Apple to sell $899 20-inch aluminum iMac to schools
Apple this week quietly announced plans to begin selling an aluminum 20-inch iMac configuration to qualified educational institutions for just $899, effectively closing the book on the white 17-inch legacy model that had previously assumed a similar role.
Buyers authorized to make purchases for their educational institution can begin pre-ordering the new aluminum systems today for delivery in about a month. Each $899 20-inch iMac includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics subsystem.
The new offering replaces a $899 version of Apple's white 17-inch iMac that the company had held over since 2006 in an effort to allow institutions hit hard by tax revenues declines to continue to factor Macs into their refined budgets.
Interestingly, the move comes less than a month after the Mac maker issued an eNews letter promoting updates to the legacy 17-inch systems, suggesting something in the last three weeks prompted the company to upgrade the specialized $899 offering to the latest aluminum designs, which feature a display with a 3-inch wider viewing area.
The news also means that the white iMac casing, introduced in August of 2004 as the enclosure for the then cutting-edge iMac G5, has now officially been put to rest. All iMacs, both education and consumer, now use the Aluminum design introduced alongside updated iMacs in August of 2007.
Apple's new iMac lineup for educational institutions.
The new $899 iMac is available for order from the Apple Store for Education Institutions but is not available to individual educational buyers or students with access to the Apple Store for Education.
Buyers authorized to make purchases for their educational institution can begin pre-ordering the new aluminum systems today for delivery in about a month. Each $899 20-inch iMac includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics subsystem.
The new offering replaces a $899 version of Apple's white 17-inch iMac that the company had held over since 2006 in an effort to allow institutions hit hard by tax revenues declines to continue to factor Macs into their refined budgets.
Interestingly, the move comes less than a month after the Mac maker issued an eNews letter promoting updates to the legacy 17-inch systems, suggesting something in the last three weeks prompted the company to upgrade the specialized $899 offering to the latest aluminum designs, which feature a display with a 3-inch wider viewing area.
The news also means that the white iMac casing, introduced in August of 2004 as the enclosure for the then cutting-edge iMac G5, has now officially been put to rest. All iMacs, both education and consumer, now use the Aluminum design introduced alongside updated iMacs in August of 2007.
Apple's new iMac lineup for educational institutions.
The new $899 iMac is available for order from the Apple Store for Education Institutions but is not available to individual educational buyers or students with access to the Apple Store for Education.
Comments
I thought we had seen the last of 1GB Macs. Oh well. Someday....
Do school computers really need more than 1GB?
The only Uni in my country that use iMac and not PC are the art related and 1Gb can not be good for 3D modeling!
Do school computers really need more than 1GB?
Browser today like Firefox can eat up 200MB easily, especially when running several Web 2.0 apps or running the useless Flash at the same time.
The news also means that the white iMac casing, introduced in August of 2004 as the enclosure for the then cutting-edge iMac G5, has now officially been put to rest. All iMacs, both education and consumer, now use the Aluminum design introduced alongside updated iMacs in August of 2007.
Wow! My white iMac (24 inch) became a "classic" today!
Great price point, but I always think a 20" monitor is just too big for students. It reminds me of the "Easy" internet cafes you would see in Europe... almost like a factory with the ratio of human space to computer space.
A 20" monitor is fine, especially when the screen isn't as close to you as a laptop would be.
A 20" monitor is fine, especially when the screen isn't as close to you as a laptop would be.
Agreed, the article does not say what they will be using the computers for. With those specs I would assume nothing more than internet, word type programs.
However, they could be used to run Photoshop and other programs. Our college runs Photoshop CS3 on similar set up. Its not great but you can teach the students how to use the program, if you start doing to many high res layers... its all over.
What would the disadvantage be?
Entering numbers at a faster rate i.e., anything mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance. Look at any calculator -even the one on the iPhone to see the layout for fast entry. Dropping the numeric section off a keyboard was a BIG mistake for a Mac, the "educational" computer.
Fine for home - dumb for education
Browser today like Firefox can eat up 200MB easily, especially when running several Web 2.0 apps or running the useless Flash at the same time.
<tangent>
Google Chrome will solve that problem once it's available for Mac.
Each tab is its own individual process and when you close it, the memory it used is released back to the system.
I hate how Firefox and IE get "bloated" and just hog more and more memory as you use them.
</tangent>
"Sorry, we didn't learn no numberin' in high school, so your so called 'offer' is meaningless to me."
Entering numbers at a faster rate i.e., anything mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance. Look at any calculator -even the one on the iPhone to see the layout for fast entry. Dropping the numeric section off a keyboard was a BIG mistake for a Mac, the "educational" computer.
Fine for home - dumb for education
Yes, it's a pity Macs don't accept any other kind of keyboard.
I think it would make sense with the smaller keyboard too.
A 15" iMac thin client machine would also be cool.(I work on a 15" MacBook Pro everyday)
No Hard drive.
No Optical drive.
Integrated graphics.
They should be sold in 10-packs to schools and businesses.
This would be the perfect complement to Apple's NetBoot technology in OS X Server.
Entering numbers at a faster rate i.e., anything mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance. Look at any calculator -even the one on the iPhone to see the layout for fast entry. Dropping the numeric section off a keyboard was a BIG mistake for a Mac, the "educational" computer.
Fine for home - dumb for education
How many millions of laptops are used every day for mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance...and don't have a keypad?
How do they do it?
I would love to see a 17" iMac in the aluminum body style.
I think it would make sense with the smaller keyboard too.
A 15" iMac thin client machine would also be cool.(I work on a 15" MacBook Pro everyday)
No Hard drive.
No Optical drive.
Integrated graphics.
They should be sold in 10-packs to schools and businesses.
This would be the perfect complement to Apple's NetBoot technology in OS X Server.
Interesting ideas, all of them.
However, if Apple implemented these, they'd be creeping into the mid to low-end market which is contrary to their current business model.
What kind of profit margins would there be on 10-packs of 15" iMac thin client machines?
Entering numbers at a faster rate i.e., anything mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance. Look at any calculator -even the one on the iPhone to see the layout for fast entry. Dropping the numeric section off a keyboard was a BIG mistake for a Mac, the "educational" computer.
Fine for home - dumb for education
Most laptops don't have them either, and a lot of business is done on laptops. Not saying I don’t see where you’re coming from, I would call it more of an inconvenience, rather than disadvantage. I like the slim minimalistic design that apple created with its keyboards; however, I prefer my Logitech keyboard and mouse with all my extra customizable buttons and quick links. Maybe it is just me but the more buttons that are offered the more I like it (With-in reason of course). If apple came out with a full sized highly customizable keyboard with their current style, I would most likely get it. Also on the mouse, I like how mine is curved and allows my hand to rest comfortably in it, the might mouse just doesn’t do it for me.
How many millions of laptops are used every day for mathematical/statistical/ accounting/ finance...and don't have a keypad?
How do they do it?
Well, up until the release of the second generation MacBook Pro, Apple laptops did indeed have a numeric keypad, under the 789/uio/jkl/m keys, accessed using the function key. I certainly miss it whenever I'm using a calculator or inputting more than a few numbers on my MacBook Pro, it's one of those 'step backwards' design decisions Apple make from time to time.
As for Apple's move to the aluminium iMacs, perhaps it is nothing more than Apple continuing their environmental commitment - although, they still do make the white MacBook, so maybe it's nothing more complex than it being cheaper for Apple to discontinue manufacturing the 17" iMac and make a low-end 20" aluminium version in its stead?