Education iMac: For Institutions Only

[balamw]

1) Eh.. $p by definition would be the pure gravy.. stuff like advertising and administration would fall under $c.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=AAPL&annual

Using you definition Apple's net profit margin was ~12% for the last year reported here (2005), i.e. nowhere near 20%. Using the more typical definitions they're operating with 29% gross margin accross the board. Which is pretty typical. G&A expenses were similar to the net profit (again typical) and R&D was less (~5%). Pretty typical.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=DELL&annual

Dell's most recent profit margins accross the board were 18% gross and 8% net with 9% G&A and under 1% R&D.

These differences are consistent with the two companies differing business models. Dell does no R&D, and thus can't expect to command the extra 4% profit margin.

B

 

[Eidorian]

nope. you'd need to own/be the IT guy of an educational institution


no, you can not.


you go to college or grad school, or become a teacher.

Actually you can.

http://www.apple.com/education/store/

After you pick which school you go to you can make a purchase in either Individual or Institutional store. Still, you might be redirected by your school's "custom Mac" pick for their school. Ugh!

 

[balamw]

After you pick which school you go to you can make a purchase in either Individual or Institutional store.

Yeah, but the $899 iMac is no longer available for purchase in the individual/personal EDU stores...

B

 

[Eidorian]

Yeah, but the $899 iMac is no longer available for purchase in the individual/personal EDU stores...

B

Note that I did say Institutional. It's Departmental for me. I normally just use the link off of my campus site to get to the Departmental Store.

 

[balamw]

Note that I did say Institutional. It's Departmental for me. I normally just use the link off of my campus site to get to the Departmental Store.

Just trying to be clear. You said either either individual or institutional, but you can't get the $899 iMac from the former only the latter, and to make an institutional purchase you must be authorized by the institution. From the link you provided:

Authorized purchasers
Submit an order to Apple if you are authorized by your school or school board to make purchases and you have been issued an authorized purchaser Apple ID and password.

B

 

[swingerofbirch]

Granted, there are PC's out there with 200 GB hard disks and DL DVD-burners for about $500. The difference between those and the Mini, is that one the Mini is mini (just look at a cheap PC box side by side with a mini), and the second is that the margins on the PC don't need to support as much infrastructure as Apple's do. Apple spends a lot on development which they can't really charge for except through hardware and the occassional OS and iLife release. Imagine if eMachines had the burden of developing Windows Vista--I imagine it would force them to raise their prices.

Having said that I do sometimes see Apple hobbling consumer hardware for the sake of differentiating it from the pro lines. Hopefully that will change as the Intel chips Apple uses grow in depth.

 

[ijimk]

boooo, i was considering getting one too.

 

[mccldwll]

A $300 price difference between the two, for which you get superdrive, front row, ipod nano ($179 credit--sell on ebay $150) and $100 printer credit (worth maybe $75). Not too much difference in the end for a better home machine. My guess is Apple planned to do this from beginning if enough institutional orders came in. Would have sent negative message if first closed access, then opened up. Plus, I think they're trying to get rid of existing ipods so prefer real imac sale.