - On the contrary, most 8th/7th graders DO know how and DO care to take care of computers. I know I do.
- matt0baba, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8thats still alot... it comes to a grand total somewhere near 1.5 mill/.
- IcanFLY, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7The article says they laptops were payed for by the state to give all grade 7 and 8 students access to one. Now the program is getting updated ibooks so the old ibooks are up in limbo as state-owned. The $48 is for the school's to pay the remaining balance of the cost of the ibook and then the school gets ownership of the laptop, meaning they can use them in other classes, offer them to low-income families, etc. The full cost of the laptop has already been payed by the state. This has really nothing to do with apple at all, but rather to deal with the state of Maine. Any Apple discounts would be the $50 or whatever "Educational Discount" and probably a little more as a large account discount. To apple, it is simply the same as 30,000 college students who bought their own ibooks in terms of the discounts and repair costs.
- Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Just cause you can't afford a Mac, doesn't mean you can't afford a bar of soap!
- briangig, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@mfrattL that would be great..but not everyone can afford private high school...or the latest in laptop technologies, or hell even a few years old technology. Not everyone is rolling in cash...or in an area in the country where it is easy to make money.
- dtrask, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I am a technology director in Maine....I have been involved with the program since its inception 5 years ago....to answer all the questions....7th and 8th graders CAN and DO take fine care of laptops in most instances....hence the reason the project has been successful and is thus being renewed. To KSUdesigner....quit whining....most kids ain't as spoiled as you and many cannot afford a decent meal...much less a laptop. For those of you who said RTFA....as tsprague said (and he should know as he was the director of the project)....the $48 represents the remaining balance on the laptops....thus the reason schools can buy them for $48. The state is not looking to make any money on the deal....they simply want to get rid of the laptops to make room for the new deployment...and in the process put them into the hands of schools who will use them. There's a famous saying coined by the New York newspapers...."As Maine goes....so goes the nation"....Maine was the first state to have schools with chem-free graduations....Project Graduation back in the late 70's....Maine had the largest laptop deployment of its kind involving hundreds of schools...etc. Maine learned from the mistakes of the Henrico, VA county deployment. Wanna' know how to do 1 to 1 right? Visit Maine and we'll show ya' You'll also be pleased to know that Maine is also a leader in Linux deployments in schools...in fact my school is primarily a K12LTSP based school. (PS....the laptops were $300 per year over 4 years...do the math....that's a $1200 laptop, but also realize that cost included extra software and infrastructure such as wireless in every classroom....etc)
- gdrewpowers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Am I the only one who thinks that as soon as the photo of that "integration specialist" was taken, all of the iBooks slid out of his lap hit the floor?
- TheSevenDuffs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5they've been paying for the iBooks for the past 3-4 years, it's not like they're just buying 30000 directly from apple for $48 a peice
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5these are used used laptops, so I apple already made their money from them.
- kevnaca, on 10/12/2007, -3/+64 year old ibooks but still very fun to use. That's one heck of a deal for $48! You can't get a windows laptop that comes close to that bargain. Even if they were used "hard" ilbet they still look damn good.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Poor high school students. Nothing, a big empty nothing for them - unless you get those middle schoolers to sell their laptops to you for candy
- pap3rw8, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Good for them. $48 is a great deal for any recent laptop, especially one capable of running OSX.
Although, I don't know how much I trust 7th and 8th graders with laptops...
I give it 3 weeks 'til they fill them with pr0n and pirated mp3s and then come crying to the sysadmins about it. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+11Apple has ALWAYS subsidized educational purchases. Why else do you think schools would use them instead of PCs running a 'real-world' OS and real apps that the students will encounter out of the classroom.
Its been a calculated descision to subsidize them in the hopes that teachers and kids will go on to buy apple after leaving school. Of course in reality, as soon as the exessive price is found out and the limited software range available is known, the ppl buy PCs instead. - atrain, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Most things should be fine for a computer like this, except CPU intencive things.
Perfect for students, things like these are great for typing + music + surfing.... - KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Well I'd hope he read the wrong name, but if you're going to bash someone directly make sure you are speaking to the right person when you do it next time. To comment on your PS dtrask....would the state really have paid the full $1200 that the general public pays for an iBook? Surely they have some sort of discounted price for such a large bulk purchase.
- spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2These computers are pretty locked down. I've gotten a chance to play with a couple of the ones that the Teachers get and even those are bolted down pretty tight. I can't imagine what the laptops the students use are like. Still, though, they have all the functionality that's actually needed in a laptop, so it doesn't become a problem.
Also, to my knowledge, they don't get to keep the laptops. They're turned in every day or two to the school for maintenance and such. - busta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I believe dtrask read the wrong name, I think he was talking to mfratt who's reply was directly above yours.
- jpesicka2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you can but them that cheap from apple if you buy them in bulk, also bulk doesn't mean 20 it means 20,000+
- IcanFLY, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't think Apple donated anything. The state payed for all the computers and now when they upgrade, the previous ones are being "sold" to the schools to be used for other purposes than the original program to get laptops to all grade 7/8 students. To Apple it is just a standard large account purchase by the state with a little bit of an educational discount. This same system would apply if it were Dell or IBM machines, etc. Apple has already made their profit from the sale of the machines. To them it is just another large-account sale.
- mycatsboots, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It probably doesn't matter to Apple. They have retail stores by the balls with the iPod. Stores actually _lose_ money with each iPod they sell. However, having the iPod in stock draws people to the store, and when consumers buy the iPod, they usually buy accessories. These accessories are at ridiculous high mark ups, so this is where the stores can make their money back. I.E. Leather Case for iPod costs my store under five dollars, but sells from anywhere from 30-60 dollars.
- KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3RTFA...the schools do not pay $48 to own the computer, they must pay the balance if they want to own it, therefore they cannot resell it until they pay the balance on it. Still though, Apple has to be losing a decent amount of money on them, I can't imagine that all of them will be in good shape when they get returned, especially given the age range of the students using them.
- Ungh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2A clarification is in order. These laptops were bought new 4 years ago, they are at the end of their life--span. Yes, they are (for the most part) in good shape, but the $48 price is what the state is offering them to the schools for, if the schools wish to keep the program alive. My daughter has one, and although it's named after a fruit, it serves her purposes as a student fine.
- openbah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2mfratt, do you live in Maine? Why do you care what Maine's taxpayers do with their money? I think this is a great idea and there are MANY worse things a state can spend 1.5 million dollars on.
- EN7r0py, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2its the schools laptop, so hed just have to pay them for it, unless hes gonna dodge that somehow.
- TuckWat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I use my g3 iBook all the time at college now, and I bought it from my school for 50$ a year ago. Runs Ubuntu + XFCE very well.
- panique, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Cool. Pay the lease for 4 months, then you can pay $48 to own it. Just like the article.
- EN7r0py, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i was in 7th grade when the program started 4 years ago. The laptops we were using were perfectly suited for the task. We were able to word process and browse the web fine, and they ran a few games well too- (ghost recon 2). The main problem with the program is that the students know more than the majority of the teachers.
That is a sweet deal, im hoping that eventually they'll have one of those sales like the one last year where they sell a bunch of the old ones for 50$ each. Maybe ill go and get to trample some old ladies and baby strollers - jsbarone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2As far as recieving the laptops back in good condition, I'm sure that Apple's got insurance on them. If they were stupid enough not to get insurance, I'd be willing to bed they'd make more than enough money back reselling the busted ones for parts. Also, this is probably some kind of tax write off.
- spiderland, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6I bet at least one of the kids sells his laptop for drugs in a few months.
- akadruid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@DrGonzo1184, anything containing 'real world OS' is an ms troll. Let's face, everyone in the business gives educational discount to acquire those future customers - in software, MS are the most guilty of all, but Apple and others do the same. It makes financial sense, like student bank accounts with great freebies - many people stay hooked to a bank for life - and in the case of MS and Apple it makes sense to persuade the schools to train students on their software, to keep the market share & vendor lock in. 10 million + kids this year alone will be taught to think Microsoft Word == word processing.
It's as well this is limited to software. Can you image a world where kids were taught to write with a Bic not a pen, to use a Black and Decker instead of a drill, or later on, to drive a Ford not a car? Government sponsored vendor lockin is bad enough in software! - Clbck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes. Games on Macs. While they aren't the new games (I have my PC at home for that), they are good to pass a period. People also use them on the buses to and from school.
Oh yeah, and in Washington, the project is newer. 768MB of RAM, 1.2ghz, 60 GB harddrive. (Lots of people seem to be complaining about them above). - shanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1skakillers, your perspective is far from the truth. Too bad your school technical coordinator is not doing their job. In the Maine project, Apple is under contract to make sure that no student goes without a laptop for more than 24 hours. your technical coordinator can login to a website and get a battery shipped out in just 15 minutes for next day arrival. The latches are under warranty and can be repaired at no cost to your school. Also, just so you are aware, there are only 1000 500 MHz iBooks, the rest of the distribution is made up of ~17,000 600 MHz, ~15,000 700 MHz, and a handful of 800 MHz iBooks.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'll sell you a P-P-P-Powerbook for $48. . .
- mikes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wish i livded in that area
- jk_baller23, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'll take one for $48, even if it is 4 years old.
- tsprague, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I used to work on this project and can assure you that Maine paid much more than $48 for each laptop, but the package included wireless networks in 245 schools, four years of Applecare, an Apple staff to support the project and other pieces as well.
The laptops were all leased so this $48 represents the buyout portion of that lease, the schools will own the iBook and the ones they don't buy will be owned by the State government, but schools will also have the option to buy extras from other schools to either use as a spare pool or to expand to other grade levels. - GordZ, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Is that James Cameron Holding that stack of Ibooks? hmmm
- nelsonjj1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i wish my school did this for us. i know they're old, but think if you were the group that got to use them new...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Dammit, does anyone read these things?
"Now, four years later, the state has paid off most of the cost of those first laptops." $48 is the BALANCE left to pay on these after 4 years of paying, it has zero relation to the real purchase price.
If I read another comment about trying to get the same deal from Apple I'm going to puke. It's embarrassing, folks, just take a glance at the article before you comment. And whoever wrote the headline, give me a break. - MOJIRA, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1they did this in my highschool for all grades in bradenton florida last year before i graduated... theyre still doing it now too. even odder is, they tried this out in my old middle school before they tried it out in highschool. weird eh? i even heard elementary students had something remotely similar though way more restricted going on.
- erkokite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I went to high school in Maine. I was 2 classes ahead of the first class with laptops, so my brother got one and I didn't. The laptops were all white iBook G3's, although they are G4's now. Generally, like smelly little freshman *****, they only used them to browse joecartoon, stickdeath, ebaumsworld, etc... The upperclassmen thought they were all a colossal waist of money, and undoubtedly so did most parents.
- KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You can't buy them THAT cheap ($48) from apple in bulk. I'm sure they give some sort of discount for huge bulk purchases, but there's no way they'd sell them for less than the cost to manufacture it.
- turpialito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13 - 4 year old machines are more than decent enough for elementary and high school use. For an idea of the then-available configs check these links out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Apple_Macintosh_models
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBook_%28white%29
http://www.lowendmac.com/ibooks/12-100.html
(not that low-end, thought. They'll still run Final Cut Pro 4)
Even my wife could use one
; ) -
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