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Education Businesses Apple

Apple Cuts Prices for Educational Customers 67

Posted by pudge from the don't-know-much-computer-science dept.
Eharley writes "Over the weekend, Apple's online educational store lowered prices on its computers and upgrade components by 5-15%. Now the 12" Al PowerBook starts at $1399. If you have a computer on order that hasn't shipped you probably already received an email about the price drop and will have your account credited the difference. However, if you're like me and always seem to buy things the week before they have their prices reduced, you may still be eligible for a refund provided you act fast."
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Apple Cuts Prices for Educational Customers More

Apple Cuts Prices for Educational Customers

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  • Damn, especially considering that I paid that much for an iBook last year.

    Man, why didn't I just wait a year :)

  • Sign me up (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ihatewinXP ( 638000 ) on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @03:39AM (#6497440)
    I knew there was a reason i didnt want to graduate this century. aside from the obvious perks of being a career student Apple education prices just keep me taking electives.

    Seriously though, a 12" poweerbook for $1399? I remember my fist mac, Lombard powerbook, being like $3000. Im looking over my expenses tonight and will probably order one tomorrow. I easily got my moneys worth on the lombard because i used it so long. The vlaue I recieve from apple notebooks make that an absolute steal.
    you can wait for the g5 powerbook, ill start being more productive with my antiquated g4 tomorrow.

  • Woot, G5 Prices Get the ChopToo (Score:5, Interesting)

    by WiseWeasel ( 92224 ) on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @03:43AM (#6497449)
    Awright! Now I can get a Dual 2GHz G5 w/ stock options and an upgrade to a 9800 Pro graphics card for $2969, about $100 less than when I priced it out yesterday. Oh happy day. It's like they said here, you're a student, have a free 9800 Pro, you'll be needing it for all your studying . . . how generous. My order is soooooo placed.
  • I checked the apple edu australian store and i havent noticed any changes. Anyone got any idea?
    • Nor I saw any kind of dicount in Switzerland [apple.com]where at educational prices a 12" Powerbook starts at 1,819.50$ (2,469.42) including 7.6% taxes at today rates [yahoo.com]
      :(
    • Last time I had a big whinge about the prices on the oz apple store not changing when the big price drop happened a month or so ago, I did so on slashdot... ...then the buggers went and updated their store!.

      It was perhaps a day later than the US one, but it did happen. I'll save my complaining for Wednesday night I think :)

  • Only for Education Individuals (Score:4, Informative)

    by tbmaddux ( 145207 ) * on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @06:36AM (#6497931) Homepage Journal
    Prices have not changed for educational institutional purchases, and the prices for individuals haved dropped to match the (formerly) lower institutional prices. At least, that's what I've found from checking on my recent institutional purchase of a 12" PowerBook.
  • Apple's biggest point of competition with PC sellers has always been it's laptop market. If you look at prices that's where they are most comperable. So don't be surprised if we see an AL 12" with slightly better specs and $1299 price tag within 6 months. Apple has to keep on top of this market if they want to stay in the game.
  • Doesnt this just make you want to fail a semester or two so you can stay in college to get the educational discount :) If it had no affect on my grades and/or my after-college plans, id most certainly stick around for another semester or two.

  • The word directly from Apple (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @08:40AM (#6498566)
    Apple Education
    Education Price Consolidation 7/19/03

    Dear Campus Reseller,

    Effective July 19th, 2003, Apple will institute standard educational pricing for Apple hardware and AppleCare products for both institutional and individual purchases. Individuals who are officially affiliated with an educational institution can now purchase Apple hardware and AppleCare products for personal use at Apple's published institutional pricing. Apple is lowering its prices in response to campus requests for students to purchase at Apple's published institutional pricing.

    This pricing action supports Apple's efforts to:

    - Grow market share in individual purchases, especially with regard to student purchases.

    - Drive incremental business during the higher education peak selling season.

    - Make Apple products more price competitive.

    Now buying a Mac desktop or laptop computer is more affordable than ever. We encourage you to pass this significant savings along to your customers.

