Apple Supplying Henrico Middle Schools with iBooks

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Henrico County (Richmond, Virginia) has decided to renew (http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834000888&path=%21news&s=1045855934842) their contract with Apple in supplying iBooks to their middle school students.

Henrico had previously dropped (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2005/07/20050727130314.shtml) Apple from their High School program in favor of Dell. The high school Apple iBooks were sold off for $50 a piece and drew a lot of interest as well as a stampede (http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784548849).

The new contract is worth $16 million and supplies Henrico with 12,675 iBook laptops for $1,246 each. Interestingly, Dell's bid for the middle school contract was $1,111 per laptop.

[Whotheheck]

I guess they found out Dells SUCK :p

[rdowns]

You have to wonder why they took a bid for $171,000 more. I guess the Dell purchase at the high school level has proved less than successful.

[Nuc]

Apple may have said that iBook updates were imminent. Apple may possibly have let them in on what the future holds. Also the county would probably have to purchase mass amounts MS licenses. Apple may offer iWork for cheap... who knows.

Nuc

[Abstract]

$1246 is expensive for 12" iBooks, no?

And they better be getting the new Intel based ones. Maybe Herlico could purchase the G4 ones for less money.

[Johnny Malkavia]

Apple may have said that iBook updates were imminent. Apple may possibly have let them in on what the future holds. Also the county would probably have to purchase mass amounts MS licenses. Apple may offer iWork for cheap... who knows.

Nuc

That is possibly true. Lower total cost of ownership has always been lower for Macs. Also very likely to have factored in the decision is Apple's student information system, PowerSchool.

[Chundles]

$1246 is expensive for 12" iBooks, no?

And they better be getting the new Intel based ones. Maybe Herlico could purchase the G4 ones for less money.

They've probably got some updated specs (RAM, HDD) and some extra software on top of the stock model. Maybe Apple's given them some .Mac access too, who knows?

[redeye be]

$1246 is expensive for 12" iBooks, no?
I think it's even expensive for a 14" when buying over 12000.
They know something we don't.

;)

[macffooky]

D'ya reckon there'll be a stampede if they flog off the old Dells ?

[Staffroomer]

I like my iBook.. But I wish I could have been in on this deal.. :mad:

[mdriftmeyer]

this after June 30th signals in the new Intel iBooks.

[Mord]

this put a smile on my face :D, i highly doubt their will be a riot for 50 dollar dells.

[Abstract]

I think it's even expensive for a 14" when buying over 12000.
They know something we don't.

;)
Well apparently they don't know about economies of scale. :p

So lets assume that the iBook is getting new specs, but a price hike. Or we can just assume that they got something else in the deal that made each computer worth $1260, maybe AppleCare or something.

[Chundles]

Yeah, US$1111 Dell's are expensive too. They must have added some serious software/AppleCare support to sweeten the deal. I don't think Dell can offer the kind of integration with software and .Mac-style hosting services that Apple can.

i think they saw cheaper Dell's a false economy. They pay less now but they'll have to pay more in upkeep etc. in the future.

Anybody know when these are due to be delivered? I keep forgetting the US isn't starting it's school year now. Uni starts back for the new year next week and the schools have already begun their new year's.

[Mord]

ibook + office + applecare

[CaptainHaddock]

Considering:

1. All the useful software iBooks ship with (iWeb, iPhoto, etc)
2. The extra productivity software Apple might be throwing in (iWork)
3. The lesser resources needed for maintenance and fixing software problems

The Apple deal must work out to be significantly cheaper for the school than the Dell deal. Imagine buying all those copies of Office, some good anti-malware software, and then having to fix Dell bricks with hosed registries or spyware infestations.

[MacViolinist]

At best, Dell was probably offering Celeron-based 600m's with integrated video, XP pro and office basic and they wouldn't be taking any hit on cost for that price. More than likely, they were offering the Inspiron 3000's that they could hardly give away over Christmas at absurdly increased prices and hoping that the school would take a 14" in screen with "proven intel technology" over anything that Apple could offer. I'm glad they were wrong.

This is pure speculation...from someone who worked for Dell up until recently. I am ashamed, but it was decent money where and when I needed it. I got a haircut and now I make twice as much waiting tables in a much more organized environment. Dell sucks in every way possible.

[azdude]

Good news, but...

I'm sure the $1246 is mostly due to the spread-out cost of support, repair parts, infrastructure overhead, etc., and *possibly* the aforementioned software add-ons and hardware upgrades.

[dornoforpyros]

man what are those clowns smokin in this county? :rolleyes:

[sushi]

$1246 is expensive for 12" iBooks, no?
Maybe that cost includes Apple Care and possibly some other goodies such as a site license for MS Office.

[Buschmaster]

Yeah, I wouldn't get too excited because of the price. It doesn't mean an Intel iBook, however, why would Jobs sell them iBooks in June? I think they might keep the iBook name rather than using "MacBook." Who knows, it just seems weird to me that Apple is selling them these computers for this much, especially if they're going to be replaced soon (likely - It IS Apple) at which point the new iBooks would probably be considerably cheaper than the price listed here...

