Education iMac: For Institutions Only

[MacRumors]

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Multiple readers report that Apple's $899 iMac has been designated as an education institution purchase only product.

From http://www.apple.com/education/imac/

$899 configuration of the 17-inch iMac is available for education institution customers only.

For the past week, the education-only iMac had been available to both qualified education individuals and institutions. There has been no official explanation from Apple on the quick change.

[supremedesigner]

That sucks for everybody :-\ But that will be good for all colleges and high schools!

[Stridder44]

lol and a million cries go out as Mac users everywhere weep....




And then we remember about the new MacPros.

[WildCowboy]

Oh, that sucks big time. Guess the margins just aren't high enough...

[Mord]

probably cut into the regular imacs sales too much.

[TangoCharlie]

Originally Posted by Hector

probably cut into the regular imacs sales too much.

Yes, that's why. The Edu-iMac was good (too good) value compared to the regular iMac. However, when the Merom based iMacs come out (WWDC), and the Edu-iMac is left behind with Yonah, then they will probably go back to the previous policy.

Roll on WWDC

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by TangoCharlie

However, when the Merom based iMacs come out (WWDC), and the Edu-iMac is left behind with Yonah, then they will probably go back to the previous policy.

Apple should drop all Yonah products as soon as sufficient Merom chips are available to do it.

Imagine The Steve saying "Mac - all Intel, all 64-bit" in Paris.

It would be to Apple's (and third parties') advantage to get rid of all 32-bit MacIntel's as soon as possible, so that "even fatter binaries" won't be needed to support the small number of 32-bit MacIntel's sold.

It will cost Apple and others a lot of money to support both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

[Jesus]

Well that sucks...

[SPUY767]

Originally Posted by WildCowboy

Oh, that sucks big time. Guess the margins just aren't high enough...

They're probably damn near taking a hit on each one. They just want to snatch up some more of the education market.

[OldSkoolNJ]

Oh come on .. Well know why this was done. Just go read the post about when it was released. I could see this coming a mile away. Either a they would do this or b they would start doing the audits they talk about with educational purchases. There must have been atleast 50 people who blatantly posted about abusing the discount on a "public forum" and hundreds maybe thousands more who thougt of it. Lets say I owned a store and I saw a forum online where 50 plus people said they knew a way to rip off my store, do you think I would leave it vulnerable? I dont know ... maybe this is the reason or maybe it isnt but I think ts great they did it. Because now all the people who thought they could do this and thought its no different from walking in a store and walking out with out paying for an item, will have to mow a few more lawns or bag a few more grocerys and pay what the rest of the honest people out there will. I know I know I am sounding uber negative here but not nearly as negative as someone trying to justify stealing on a "public forum".

Kevin

[Leoff]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolNJ

There must have been atleast 50 people who blatantly posted about abusing the discount on a "public forum" and hundreds maybe thousands more who thougt of it.

Kevin

This is nothing new to Apple. They wouldn't have pulled it just cause some bozos posted about it on this board or other boards. It's been known for YEARS that you could do this.

[bigmc6000]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolNJ

Oh come on .. Well know why this was done. Just go read the post about when it was released. I could see this coming a mile away. Either a they would do this or b they would start doing the audits they talk about with educational purchases. There must have been atleast 50 people who blatantly posted about abusing the discount on a "public forum" and hundreds maybe thousands more who thougt of it. Lets say I owned a store and I saw a forum online where 50 plus people said they knew a way to rip off my store, do you think I would leave it vulnerable? I dont know ... maybe this is the reason or maybe it isnt but I think ts great they did it. Because now all the people who thought they could do this and thought its no different from walking in a store and walking out with out paying for an item, will have to mow a few more lawns or bag a few more grocerys and pay what the rest of the honest people out there will. I know I know I am sounding uber negative here but not nearly as negative as someone trying to justify stealing on a "public forum".

Kevin

Guess what - now a bunch of people who were going to buy this won't buy anything and just wait. Great. You're so obsessed with calling it stealing - HEY - guess what - Apple still makes money off of it and last time I checked making $ is better than not making $. We even see legitimate edu customers getting shafted by this. One poor guy's g/f is now stuck with an e-machine. Yeah that's just wonderful. Is it stealing if you go to Amazon.com and get the $100 discount on the MacBook? That's all it is - a $100 discount (historically speaking) and apple is, in fact, in the business of 1 - Making $ and 2- Increasing user-base (which results in making money). Hurry hurry, quick quick. Grab a calculator. What is greater. 10%*899*1000(just a guess as to how many purchases would be made by people who otherwise aren't going to get a Mac) or 0*0*0. That's right - if you sell things at any profit margin to people who otherwise wouldn't buy anything you are still doing better!!!!!!!!!! Get an economic brain in your head - or better yet - grab some common sense and get off your high horse.