    With regards,

    Frances Himes
    Sr. Director
    Higher Education
    Apple Computer Inc.

    Campus Reseller FAQ:

    Q: What products are affected by this price change?

    The price change affects Apple hardware and AppleCare products. Apple software, memory and third party products are not affected.

    Q: When does this price change take affect?

    The price reduction is in effect as of July 19, 2003.

    Q: Will the prices change on the Apple Store for Education Individuals and my account's Custom Apple Store?

    The prices will change on July 19, 2003 on the Apple Store for Education. Any Custom Store with standard individual pricing will change automatically on July 19, 2003. If your institution has a Custom Store with special discounted pricing, please work with your Account Executive.

    Q: Why did Apple reduce education individual pricing?

    This pricing action supports Apple's efforts to grow market share among individual purchasers, especially students. Reducing prices of Apple hardware products will help Apple and its campus resellers increase the volume of orders and units sold, thus gaining greater penetration among individuals on campus and boosting overall revenue during the higher education peak buying season.

    Q: Will this price change affect the recently announced Back-to-School rebate bundle offer?

    The Back-to-School bundle rebate offer is still valid with the new lower individual pricing on eligible products. Now with this additional price reduction, individuals purchasing through their institution's campus reseller or the Apple Store for Education online will save up to $200 depending on which qualifying Mac laptop is purchased. This savings, in addition to the up to $300 rebate, will potentially increase the volume of orders received and the number of units sold by the campus resellers to individuals at their institutions. If your campus has a Custom Store that purchases at prices lower than Education Institution pricing, please contact your Account Executive to determine your eligibility to participate in the Back to School offer.

    Q: Will we receive price protection for products we have in inventory?

    No. As a campus reseller you currently purchase Apple inventory at Institutional pricing, so there is no need to offer price protection.

    Q: Who should I contact if I have questions regarding this price change?

    You can either contact your Apple Account Executive directly, or send an email to Apple's campus reseller program.

  • Yay US Students (Score:4, Interesting)

    by truffle ( 37924 ) on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @10:24AM (#6499594) Homepage
    Candian students, still out in the cold :( Thanks Apple.

    Apple student developer program (popular source of student discounts for apple products) also US only.

    • Oops, I spoke too soon (Score:3, Informative)

      by truffle ( 37924 )

      http://www.apple.com/ca/higheredindividuals/

      $125 off for a 12" powerbook, I assume other items are discounted as well.

    • Re:Yay US Students (Score:4, Insightful)

      by NaugaHunter ( 639364 ) on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @10:51AM (#6499950)
      When there are international pricing differences, why is it everyone assumes it's Apple's fault? There could be lots of possible reasons. Tariffs and shipping costs that they don't include with the price. Local taxes. Fluctuation in currency rates which prevents easy savings translation. (Well, if we lower this price by x here, we'd lower it y there today but z tomorrow.) Costs of local versions of the software. (And yes, even for Canada. I remember complaints early on for OS X about the included dictionary was either American or UK English, neither of which worked correctly for Canadian.)

      I'm not trying to overly defend them. But International Boundaries make a mess of a lot of free trade; it's just a matter of where it shows up. And it is possible that Apple Education America and Apple Education Canada are entirely seperate entities with seperate budgets makeing their own decisions. In this case, they would do things seperately to increase their sales but meet their budgets.

      Now, I don't work for Apple (as much I as may wish I did). It may be that none of these are true and someone up top did say 'Meh - don't give it to foreigners!'. I just don't think it was that cold-bloodily simple.

      As for the student developer program, that probably has most to do with whatever software/services they offer and the distribution rights Apple has for them, or the level of administration they can apply towards it. I'm sure they are aware that growing an international community of developers would help them massively long term, so I doubt they simply don't want to do it.

      • Re:Yay US Students (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward

        When there are international pricing differences, why is it everyone assumes it's Apple's fault? There could be lots of possible reasons. Tariffs and shipping costs that they don't include with the price. Local taxes. Fluctuation in currency rates which prevents easy savings translation.