[sam10685]

dropping Apple for Dell... what a bunch of DUMB-ASS'.

[lopresmb]

two things to remember:

1) The june date has (ostensibly) nothing to do with new machines, it is simply the time when the current middle school contract runs out (that said, who knows if there were promises of new hardware or "whatever the latest release by June 1" or something like that)

2) This contract is still just for the middle schools, whereas the iBooks that caused the riots (which I attended) were for the High School contract. And they will still be using Dell machines at least until the new contract they signed expires.


--So really this has less to do with a victory for apple in the EDU market, but more of not losing another contract with Henrico schools.

[Indo]

wish my school in northern va was that smart, we get dell laptops for class

[p0intblank]

Lose the Dells and go with the Macs! :D

*psst* Do I sense another stampede?

[MacQuest]

D'ya reckon there'll be a stampede...

*psst* Do I sense another stampede?

Yup. Away from the school.

[steve_hill4]

Let's hope we can have a few more of these deals announced soon. The more children that get used to Macs, the healthier it will look for the future of Macs in general.

[MacQuest]

...from someone who worked for Dell up until recently... I am ashamed... Dell sucks in every way possible.

Welcome to the Mac community MacViolinist. :)

[Les Kern]

ibook + office + applecare

+ RAM + a Case + iWork + ?

Hard to know WHAT the real deal was, but it will come out.

[Les Kern]

Let's hope we can have a few more of these deals announced soon. The more children that get used to Macs, the healthier it will look for the future of Macs in general.

That wouldn't be a great selling point actually. We went Mac for all the right reasons! It's the KIDS man, the kids.

[Seasought]

I've never had problems with Dell machines, but they certainly are inferior (in my opinion) to Apple's. It's good to see a school jumping on board like this.

I still can't get over how silly Dell and IBM laptops look in comparison to Powerbooks and iBooks. :D

[Mechcozmo]

That wouldn't be a great selling point actually. We went Mac for all the right reasons! It's the KIDS man, the kids.

Then why did Apple drop the eMac from the normal-person store?

[yoak]

I wish schools in Norway would look into Apple. Using PC seems like asking for trouble in such an environment

[swingerofbirch]

For the children's sake I hope they are buying as of yet unreleased iBooks. Otherwise there's not going to be a lot of difference between the ones they just sold for $50 each and the ones they are buying.

[chazzzzy]

The school is probably taking into consideration how much spyware gets installed on Windows machines almost immediately, and how it results in porn popups, IE getting hijacked, and eventually rendering the machine useless over time.

Most of us are smart enough here to not allow that to happen, but I know FOR A FACT, that most kids don't know the proper thing to do when the popup tells them their machine has a virus, click here to get rid of it.

That alone makes the Macs a much more cost effective decision.

[hesdeadjim]

The school is probably taking into consideration how much spyware gets installed on Windows machines almost immediately, and how it results in porn popups, IE getting hijacked, and eventually rendering the machine useless over time.

Most of us are smart enough here to not allow that to happen, but I know FOR A FACT, that most kids don't know the proper thing to do when the popup tells them their machine has a virus, click here to get rid of it.

That alone makes the Macs a much more cost effective decision.

I have to second that. I work in a lab with a group of undergraduate engineering research assistants. These are some people you would expect to know how to take care of a computer and we have to get rid of new viruses/trojans/adware at least once a week and probably should do it once a day. It just comes with the territory that as soon as more than one person starts to use a computer (at least in a somewhat open setting), it can be considered virus ridden and problematic at best.

[Amdahl]

The riot happened because they made a 'Computer' available at ghetto-affordable prices, and then set them up to be sold first-come, first-serve in a real world location. If you saw the video clips, and the quotes from some of the attackers, you know what I'm talking about.

The riot can be avoided by making you register online or by form or mail. If they are really worried, they can auction them off. And if they REALLY don't want trouble, they can sell them on ebay or by the dozen.

[iShane]

I wish my school would buy Apple laptops. They don't even let us bring our own laptops to use. *Moves to Richmond* :rolleyes:

[corywoolf]

Someone fill me in. Why is this "Henrico County" such a big deal? My School District uses all macs and doesn't get this much publicity. I am guessing it is multiple districts (hence the county part), but still, why am I always hearing about this "little whole in the wall" Virginia county? How can one county be such a huge deal to Apple? What is so unique about this place? :confused:

[Mord]

because every student is getting one, and henrico dumped apple last time after useing the same ibooks for a few years, then switched back now after about a year of dell hell.

[Fanatic8]

I have personnaly been up against the Dell Rep that services the Henrico account on several Hardware deals.
Just to clarify, I work for a Reseller not a manufacturer.
I have been able to beat him on BPA's and quotes based on "Best Value" versus "Price" this looks like one of those times again for him and he is quoting direct.
There is more to this I am certain.

Go Apple!!