What will Apple do for the education market?

[DHagan4755]

With handwriting on the wall for the eMac, do you think it's probable that Apple will release a 17-inch iMac using an Intel Core Solo and a lesser graphics card so they can get it into the eMac's price range for education?

As I look at the Mac mini, it's too small to be considered seriously merely from the point of view that it could easily be stolen.

What do you think ?

[Mr. Me]

Originally posted by DHagan4755
With handwriting on the wall for the eMac, do you think it's probable that Apple will release a 17-inch iMac using an Intel Core Solo and a lesser graphics card so they can get it into the eMac's price range for education?

As I look at the Mac mini, it's too small to be considered seriously merely from the point of view that it could easily be stolen.

What do you think ?

Apple developed the eMac because school administrators regarded the lampshade iMac as too flimsy for grade school computer labs. The iMac G5 and the new Intel-based iMacs are both much more rugged than even the eMac. There is no longer a need for a special computer targeted to the education market. Apple continues to give discounts on hardware and software for education institutions.

[MacRonin]

Tablets...

Apple needs tablets...

Everyone needs tablets...

Like on Star Trek: The Next Generation...!

I could see the MacPad mini, an Apple smartphone-ish device, say about 7" or so with widesceen... Able to remote admin servers & networks...

The MacPad, a take on the mythical 13" widescreen iBook everyone has been speculating on; aimed at the educational market...

And finally the MacPad Pro, a 15" model aimed at the business pro on-the-go; and a 17" model with extra GPU balls, aimed at the on-the-set/in-the-field creative pro crowd...

[/geek]

[vinea]

Originally posted by MacRonin
Tablets...

Apple needs tablets...

Everyone needs tablets...

Like on Star Trek: The Next Generation...!

I could see the MacPad mini, an Apple smartphone-ish device, say about 7" or so with widesceen... Able to remote admin servers & networks...

The MacPad, a take on the mythical 13" widescreen iBook everyone has been speculating on; aimed at the educational market...

And finally the MacPad Pro, a 15" model aimed at the business pro on-the-go; and a 17" model with extra GPU balls, aimed at the on-the-set/in-the-field creative pro crowd...

[/geek]

Yes, Apple needs tablets. I see some doctors offices switching from Macs to PC Tablets.

Handwriting recongition is still handled by the staff though. Windows Tablet barely reads my handwriting much less a doc's.

Vinea

[Voxapps]

I think the eMac could remain available indefinitely for the education market if Apple chooses to continue offering it.

It has several advantages over the new iMac, particularly for the elementary and middle school education market: the eMac is much less expensive than current iMacs; the CRT is still more rugged than an LCD; the eMac supports Classic and a lot of elementary educational software still runs in that environment; the eMac's multiple screen resolutions mean that educational software designed for 800x600 displays can fill the screen, rather than appearing in a reduced-size box centered in an LCD.

Of course, the iMac is more capable, has a much higher-quality display, is easier to move, easier to upgrade, and is much quieter, which are all valuable traits for computers in upper grade levels.

While the iMac is well-built, it is nowhere near as rugged as an eMac, which is built like the proverbial tank. The abuse - often unintentional - that computers take in elementary schools is remarkable. The fact that there are so many old eMacs, iMacs and even older Mac all-in-ones still running in schools is a testament to their ruggedness.

[IntlHarvester]

I know of one EDU customer who switched to the Mini because with a third party CRT, it's slightly cheaper than the eMac, not to mention easier to replace when the CRT fails. They already bolt everything down.

Also, 15" LCDs are now around $200, so an edu package with a cable lock is certainly possible as well.

[psychboy]

Originally posted by Mr. Me
Apple developed the eMac because school administrators regarded the lampshade iMac as too flimsy for grade school computer labs. The iMac G5 and the new Intel-based iMacs are both much more rugged than even the eMac. There is no longer a need for a special computer targeted to the education market. Apple continues to give discounts on hardware and software for education institutions.

They don't need a special computer, per se, but they do need a computer at the right price point if they want to expect schools to stick with Macs. Even with educational discounts, the current cheapest iMac is still well more expensive than the eMac.

[Rolo]

I'm thinking of an iBook variant that has no HD or optical drive. Just several gigs of flash memory and a 12" screen. It could be amazingly thin, light, and inexpensive. Pop it into its docking slot in a rolling cart and it autosyncs to a simple server. No maintenance headaches. Works perfectly every time. Could be rugged with a rubbery shell. Could have the screen flip 'n' fold around so it could convert into a tablet.

Flash prices are falling and densities are increasing. Apple could do something cool for education.

[curiousuburb]

Negroponte has proposed something similar... search for "$100 Laptop".
Apple passed on joining the consortium, as I recall.

Edu discounts are also no where near what they used to be... back in the 90s, edu discounts were more than 35%... now usually 10% or less.

[Mr. Me]

Originally posted by curiousuburb
Negroponte has proposed something similar... search for "$100 Laptop".
Apple passed on joining the consortium, as I recall.

You got it backwards. Apple offered MacOS X to the consortium. Apple's offer was rejected on the grounds that the consortium did not want a proprietary OS. It chose Linux instead.

Originally posted by curiousuburb
Edu discounts are also no where near what they used to be... back in the 90s, edu discounts were more than 35%... now usually 10% or less.

Actually, they were greater than that. I seem to recall the education discount during the late 1980's for IBM PS/2's was somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% and about 40% for Macs. The reason that the discount is so small today is that computer profit margins are very small to non-existent.