        Here in the Netherlands, it has occured several times in the past that I could buy a ticket to the US and import a Powerbook on my own an still spend less than buying locally. Yes, this is including tax (I'd have to pay t

        • This is true, but possibly misleading. Whether you spend less overall would depend on the price of the ticket, though air travel being what it is now I'm sure on weekdays straight roundtrips to US cities are probably relatively cheap.

          Another point to expand my first post is that price differences unique to neither Apple or computers. For example, there are people daily going between US & Canada for prescription drugs, beer, cigarettes, gambling, clothes, imported CDs/games. I'm not looking to defe
          • From what I understand on the Cubans they really did used to be better, but with the US out of the market the good growers moved to other areas with their seed stock and are now better than what the Cubans are growing. This isn't first hand knowledge. Also, if you don't get a huge ammonia flavor to the cigar you got ripped off it's probably not a cuban.
      • When there are international pricing differences, why is it everyone assumes it's Apple's fault?

        If I read it correctly, the parent post wasn't complaining about pricing differences, but rather pricing change differences.

        He was stating that Apple had dropped the price on the PowerBooks in the US and not Canada. In this case, unless the tarifs have changed, a price drop should occur in both countries, since the border charges etc are constant, and the price of the product itself dropped.

        Now, as he pointed

  • While it may be a bit underhanded remember that all you need to buy at an educational discount is to say that you're a student for the online store. There's no check of any records or such at all. If you want to buy in an Apple retail store, however, you will need a picture ID.

    • Re:Checking for proof (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Actually they do random checks for students. I bought a tower and I was not checked, 6 months later I bought an ibook and they requested i fax in a copy of my student id. I know several other people who have also bought with the educational discount, however only one other one of them had to submit proof of student status. Thus I have no firm proof but I belive that they check randomly.
  • I still had a better deal than that about 5 weeks ago. Got mine for $1999CDN while the current canadian educational price on apple's website is $2125. I dont think the canadian educational price dropped at all recently though.

  • Too little, too late (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Gizzmonic ( 412910 ) on Tuesday July 22, 2003 @12:07PM (#6501036) Homepage Journal
    Apple just lost New York City's school district to Dell. Funding cuts are stabbing at the heart of our educational system...as it's the Republican's plan to 'phase out' public education for a voucher system (don't worry about the children who get a crappy education during this period, they'll do fine!).

    In the short term, it seems to make financial sense to drop Apple for Dell. Just like it seems to make financial sense to pass $300 billion in 'tax cuts,' (actually just deferring payments until somebody else is in office). But the board of education will soon find out that the human costs of IT will far outweigh the benefits of a one-time savings.

    All in all, this is just another case of immediate gratification over future growth and stability. Sorry Apple, but the price cuts are hitting hard up against IT propellerheads looking for job security.

    • don't worry about the children who get a crappy education during this period, they'll do fine!

      Public schooling already does a fantastic job of this.

      And most students will just end up going to the same public schools even with vouchers anyway.

      I love how the left has such doom-and-gloom for any minor thing they don't support (don't privatize social security, everyone will end up broke with no retirement! I don't care if we're talking about privatizing only 2% and leaving the other 98% alone exactly as

      • I love how the left has such doom-and-gloom for any minor thing they don't support (don't privatize social security, everyone will end up broke with no retirement! I don't care if we're talking about privatizing only 2% and leaving the other 98% alone exactly as it is!)

        There's an old saying that it takes 2 years for an administration's economic and social policies to have an effect. With GW in office for 2 1/2 years now and the economy in the crapper, 2 wars under his belt, a scandal regarding forged info
        • Yep, and the economy was just doing great two years ago.
        • There *are* reasons to be critical of Bush.

          But that's not the topic here.

          Someone made an inane comment about school vouchers. I followed up with a comment likening it to the uproar of social security privatization. Neither of these things have happened. Both of them would make minor changes, at best. Yet many on the left make doomsday comments about both being the end of the world. Such drama queens.

