at almsot $300 a year, that would be $1,200 (or more like $1,150) per person. Apple can easily turn a profit with that.

+

If the actual cost of the program, per seat, is only $289 including the laptop, could this be a means of clearing out G4 iBook inventory in preparation for Intel iBooks, as well as (of course) a means of winning the contract? Anyone else find it odd that Apple would sign a 4-yr contract for technology it will make obsolete within the calendar year?

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mrmgraphics wrote:
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Anyone else find it odd that Apple would sign a 4-yr contract for technology it will make obsolete within the calendar year?

What does "obsolete" mean? Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, we have one of the richest counties and best-paid school systems in the country. I know for a fact that the elementary schools are using G3 iMacs with OS9 and have no plans to replace them anytime soon.

When it comes to teaching typing and writing book reports, honestly, these things ARE good enough! Yeah, I'm sure the High School newspaper and the video editing classes have something much newer, but the vast majority of students are using, and will continue to use, very, very old computers.

The cost of the program is actually $289 per year for fours years. That brings the total to $1156.

If the iBook replacement is announced in the next fortnight (as some are hoping) what are the chances that Apple would offer a swap to the new MB? I find it hard to believe that Apple isn't working on Edu versions - just like they did with the iMac.

Notice that with Macs there can be "Technology Co-ordinators" instead of the IT technical support staff needed to keep 36,000 PCs running . . .

Think they'll have a riot like sale when the contracts up?

http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784465530

mrmgraphics, the 4-year deal is for service and support. The notebooks will be purchased now and used over the next 4 years. if the schools need to buy more notebooks in a year or two, it will have to be the newer models I would think, once the G4s are no longer available.

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ireid2k wrote:
Think they'll have a riot like sale when the contracts up?

http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784465530

This is Maine. Unless you're auctioning off cases of Allen's Coffee Brandy, you won't see a rush like that.
And we're just coming off of a 4 year plan. We're not switching platforms, so I doubt we'll be having that kind of sale. The old ones will be kept for parts for years to come I am sure.

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Guest wrote:
at almsot $300 a year, that would be $1,200 (or more like $1,150) per person. Apple can easily turn a profit with that.

Of course they will profit. They are a business. But keep in mind, the it isn't just the laptops. Wireless networks for all participating schools, server storage and a few other bonuses are thrown into the deal as well.
Come to think of it... how much more do you think it would cost using MS Server's per-seat licensing? 36,000 students X $50/seat = $1.8Million (Last I knew MS seats were about $70, but I figure education licensing is different).

In MHO the iBooks aren't worth the $50. I will cost you more than that to replace the crappy power connector (non-standard of course) to the supply. All the iBooks at school have broken ones that make the laptops useless.

I agree with the fact that Apple has found a way to dump obsolete inventory and turn a very nice profit at the same time, all on the backs of the Maine tax payer!!!

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Guest wrote:
In MHO the iBooks aren't worth the $50. I will cost you more than that to replace the crappy power connector (non-standard of course) to the supply.

I'm sorry you have a bad opinion of iBooks, but I'm a bit confused by your "non-standard" comment. What exactly is a standard laptop power connector? Just out of curiousity, have you ever used any other laptop from any company ever in the history of computers? Because they ALL have different power connecters.

OK, I'll try not to be condescending. The connector that plugs into the iBook has the fancy little light that can be either green or orange. Well, the wire going into that connector doesn't have proper strain relief so it breaks after a while. On most other laptop power supplies (READ THAT AS 99% OF THE WORLD!) you can go to Radio Shack, buy a replacement plug, and solder it on. Cost: about $3. Apple in it's infinite wisdom put electronics in the plug so you can't buy a replacement at Radio Shack or anywhere else for that matter. You have to buy a whole new power supply for about $80 which is about double the value of the iBook itself.

Capiche?

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Guest wrote:
You have to buy a whole new power supply for about $80 which is about double the value of the iBook itself.

Capiche?

$40 iBooks?

No, I'm not capiche-ing. Where can I find one of these?

Read the above post!!! OK, they were $50. Sounds like street price to me!

Of course, I'm not sure those $50 ibooks had working power supplies included.

The "electronics in the plug" are not necessary for operation, as is evidenced by the third party options for power supplies (and there are some, including the iGo). If you can find the equivalent tip (which is a 2.5mm stereo audio jack for the newer machines, 3.5mm for the older ones) you could replace it quite easily. The outer shielding is actually not necessary (it is there for the light). Cost: $3.00 (Radio Shack).

Now, to say that it is more costly to replace the power supply than the value of the iBook could almost be considered trolling. The iBook has been an excellent machine. Very durable in classroom environments. Yes, they had a period with mobo failures, which they handled through replacement. The last couple of years especially have been quite reliable. It has also retained its value quite well.

I am not even sure why I am in this discussion.

http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/22/1243206

BTW, do you really think $1,100/laptop is a GREAT deal? Seems like the Maine tax payers are being ripped off for old technology.

The price is per year, for four years. This is not a $200 laptop.

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Guest wrote:
Read the above post!!! OK, they were $50. Sounds like street price to me!

Would that be YOUR post claiming $50 laptops? Or is that some other guest?

Either way, it seems made-up as I see NOTHING in the article claiming the school system is keeping the laptops after the 4 years. In other words, they are RENTALS. If I'm wrong about that, I can't find any evidence of it. The article and the source web site make no mention of laptops being kept. Only that they will be provided for 4 years.

That's a rental and it's a lot different than selling a laptop.

there should be a link in one of the above posts to a past article where florida dumped their ibooks at an electronics store for 50 bucks a pop and there was a 'mad rush' to buy them up even though they were G3s from around 2001, which are still usable with panther so long as you upgrade the memory (built in 128 mb or something like that, my second mac was a G3 ibook, which my sister is still using)

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Intruder wrote:


Now, to say that it is more costly to replace the power supply than the value of the iBook could almost be considered trolling.

See I was right. I am a troll. (not the one referenced in the previous post, who was not called a troll, but that his post could be construed as trolling. I,on the other hand, am definitely a troll.)

"See I was right. You will label anybody here a troll who has anything negative to say about Apple."

Bzzt. Wrong answer.

He got called a troll because he had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, with no effort to clue himself in.

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Anonymous wrote:

See I was right. I am a troll. (not the one referenced in the previous post, who was not called a troll, but that his post could be construed as trolling. I,on the other hand, am definitely a troll.)

Once again Intruder rewords posts. He said that the guest could be "construed" as a troll. Guest was not a troll, nor should even be thought of as one.

And once again you are trolling this forum. Have you no life outside of irritating others?

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Intruder wrote:
And once again you are trolling this forum. Have you no life outside of irritating others?

Irritating is calling other people trolls or considering they might be one when they aren't.

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Anonymous wrote:
Irritating is calling other people trolls or considering they might be one when they aren't.

Prove otherwise. The burden is on you, since you have done nothing but post to contradict anything and everything I say. Until then, you will be considered by this site as a troll. Simple as that.

This is not an argument that you will win.