[generik]

Originally Posted by bigmc6000

Guess what - now a bunch of people who were going to buy this won't buy anything and just wait. Great. You're so obsessed with calling it stealing - HEY - guess what - Apple still makes money off of it and last time I checked making $ is better than not making $. We even see legitimate edu customers getting shafted by this. One poor guy's g/f is now stuck with an e-machine. Yeah that's just wonderful. Is it stealing if you go to Amazon.com and get the $100 discount on the MacBook? That's all it is - a $100 discount (historically speaking) and apple is, in fact, in the business of 1 - Making $ and 2- Increasing user-base (which results in making money). Hurry hurry, quick quick. Grab a calculator. What is greater. 10%*899*1000(just a guess as to how many purchases would be made by people who otherwise aren't going to get a Mac) or 0*0*0. That's right - if you sell things at any profit margin to people who otherwise wouldn't buy anything you are still doing better!!!!!!!!!! Get an economic brain in your head - or better yet - grab some common sense and get off your high horse.

Apple is greedy, what's new.

They rather make $0 than to make less, because you know why? The person who end up not getting still has that desire to satisfy, the person who bought cheap? There goes the near future sale.

[Electro Funk]

Originally Posted by generik

Apple is greedy, what's new.

They rather make $0 than to make less, because you know why? The person who end up not getting still has that desire to satisfy, the person who bought cheap? There goes the near future sale.

What

Name 1 corporation that is not greedy...

And non-profits are not allowed...

[boncellis]

I agree this is a bummer. I was hoping to ge one of them for the wife so she would be distracted from the machine I end up getting. I wonder if the offer will come back at some point.

[TangoCharlie]

Originally Posted by generik

Apple is greedy, what's new.

They rather make $0 than to make less, because you know why? The person who end up not getting still has that desire to satisfy, the person who bought cheap? There goes the near future sale.

Your assertion doesn't make any sense.

Apple has to make a profit otherwise it would go under. Apple saw that the edu-iMac was taking sales from the normal iMac. Presumably Apple was making a smaller margin on the Edu-iMac. It made a commercial decision on whether stopping non-institutions buying the Edu-iMac would have a negative impact on total sales and obviously decided it wouldn't. That's standard business practice.

As things stood, the edu-iMac was "too" good value, when compared to the regular iMac. However I expect Apple to re-release the iMac with a Core 2 Duo (Merom) processor at the WWDC, but leave the Edu-iMac with the Core Duo (Yonah) cpu. When that happens (!!), I should think Apple will go back to the previous policy for educational sales on the edu-iMac.

[alep85]

Originally Posted by bigmc6000

Guess what - now a bunch of people who were going to buy this won't buy anything and just wait. Great. You're so obsessed with calling it stealing - HEY - guess what - Apple still makes money off of it and last time I checked making $ is better than not making $. We even see legitimate edu customers getting shafted by this. One poor guy's g/f is now stuck with an e-machine. Yeah that's just wonderful. Is it stealing if you go to Amazon.com and get the $100 discount on the MacBook? That's all it is - a $100 discount (historically speaking) and apple is, in fact, in the business of 1 - Making $ and 2- Increasing user-base (which results in making money). Hurry hurry, quick quick. Grab a calculator. What is greater. 10%*899*1000(just a guess as to how many purchases would be made by people who otherwise aren't going to get a Mac) or 0*0*0. That's right - if you sell things at any profit margin to people who otherwise wouldn't buy anything you are still doing better!!!!!!!!!! Get an economic brain in your head - or better yet - grab some common sense and get off your high horse.

I agree with you in a lot of ways.....being a business major, I understand the need for margin on a product....HOWEVER, Apple should first be interested in gaining MARKET SHARE. With this little $899 baby, Apple had a chance to really market a one-size-fits-all solution for many families. For instance, I work at Best Buy in computer sales and I see NO NEED for anything past Intel Integrated Graphics on the computers we sell to 75-80 percent of the people that come in a purchase a computer. The educational iMac would have been PERFECT for the masses, a computer that's more than capable for what most people want to do with it, with the capability for a little bit of gaming as well. Anyone who needs more can get the one with the graphics card.

I agree with the fact that margin has to be made, but there comes a time when you have to gain market share. Once you've done that and the volume of business you are doing is much greater than before (and your competitors are in the dust, much like I would like Dell and Windows to be), you can increase your margin and please the shareholders....

My two cents, Apple messed up on this one, hopefully we see that iMac configuration or a similar model on the market soon...

[Frisco]

Originally Posted by alep85

I agree with you in a lot of ways.....being a business major, I understand the need for margin on a product....HOWEVER, Apple should first be interested in gaining MARKET SHARE. With this little $899 baby, Apple had a chance to really market a one-size-fits-all solution for many families. For instance, I work at Best Buy in computer sales and I see NO NEED for anything past Intel Integrated Graphics on the computers we sell to 75-80 percent of the people that come in a purchase a computer. The educational iMac would have been PERFECT for the masses, a computer that's more than capable for what most people want to do with it, with the capability for a little bit of gaming as well. Anyone who needs more can get the one with the graphics card.