          Now, on the other topic, yes, there are plenty of LEGITIMATE complaints against Bush. I am Republican,

          • Re:Too little, too late (Score:1, Insightful)

            by Anonymous Coward
            Yet many on the left make doomsday comments about both being the end of the world. Such drama queens.

            "Allowing Gay Marriage will DESTROY the nuclear family!"

            "Legalizing marijuana will cause WIDESPREAD lawlessness and licentiousness!"

            Those arias aren't coming from the stage left-nope, the fat lady's caterwauling from the far right of YOUR Grand Old oPry, and that's the side that drags Mr. Bush along like their precious little dolly.

            Republican solution to public school decay? Cut funding! Republican
          • When it comes to Iraq, well, I never supported the war. I want to know where these weapons are. 3 months after the war is declared over and we still have yet to see them or have any proof of whether Saddam is alive or dead. Also where is Osama?!

            Like I said, I don't belong to or believe in either of the two major parties. Also like I said, anyone who can get elected to a high public office is not someone who SHOULD be in that office. This political system has failed in practice. In 2000, the Electoral Colle
        • "and the GOP controling every branch of the government.. including the fourth branch..."

          I know noone will read this, but i was hoping pressman(the poster) would... What do you mean by that statement, and what is the 4th branch?
          • What do you mean by that statement, and what is the 4th branch?

            While given no specific powers, the free press and free speech was specifically included by the Founding Fathers (writers of the U.S. constitution) for, among other reasons, to enhance the system of checks and balances among the three branches (Judicial, Executive, Legislative).

            Hence, the media is (unofficially) the fourth branch of government - and the easiest for the general populace to participate in - espceially now that it includes /. (

          • The poster who beat me to this took the words right out of my mouth. Pretty much nailed it actually.

            Business in general can also be considered a branch of the government since businesses spend so much money on PAC's, lobbyists and bribing elected officials to pass legislation that best suits their particular business needs.

            Basically, money talks nowadays, and the money has bought the fourth branch. Just look at Fox News Network. Try and tell me that's even close to being fair and even handed coverage of a
    • This cut wouldn't have made a difference because the cut is only for individual purchases, not institutional purchases.
  • Of course, everyone has been expecting new PowerBooks for some time, especially with the 8-month-old 15" model still lagging the other two in system specs. Both WWDC and MWNY came and went without a refresh, and it seems that the latest rumors [macrumors.com] are predicting a late August update to the line, using new Motorola PPC 7457 processors running at 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 GHz. As always, rumors should be taken with a huge helping of salt, but perhaps Apple realized that many students and educators have been waiting for
    • Another possibility is that Apple realizes how many incoming students are buying their college dorm room computers right now, and want to capture a little more of that slice of pie.

      --saint
  • I've always wanted to own a Mac, but was always put off by the price and the fact that I couldn't build one from scratch. Well, now I need a laptop, which you can't really build from scratch anyway. At $1600, the PBG4 was a bit excessive. I looked at the $1200 iBook but with a 900mhz G3 and 128M of memory it's a little pokey. Not to mention the size and weight (not bad, but it's not exactly a PBG4 either). The PBG4 @ $1400 is really attractive. I may just get one. Of course, I'll dual boot Jaguar (Panther)

    • Re:Not a typycal Apple user (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      You'll dual boot for about 2 months. Then you'll realize that you never use Linux and that it's just taking up disk space that you could use to store your iTunes collection. Seriously, OS X is for all practical purposes Unix, and there's very, very little that Linux can do that OS X can't.
    • Build it yourself? Gentoo? 'typycal'? I pity you.
  • Recently I checked the educational discounts and saw that only $50-200 discount on the equipment depending on the model.

    I remember getting a $300 discount on my 2000 Pismo Powerbook in 2000. The other machines also had good discounts, mine was configured with minimum specifications. It seems to me that the discounts have been decreased and only now to be slightly returned to how it was back in 2000.

    I'm looking at getting an eMac for my wife; this couldn't come at a better time :)

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