Apple outs new sub-$1K iMac for schools [U]
updated 07:30 am EDT, Mon August 8, 2011
iMac may dip below 1000 again with new model
(Update: real) Apple has updated its iMac for certain educational and institutional customers at the Apple Store. A 21.5-inch model is available with a dual 3.1GHz Core i3 and a modern AMD Radeon HD 6750M for graphics, instead relying on reduced storage and memory, along with the slight processor drop, to bring the price to $999. The design trims memory to just 2GB of RAM and storage to a 250GB hard drive.
It follows a pattern of Apple having a special, low cost iMac available to help address bulk purchases at schools and other large-scale buyers. Traditionally, Apple hasn't made this available to the general public but can sometimes make it available to individuals who qualify for an educational deal.
The company has regularly had a cheaper all-in-one desktop for these customers ever since the eMac and, to some extent, the original iMac. Education is still considered one of the important focuses at the company and is a much more price-sensitive category than the home, where the base price is $1,199.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
Few Months Late?
Haven't most schools already made their purchases for the coming school year? I don't know of any school budget that can pull the trigger on this purchase with just a couple of weeks left before school starts. I think they have already done what they're gonna do.