Apple now offering 20-inch education iMac for $899

[bob21]

Ah, so in other words, the money you save on using hardware with a different build quality - is spent on software licensing to do the same things....

Apple dosnt make the internal components just the case , Its redilicous to assume because an intel processor goes inside an apple case it suddenly becomes "a different build quality". Same parts Same quality. And no not to do the same things im talking about the best software money can buy not rubbish bundled software.

Now multiply the cost of replacing 30x DVD Drives.... A site license for Adobe (Considering the Adobe Premier Elements is 150 for a consumer) and you assume that every school has to purchase its own licenses for Microsoft Products, or all these CAD Programs you mention, of which in any school I have seen, hmm short of Visual Studio - 3 instances of Professional CAD programs.

150 for a consumer the student edition is half that ,and lets not forget were not talking about some crappy bundled software here this is the best software money can buy . If the school abandoned wasting 700$ on a badge that money could go on a full set of high end proprietary software .

Personally I don't care what you claim about same parts, same reliability - In my experience, your wrong.
Every statement I have made, is backed up by my experience at work, maintaining computers in a variety of settings.

Great so can you explain how a C2D suddenly becomes better is it when its dropped in the case or do they have a pagan ceremony beforehand ? Anecdotal evidence and nothing more .

When you have machines that are Celeron 800 MHz falling to pieces around you with motherboards dying, dead DVD drives due to damage and misuse, graphic cards which fail and USB Ports burning out - compared to iMac 400MHz and 500MHz still chugging along, with the only component needing to be replaced on a rare occasion is a HD, your argument is falling flat or perhaps at most one other hardware failure in a year among close to 100 computers - I think my own experience is more valuable.

Anecdotal evidence which makes no logical sense . A Core 2 Duo is a Core 2 Duo , a Samsung Spinpoint is a Samsung Spinpoint . It dosnt matter what case you put a Samsung Spinpoint in it remains the same bog standard off the shelf component .

 am not talking figures, I am talking the work I do day in, day out. 
I spend more time, per machine fixing machines that are "PC's" compared to Macs.
I spend more time fixing up machines that are patched (via WSUS) removing viruses (protected by Corporate AV) and with security policies in place, that end users fill up with spyware, malware, trojans, games, dozens of "Helper Apps" etc compared to the occasional time I need to reload a Mac, repair its permissions or run a file system check.

Administrator Privileges

I never said Mac's exclusively, I said refusing to buy Mac's based on price is stupid when there are other advantages you blindly ignore, or seem to resolve by referring to other products that need to be purchased.

When your going to waste $500 on a badge and $250 on vista that leaves plenty of cash not for crappy bundled applications but for the best software money can buy .

The next point to address - is over spec'ing a machine - out of heavy duty Multimedia or CAD Labs - where have you seen machines at Max Spec? Or are you suggesting that they should run machines that have 8gb ram, 3ghz quad core machines, just to run word because they can?

No im suggesting they buy a shuttle k48 for 100 bucks a processor for 80 bucks ram for a tenner and a hard disk for 50 bucks . Problem solved and because im not a pagan i can say it wil have the exact same reliability as any computer for a fraction of the cost of an apple badge .

With your eye on the bottom line, I am not surprised your not pushing Linux at schools, just to save the $250 license fee of Vista....

Bottom line ? makes no logical sense . A Core 2 Duo is a Core 2 Duo , a Samsung Spinpoint is a Samsung Spinpoint . Id dosnt matter what case you put a Samsung Spinpoint in it remains the same bog standard off the shelf component . Paying $750 for a badge doesn't make the components inside any more reliable. Oh and thats $60 OEM ;)

<sarcasm>Oh wait - the CAD Programs people rarely use in an education environment - that we must teach 8-9 year old kids to use because they are so important to there future, don't run on linux..... </sarcasm>

Absolutely in secondary school students who undertake engineering are given an introduction to the applications they will be using for the next three years .

Why don't you give up your trolling of the Apple sections of Neowin, and run back to the Windows sections.

I will when it stops being full of pagan Druid's and foolish superstition .

You don't like Mac's (As you have repeatedly stated), you never will (Again as you have repeatedly stated), and personally - you don't have a chance in hell of convincing most of the people here so your wasting your time here.

I have no problem on what people waste their money on but my tax payers money wont be squandered on a badge i made sure of that .

And so am I, as I know your personal bias is going to kick in here as well, so long, I wont be checking this thread again as your not worth my time, because yes it is worth something, and debating this with you isn't.

Thats just fine . Fail

Edited April 27, 2009 by bob21

[techbeck]

This is nothing to get happy about. Until Apple gets a clue and starts offering cheaper systems to EVERYONE, then this is just another post and nothing more....not to mention I can get a Windows laptop packed with more options for $899 than what Apple has for the same price.

I guess it would be a plus to get Photoshop that comes with OSX...uhh, wait...no it doesnt... :rolleyes:

[spenser.d]

For what most people in the education system use a computer for (web browsing, email, word processing), it's still much more money than is remotely necessary.

-Spenser

[tunafish]

Oh come on! Ever tried to reimage an imac it takes LONG! we can ghost a desktop in 10 mins flat over a network!

No offence but the hardware in those macs is way outdated compaired to whats out there! It's hardly competative!

Ever tried to get your imac fixed? Good luck with getting charged apple prices for parts!

And yes this comes from a guy who has them deployed in a big school! A mixed network of windows and pc's

[joemailey]

I can buy great spec'd dells that run fine for me.

Mac's are over priced. there is know denying it. Even the damn iPhone that I love is over priced.

But why do I have, Because I like it.

Would I get it for everyone in work to use as a smartphone for email etc etc hell know.

[Cool318]

AT MY HIGH SCHOOL

our imacs are all 24inch

and each have 1gb of ram

we also have a bunch of macbooks

those each have 1GB of ram as well.

The question i have is,

How did my school afford all of that? lol