April 27th, 2006
Such a deal - used iBooks for $48 a pop
Everyone knows that an old laptop computer is worth diddly-squat after a few years. Despite this, Maine public schools have decided to offer the 30,000 old Apple iBooks to Maine school districts at a bargain price of $48 apiece, reports the Boston Globe.
The $48 price is such a good deal that even though some districts in Maine have already purchased new computers, they are going to buy the old ones and offer to sell them to families and distribute them to students.
"They are four years older, half of them, and a little slow," Waterville technology director Stephen Smith said, "but they are still functional and for $48 apiece they are a good investment." James Jurdak, business manager for Augusta Public Schools, agrees. "We think it is a good deal," he said.
Educators need to be realistic about what a three- to four-year-old laptop can do. They are slow and some of them can’t run updated software.
"It sounds like a great deal at $48 but these computers have been used hard," James Jurdak, business manager for Augusta Public Schools
