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Apple Losing Out To Microsoft and Google in US Classrooms (macrumors.com)
Apple is losing its grip on American classrooms, which technology companies have long used to hook students on their brands for life. From a report on MacRumors: According to research company Futuresource Consulting, in 2016 the number of devices in American classrooms that run iOS and macOS fell to third place behind both Google-powered laptops and Windows devices. Out of 12.6 million mobile devices shipped to primary and secondary schools in the U.S., Chromebooks accounted for 58 percent of the market, up from 50 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, school shipments of iPads and Mac laptops fell to 19 percent, from about 25 percent, over the same period, while Microsoft Windows laptops and tablets stayed relatively stable at about 22 percent.
I have the feeling price may be a factor here.
Back in the 80s Apple pioneered mainstream computing in classrooms. They had very active educational programs and, most importantly, did the accounting, training, and political legwork that made it easy for schools to adapt apple hardware.
A smart sales rep would sell the program to your board or state education department. You could send your teachers to training where they got their own computer to train on and take home.
They worked closely with the legendary MECC to help create those early educational titles of legend all kids of the 80s remember (some fondly)
Apple, now, doesn't do any of that stuff. Why? Who knows. Probably because they don't think it's worth their time and effort.
Google and Microsoft, on the other hand, are aggressively making it easy for Schools to acquire and manage cloud based services. Google in particular is a DREAM for a school IT department to manage thousands of Chromebooks through easy web based utilities.
Never tried to manage a bunch of devices on a network I see.. Remember, that IT guy is a cost center, not a profit maker in nearly all companies.
There are really good reasons to only have one flavor of device on your IT system, but it mostly boils down to being able to manage it with the least effort and staff.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
No school should accept to be vendor locked-in. Making all students to buy a device from a single vendor, buying (and maybe even developing) applications for that platform, and not being able to switch easily to another hardware provider is dumb.
Said the guy that has never had to provide technical services for a school.
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!