I agree with the fact that margin has to be made, but there comes a time when you have to gain market share. Once you've done that and the volume of business you are doing is much greater than before (and your competitors are in the dust, much like I would like Dell and Windows to be), you can increase your margin and please the shareholders....

My two cents, Apple messed up on this one, hopefully we see that iMac configuration or a similar model on the market soon...

Excellent points made! Apple messed up bigtime!

[Doctor Q]

Originally Posted by Hector

probably cut into the regular imacs sales too much.

That's exactly what some are speculating. Which means Apple pulls products like this if they are too unpopular (not enough education sales to justify the product) or if they are too popular (enough education sales to cut into their non-education sales).

Originally Posted by OldSkoolNJ

Well know why this was done. Just go read the post about when it was released. I could see this coming a mile away. Either a they would do this or b they would start doing the audits they talk about with educational purchases. There must have been atleast 50 people who blatantly posted about abusing the discount on a "public forum" and hundreds maybe thousands more who thougt of it...

I doubt that's the reason, because the same is true of every other education deal. Apple chooses how tough to be about verifying student status, knowing that some people always try to beat the system.

[baleensavage]

Didn't they do something like this with the eMac when it first came out? It took them a while to release that eventually to the public. My guess is what happened is that they relized that there was a lot of demand for these amongst students and teachers and got worried that they wouldn't have enough to supply the schools. Lets face it, in terms of educational markets landing a school is a big deal. Losing a few individual sales is not. The institutional deals are where the money is in education. Conisdering that its now July and summer vacation there may be a number of schools in the process of upgrades.

Either way, I really do feel it is time for Apple to drop their prices not raise them like they have with their entire product line. Most of the world is not made of money, in particular small businesses. Apple really needs to start thinking about that market. the eMac worked really well for small businesses. $800 for an all-in-one. Now you can get a headless mini for $800 add in a monitor and a keyboard and mouse and you're creeping up on $1,000. It's really hard for an IT person to convince the boss to buy a new $1,000 computer when they see eMachines at Walmart for under $500. Sure Apple's are better than an eMachine, but does someone who will be word processing and browsing the internet really need a core duo, isight, etc. etc. etc.

[KREX725]

Originally Posted by baleensavage

Didn't they do something like this with the eMac when it first came out? It took them a while to release that eventually to the public. My guess is what happened is that they relized that there was a lot of demand for these amongst students and teachers and got worried that they wouldn't have enough to supply the schools.

That was my first thought too. Maybe they got enough response from non-schools that they are worried the supply wouldn't hold up to get the schools stocked before the new school year.

Just like the eMac originally being this way, I think once school is in full swing and Apple is caught up, we'll see these offered to teachers and higher edu students.

[kingtj]

Let's call things what they are....
Sure, lots of people out there realized they could magically "become a student" at some area school in order to receive an Apple discount on some hardware. It's deceitful - but if the practice was actually costing Apple money, you'd have seen them auditing all edu. purchases long ago.

The fact is, the edu. discount has generated quite a few new Apple customers who probably wouldn't have purchased one otherwise. And even at the discounted prices, they're high enough that Apple's still making a profit on those sales. Just not as large of one as they think they can usually get from the general public for the products otherwise.

I personally know a guy, for example, who bought a quad G5 tower using an educational discount, even though he's been done with school for quite some time. He had to scrape and beg to get the cash together for that system, even at the edu. price - and it involved selling his other Windows PCs too. He was convinced by the "Mac faithful" that it was a "better way" to do things, and at the edu. price, it was just *barely* possible for him to get it.

What good would it do Apple to punish him and lose a new customer forever, vs. give him a couple hundred bucks discount on a $3000+ machine?

Originally Posted by OldSkoolNJ

Oh come on .. Well know why this was done. Just go read the post about when it was released. I could see this coming a mile away. Either a they would do this or b they would start doing the audits they talk about with educational purchases. There must have been atleast 50 people who blatantly posted about abusing the discount on a "public forum" and hundreds maybe thousands more who thougt of it. Lets say I owned a store and I saw a forum online where 50 plus people said they knew a way to rip off my store, do you think I would leave it vulnerable? I dont know ... maybe this is the reason or maybe it isnt but I think ts great they did it. Because now all the people who thought they could do this and thought its no different from walking in a store and walking out with out paying for an item, will have to mow a few more lawns or bag a few more grocerys and pay what the rest of the honest people out there will. I know I know I am sounding uber negative here but not nearly as negative as someone trying to justify stealing on a "public forum".

Kevin

[sisyphus]

Oh that is soooo going to P.O. my girlfriend. She's an elementary teacher and I just finished convincing her to buy one of those when they became available in Canada.

It makes me want to cry everytime I go over there and have to use her old e-machines...

[codo]

Still there in the UK NUS store - Grab one whilst you can, I guess.

[Lancetx]

Hopefully this is just a short term supply and demand thing. There probably aren't enough to go around currently for both institutional and individual purchases, especially if they just received a few large institutional orders. Once inventory ramps back up on them, hopefully they'll be available again for purchase by education individuals.